We got Trevor Stephan last year who's a good reliever. the first Rule 5 pick to stick with Cleveland in a decade or more.
But on the other hand, We have lost Anthony Santander who would be a nice fit with our big league club and TJ McFarland got away and has been a steady big league reliever for a decade.
And almost everyone else we've picked has been returned; or taken from us has been returned.
More at risk now with an expanded roster, teams can pick someone with current big league ability and stash for the future, e.g. Luis Oviedo. LHP the Pirates chose from our system last year.
So it is more important on how we structure the roster for next season and beyond; This year we have a whole batch of highly rated youngsters who have a high ceilings. Will all succeed? No. But if it all it costs us to make room for e.g. Steven Kwan is releasing Brad Zimmer, why not do it?
Re: Articles
8327civ - as you probably know it is much harder to "hide" a position player on your big league team then it is to roster a reliever. AKA Trevor Stephan is a good example of the type of guy who gets claimed.
Santandar is an exception and far from the rule.
So the reality is that we will leave some position players unprotected and they will not be claimed - or they will be claimed and then returned.
Pitchers get priority for protection.
Santandar is an exception and far from the rule.
So the reality is that we will leave some position players unprotected and they will not be claimed - or they will be claimed and then returned.
Pitchers get priority for protection.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Articles
8328Cleveland Guardians trade targets, players to watch in 2022 and shipping containers: Meisel’s Mailbag
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 18: Franmil Reyes #32 of the Cleveland Indians follows through with his swing on his sixth inning two-run home run against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on September 18, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
By Zack Meisel Nov 16, 2021 18
CLEVELAND — Without further ado, your questions (which have been lightly edited for clarity) …
Aside from Shane Bieber, the rotation seems to be full of No. 3 or No. 4 starters. While I can appreciate the value in having rotation depth, I think the lack of a true front-of-the-rotation arm to pair with Bieber makes it hard to see Cleveland as more than a fringe contender. Do you see the team trying to spend some of its upcoming payroll increase to get an arm who could slot in toward the front of the rotation? — Ethan S.
I don’t see them devoting resources to adding another legitimate starter unless they trade one away. For the front office, there’s comfort in knowing they have five capable options (and some moderately intriguing depth behind that group in Eli Morgan, Cody Morris and a wave of prospects who pitched at Double A last season). But there’s also room for growth; the main quintet is young enough that it would be unfair to assume all five have reached their ceilings.
Who’s to say Cal Quantrill or Triston McKenzie can’t be front-line starters? Quantrill’s second-half stats certainly showcased that potential. We’ve seen flashes from Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale as well, but it’s easy to forget that they’ve totaled only 54 and 43 major-league starts, respectively. They aren’t finished products. Even Bieber will want to prove that he can offer something remotely close to his 2020 production over 30-plus starts.
Bottom line: I still think there’s a lot we don’t know about this group. It’s the part of the roster with the highest floor. It’s the part of the roster that suggests this team might be able to contend. But it’s five pitchers who can also perform better, and for this team to win, that needs that to happen.
Which Guardians hitter and pitcher are you most looking forward to watching next year? — Ben G.
Franmil Reyes suggested he can hit 45 or 50 home runs in a season. “Cleveland hasn’t seen it all,” he said in the dugout before Game 161. Well, then, let’s see it. No Cleveland hitter has reached the 40-homer mark since Travis Hafner in 2006.
On the pitching side, I’m ready to watch McKenzie adjust to big-league hitters over a full season now that he’s armed with the confidence of knowing he belongs on that stage. A full season of Anthony Gose could be fun, too.
What minor leaguers are you expecting to see the most out of next year in the bigs? Who will get the most playing time, and will there be any surprises? — Jared G.
It’s a bit difficult to project before we witness any offseason moves — and they’ll begin in the next few days, as 40-man rosters are due at the end of the week — but two names stand out: Gabriel Arias and Cody Morris. Arias should be major league-ready or close to it; an incredibly gifted defensive shortstop, he posted a .284/.348/.454 slash line at Triple-A Columbus as a 21-year-old this year. How he joins Cleveland’s infield and who he displaces, and when — that’s all anyone’s guess.
Morris, 25, recorded a 1.62 ERA in 61 innings this year and spent most of his time at Triple A. He racked up 93 strikeouts and limited opponents to a .189 average. His fastball sits in the mid-90s, and team evaluators were salivating over his output late in the summer. He doesn’t have a ton of minor-league experience — only 150 innings because of the pandemic and some injuries — but at some point in 2022, he should factor into Cleveland’s pitching plans.
What would it take for the team to acquire Matt Olson from the A’s, and is it something it would do? — Mike C.
There’s no harm in inquiring, especially since Oakland seems determined to pare its payroll to 2021 Cleveland territory. Olson is a clear upgrade over Bobby Bradley, but he has only two years of control remaining. The two-time Gold Glove Award winner registered a .271/.371/.540 slash line, with 39 home runs and 35 doubles this season. He’d likely cost a bunch and he’ll have plenty of suitors. If the Yankees are one of them, perhaps Luke Voit, who has three years of team control remaining, would be a more feasible target.
How legit is the talk about (Reyes) holding down a corner outfield spot? Seems like there is continually talk about this and it comes to nothing when the games start. Can (Myles) Straw’s glove in center make this a more plausible option than in prior years? If so, could the team make more of a run at a short-term DH masher? Maybe Nelson Cruz? — Brad A.
Reyes wants to play out there more regularly. He has the arm to do it. He’s playing winter ball and is aiming to shed weight and increase his mobility this offseason.
Cleveland learned in the second half how it could be beneficial, as it allowed acting manager DeMarlo Hale to rest certain guys and rotate others into the mix defensively. That said, as you mentioned, we hear this every offseason, so I’ll believe it when I see it. And, obviously, it will boil down to roster construction. If they’re serious this time, it opens up an avenue to more aggressively target a first baseman (Voit?) or designated hitter/pseudo outfielder (Jorge Soler?) this winter.
It’s difficult to forecast Amed Rosario’s future in Cleveland. (David Berding / Getty Images)
Zack, I am surprised by how many people are on the Amed Rosario train. Did you know he had a lower xwOBA than Roberto Pérez (.296 vs. .298)? He was below league average offensively (99 wRC+) despite posting a .340 BABIP. His Statcast page is littered in blue: 8th percentile BB%, 8th percentile barrel%, 10th percentile chase rate, 38th percentile average exit velocity. And defensively, he was atrocious. He was worth minus-9 defensive runs saved (24th out of 28 shortstops with a minimum of 600 innings at the position) and ranked in the 17th percentile in outs above average. Why all the — well, any — love? — David B.
Because everything’s relative. Had Owen Miller or Andrés Giménez produced one iota of what Rosario produced, we would all frame the Rosario situation differently. The reality is, he’s a placeholder at shortstop and his future on the roster hinges on the team’s offseason moves and the development of the younger infielders. Eventually, Giménez or Arias or Brayan Rocchio or Jose Tena will push Rosario to another position, if there’s one available.
Despite the unfavorable metrics, Rosario’s offensive profile — he did collect line-drive singles and doubles in bunches, especially against lefties — can suffice at shortstop … as long as he’s not such a liability defensively. The young contenders for the long-term spot at the position are all superior defenders. So, eventually, Rosario is bound for another area of the diamond (or another team).
Can you dive into the Ty Van Burkleo situation? Did this signal an organizational shift in hitting philosophy, or was this a change in the minors (they seem to have some good hitters in the lower levels) that forced the hand of the major-league club? — Brent W.
Van Burkleo was the longest-tenured hitting coach in the majors. That’s incredible in itself, and even more difficult to fathom considering the annual groans about the offense’s shortcomings. And that’s not to pile on the guy who was dismissed; Cleveland owns the eighth-best wRC+ in baseball (100) since 2013, which might surprise some people (including the one who just looked up that stat). No matter the level of culpability one coach deserves, however, it felt like change was past due.
The team wanted a new voice in its head hitting coach position, someone to offer fresh ideas, input and philosophies that can be adopted throughout the organization. Their young hitters mostly disappointed in 2021, and the farm system is stocked with position-player prospects who could debut within the next couple of years. It’s critical that they employ a group of forward-thinking coaches and analysts to collaborate with hitters and capitalize on their ability.
I’ll have more on new hitting coach Chris Valaika in the near future, but from initial conversations with those who know him well, he seems to have a strong grasp of data and biomechanics, which is becoming a necessary component of coaching.
I know you said signing Starling Marte to play a corner would kind of be a waste of his abilities, but he still seems like an ideal fit to me. He and Straw in the outfield would allow the other corner to be a big offensive guy with limited range (whether that’s Reyes or a trade acquisition), and having another high-average guy would help the lineup. Which is more likely to keep it from happening, money or fit? — Scotty H.
I just meant that a team in desperate need of a center fielder (Houston?) would probably make a bigger play for Marte, because while it’s a pretty deep outfield class, most of the options are best suited for left or right field. Marte has been on Cleveland’s radar as a trade target for several years, though. Cleveland ran amok in the second half of the 2021 season, with Straw, Rosario, Bradley Zimmer and José Ramírez piling up stolen bases. Now imagine adding Marte, the league leader in that category, to the mix.
If Cleveland hadn’t experienced so many injuries, would it have been in contention for a wild-card spot? If the front office believes so, do you think that changes their perspective on how to approach this offseason? — Chris W.
It’s hard to gauge where Cleveland’s record would have stood if the rotation remained healthy, and it’s important to remember no team completes a 162-game season unscathed. The Yankees and Red Sox qualified for the wild-card game with 92 wins apiece. Cleveland’s front office has cited injuries as a reason the team finished with only 80 wins, but I don’t think that really matters when it comes to offseason decision-making. I think they look ahead, not back. Regardless of how last season unfolded, one can examine this roster and identify that they need reinforcements in the lineup and have a pitching staff capable of keeping the team afloat. I think there’s a sense in the organization that this roster isn’t that far off from being a contender, but there’s definitely some urgency to make upgrades, and they could use depth throughout the roster in case another rash of injuries surfaces in 2022. It’s difficult to boast major-league depth on a $50 million budget.
All we are going to have to do for a bit is debate potential trades, so, if the Guardians deal for an outfielder with a couple years of control, would you prefer Jesse Winker or Ian Happ? — Quincy W.
Winker, I suppose. But he’s essentially a platoon guy, a better Joc Pederson. Happ is more versatile and can hit for pop. He makes sense as a trade target, and Chicago’s new GM might have an idea or two about which Cleveland prospects he covets.
But Winker is so good against right-handed pitching that it’s hard to pass up the opportunity if he’s available (and Cincinnati sure seems to be trending toward a roster recalibration).
Winker, career vs. RHP: .313/.405/.556 slash line
Winker, career vs. LHP: .188/.305/.295 slash line
It’s rare to see such a stark contrast. But he was an All-Star in 2021. He’s basically Vladimir Guerrero Jr. against righties.
With Austin Hedges already on the roster and Bryan Lavastida and Bo Naylor likely being added to the 40-man roster, what veteran catcher will Cleveland look to add? Is there a chance they don’t add another catcher and preserve the 40-man roster spot? — Chris R.
They’ll add a second major-league catcher via trade or free agency, though there’s not much out there in free agency. It’s basically a who’s who of former Cleveland catchers, including Pérez, Yan Gomes, Wilson Ramos, Ryan Lavarnway, Sandy León and Beau Taylor. So, don’t be surprised if they travel the trade route. (Just spitballing some names: Sean Murphy, Jacob Stallings, Danny Jansen, Elias Diaz.)
Lavastida will be added to the 40-man roster, but Naylor has another year before he needs to be protected. The club believes both need more time in the minors, Naylor with the bat and Lavastida with his game-calling.
Settle a bet: Was/is there really anything in those storage bins in the right field upper deck? And where does the person work now that decided that looked good? — Brent W.
That’s where they store reporters’ articles that never see the light of day. If you ever get a chance to march up there before the team renovates that area, you might stumble upon a crumpled piece of paper with the headline “Kluber stays in for the ninth, no-hits the Cardinals” or “Mariners cruise to an early-August blowout win at Jacobs Field on Sunday Night Baseball.”
No one thought that arrangement looked good, even the captain of the renovations ship, who now works north of the border. The shipping containers — some team employees even begrudgingly call them that — were never the plan, and in a few years they’ll be a distant memory as fans crack open a Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold in the right field beer garden and laugh about how those eyesores looked nothing like the original renderings.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 18: Franmil Reyes #32 of the Cleveland Indians follows through with his swing on his sixth inning two-run home run against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on September 18, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
By Zack Meisel Nov 16, 2021 18
CLEVELAND — Without further ado, your questions (which have been lightly edited for clarity) …
Aside from Shane Bieber, the rotation seems to be full of No. 3 or No. 4 starters. While I can appreciate the value in having rotation depth, I think the lack of a true front-of-the-rotation arm to pair with Bieber makes it hard to see Cleveland as more than a fringe contender. Do you see the team trying to spend some of its upcoming payroll increase to get an arm who could slot in toward the front of the rotation? — Ethan S.
I don’t see them devoting resources to adding another legitimate starter unless they trade one away. For the front office, there’s comfort in knowing they have five capable options (and some moderately intriguing depth behind that group in Eli Morgan, Cody Morris and a wave of prospects who pitched at Double A last season). But there’s also room for growth; the main quintet is young enough that it would be unfair to assume all five have reached their ceilings.
Who’s to say Cal Quantrill or Triston McKenzie can’t be front-line starters? Quantrill’s second-half stats certainly showcased that potential. We’ve seen flashes from Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale as well, but it’s easy to forget that they’ve totaled only 54 and 43 major-league starts, respectively. They aren’t finished products. Even Bieber will want to prove that he can offer something remotely close to his 2020 production over 30-plus starts.
Bottom line: I still think there’s a lot we don’t know about this group. It’s the part of the roster with the highest floor. It’s the part of the roster that suggests this team might be able to contend. But it’s five pitchers who can also perform better, and for this team to win, that needs that to happen.
Which Guardians hitter and pitcher are you most looking forward to watching next year? — Ben G.
Franmil Reyes suggested he can hit 45 or 50 home runs in a season. “Cleveland hasn’t seen it all,” he said in the dugout before Game 161. Well, then, let’s see it. No Cleveland hitter has reached the 40-homer mark since Travis Hafner in 2006.
On the pitching side, I’m ready to watch McKenzie adjust to big-league hitters over a full season now that he’s armed with the confidence of knowing he belongs on that stage. A full season of Anthony Gose could be fun, too.
What minor leaguers are you expecting to see the most out of next year in the bigs? Who will get the most playing time, and will there be any surprises? — Jared G.
It’s a bit difficult to project before we witness any offseason moves — and they’ll begin in the next few days, as 40-man rosters are due at the end of the week — but two names stand out: Gabriel Arias and Cody Morris. Arias should be major league-ready or close to it; an incredibly gifted defensive shortstop, he posted a .284/.348/.454 slash line at Triple-A Columbus as a 21-year-old this year. How he joins Cleveland’s infield and who he displaces, and when — that’s all anyone’s guess.
Morris, 25, recorded a 1.62 ERA in 61 innings this year and spent most of his time at Triple A. He racked up 93 strikeouts and limited opponents to a .189 average. His fastball sits in the mid-90s, and team evaluators were salivating over his output late in the summer. He doesn’t have a ton of minor-league experience — only 150 innings because of the pandemic and some injuries — but at some point in 2022, he should factor into Cleveland’s pitching plans.
What would it take for the team to acquire Matt Olson from the A’s, and is it something it would do? — Mike C.
There’s no harm in inquiring, especially since Oakland seems determined to pare its payroll to 2021 Cleveland territory. Olson is a clear upgrade over Bobby Bradley, but he has only two years of control remaining. The two-time Gold Glove Award winner registered a .271/.371/.540 slash line, with 39 home runs and 35 doubles this season. He’d likely cost a bunch and he’ll have plenty of suitors. If the Yankees are one of them, perhaps Luke Voit, who has three years of team control remaining, would be a more feasible target.
How legit is the talk about (Reyes) holding down a corner outfield spot? Seems like there is continually talk about this and it comes to nothing when the games start. Can (Myles) Straw’s glove in center make this a more plausible option than in prior years? If so, could the team make more of a run at a short-term DH masher? Maybe Nelson Cruz? — Brad A.
Reyes wants to play out there more regularly. He has the arm to do it. He’s playing winter ball and is aiming to shed weight and increase his mobility this offseason.
Cleveland learned in the second half how it could be beneficial, as it allowed acting manager DeMarlo Hale to rest certain guys and rotate others into the mix defensively. That said, as you mentioned, we hear this every offseason, so I’ll believe it when I see it. And, obviously, it will boil down to roster construction. If they’re serious this time, it opens up an avenue to more aggressively target a first baseman (Voit?) or designated hitter/pseudo outfielder (Jorge Soler?) this winter.
It’s difficult to forecast Amed Rosario’s future in Cleveland. (David Berding / Getty Images)
Zack, I am surprised by how many people are on the Amed Rosario train. Did you know he had a lower xwOBA than Roberto Pérez (.296 vs. .298)? He was below league average offensively (99 wRC+) despite posting a .340 BABIP. His Statcast page is littered in blue: 8th percentile BB%, 8th percentile barrel%, 10th percentile chase rate, 38th percentile average exit velocity. And defensively, he was atrocious. He was worth minus-9 defensive runs saved (24th out of 28 shortstops with a minimum of 600 innings at the position) and ranked in the 17th percentile in outs above average. Why all the — well, any — love? — David B.
Because everything’s relative. Had Owen Miller or Andrés Giménez produced one iota of what Rosario produced, we would all frame the Rosario situation differently. The reality is, he’s a placeholder at shortstop and his future on the roster hinges on the team’s offseason moves and the development of the younger infielders. Eventually, Giménez or Arias or Brayan Rocchio or Jose Tena will push Rosario to another position, if there’s one available.
Despite the unfavorable metrics, Rosario’s offensive profile — he did collect line-drive singles and doubles in bunches, especially against lefties — can suffice at shortstop … as long as he’s not such a liability defensively. The young contenders for the long-term spot at the position are all superior defenders. So, eventually, Rosario is bound for another area of the diamond (or another team).
Can you dive into the Ty Van Burkleo situation? Did this signal an organizational shift in hitting philosophy, or was this a change in the minors (they seem to have some good hitters in the lower levels) that forced the hand of the major-league club? — Brent W.
Van Burkleo was the longest-tenured hitting coach in the majors. That’s incredible in itself, and even more difficult to fathom considering the annual groans about the offense’s shortcomings. And that’s not to pile on the guy who was dismissed; Cleveland owns the eighth-best wRC+ in baseball (100) since 2013, which might surprise some people (including the one who just looked up that stat). No matter the level of culpability one coach deserves, however, it felt like change was past due.
The team wanted a new voice in its head hitting coach position, someone to offer fresh ideas, input and philosophies that can be adopted throughout the organization. Their young hitters mostly disappointed in 2021, and the farm system is stocked with position-player prospects who could debut within the next couple of years. It’s critical that they employ a group of forward-thinking coaches and analysts to collaborate with hitters and capitalize on their ability.
I’ll have more on new hitting coach Chris Valaika in the near future, but from initial conversations with those who know him well, he seems to have a strong grasp of data and biomechanics, which is becoming a necessary component of coaching.
I know you said signing Starling Marte to play a corner would kind of be a waste of his abilities, but he still seems like an ideal fit to me. He and Straw in the outfield would allow the other corner to be a big offensive guy with limited range (whether that’s Reyes or a trade acquisition), and having another high-average guy would help the lineup. Which is more likely to keep it from happening, money or fit? — Scotty H.
I just meant that a team in desperate need of a center fielder (Houston?) would probably make a bigger play for Marte, because while it’s a pretty deep outfield class, most of the options are best suited for left or right field. Marte has been on Cleveland’s radar as a trade target for several years, though. Cleveland ran amok in the second half of the 2021 season, with Straw, Rosario, Bradley Zimmer and José Ramírez piling up stolen bases. Now imagine adding Marte, the league leader in that category, to the mix.
If Cleveland hadn’t experienced so many injuries, would it have been in contention for a wild-card spot? If the front office believes so, do you think that changes their perspective on how to approach this offseason? — Chris W.
It’s hard to gauge where Cleveland’s record would have stood if the rotation remained healthy, and it’s important to remember no team completes a 162-game season unscathed. The Yankees and Red Sox qualified for the wild-card game with 92 wins apiece. Cleveland’s front office has cited injuries as a reason the team finished with only 80 wins, but I don’t think that really matters when it comes to offseason decision-making. I think they look ahead, not back. Regardless of how last season unfolded, one can examine this roster and identify that they need reinforcements in the lineup and have a pitching staff capable of keeping the team afloat. I think there’s a sense in the organization that this roster isn’t that far off from being a contender, but there’s definitely some urgency to make upgrades, and they could use depth throughout the roster in case another rash of injuries surfaces in 2022. It’s difficult to boast major-league depth on a $50 million budget.
All we are going to have to do for a bit is debate potential trades, so, if the Guardians deal for an outfielder with a couple years of control, would you prefer Jesse Winker or Ian Happ? — Quincy W.
Winker, I suppose. But he’s essentially a platoon guy, a better Joc Pederson. Happ is more versatile and can hit for pop. He makes sense as a trade target, and Chicago’s new GM might have an idea or two about which Cleveland prospects he covets.
But Winker is so good against right-handed pitching that it’s hard to pass up the opportunity if he’s available (and Cincinnati sure seems to be trending toward a roster recalibration).
Winker, career vs. RHP: .313/.405/.556 slash line
Winker, career vs. LHP: .188/.305/.295 slash line
It’s rare to see such a stark contrast. But he was an All-Star in 2021. He’s basically Vladimir Guerrero Jr. against righties.
With Austin Hedges already on the roster and Bryan Lavastida and Bo Naylor likely being added to the 40-man roster, what veteran catcher will Cleveland look to add? Is there a chance they don’t add another catcher and preserve the 40-man roster spot? — Chris R.
They’ll add a second major-league catcher via trade or free agency, though there’s not much out there in free agency. It’s basically a who’s who of former Cleveland catchers, including Pérez, Yan Gomes, Wilson Ramos, Ryan Lavarnway, Sandy León and Beau Taylor. So, don’t be surprised if they travel the trade route. (Just spitballing some names: Sean Murphy, Jacob Stallings, Danny Jansen, Elias Diaz.)
Lavastida will be added to the 40-man roster, but Naylor has another year before he needs to be protected. The club believes both need more time in the minors, Naylor with the bat and Lavastida with his game-calling.
Settle a bet: Was/is there really anything in those storage bins in the right field upper deck? And where does the person work now that decided that looked good? — Brent W.
That’s where they store reporters’ articles that never see the light of day. If you ever get a chance to march up there before the team renovates that area, you might stumble upon a crumpled piece of paper with the headline “Kluber stays in for the ninth, no-hits the Cardinals” or “Mariners cruise to an early-August blowout win at Jacobs Field on Sunday Night Baseball.”
No one thought that arrangement looked good, even the captain of the renovations ship, who now works north of the border. The shipping containers — some team employees even begrudgingly call them that — were never the plan, and in a few years they’ll be a distant memory as fans crack open a Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold in the right field beer garden and laugh about how those eyesores looked nothing like the original renderings.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Articles
8329Predicting the 2022 Cleveland Guardians 40-man roster
by Steve DiMatteo21 hours ago Follow @steve_dimatteo
The deadline for the Cleveland Guardians to set their 40-man roster is looming, so who is going to make it?
The Guardians have a lot of decisions to make this offseason, and that includes how to navigate their 40-man roster. With so many young players making their ascent to the majors, the active roster is starting to get a bit jam-packed – not to mention the consideration of many notable Rule 5-eligible players who must be added to the 40-man roster in order to be protected from the prying eyes of other teams.
With that in mind, here are our predictions for the Guardians’ 40-man roster. This doesn’t take into account hypothetical trades (at least too much), which do seem increasingly likely. But for the purposes of this first pass, let’s just see what the team is currently working with internally.
40-man Roster Predictions for the Cleveland Guardians
Catcher
Prediction:
Austin Hedges
Bryan Lavastida
It’s likely time for Guardians fans to say goodbye to Roberto Perez, unless he is willing to take a severely reduced contract after Cleveland passed on his $7 million team option. There’s always the chance the team looks outside the organization for a catcher to back up Austin Hedges, who is heading to arbitration himself this offseason. But Bryan Lavastida appears ready for a shot at the majors; the only question is whether the Guardians will want him to get more regular at-bats down in Triple-A Columbus.
Infield
Prediction:
Gabriel Arias
Bobby Bradley
Ernie Clement
Andres Gimenez
Owen Miller
Jose Ramirez
Amed Rosario
Tyler Freeman
Brayan Rocchio
Nolan Jones
There are a lot of decisions that need to be made in the Guardians infield. While Jose Ramirez is obviously entrenched at third and Amed Rosario appears locked in at shortstop for the time being, the other side of the diamond is in total flux. Bobby Bradley likely has the first-base job barring a move being made via trade or free agency, given his 99 wRC+ in 2021 and prolific power potential. Jhonkensy Noel is rocketing through the minors and will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft this year, but the Guardians might be able to get away with not adding him to the 40-man, because he’s still a few years away from major-league action. But he could very well be the team’s first baseman of the future.
So who is going to start at second base this year? Ernie Clement? Owen Miller? Andres Gimenez? Does Gabriel Arias just blow everyone away in spring training and take the job? It’s hard to say at this point, but ultimately, there isn’t a lot of turnover here at the moment, aside from potentially dropping Yu Chang to make room for some of the new names like the aforementioned Noel, along with Tyler Freeman and Brayan Rocchio, both of whom are also Rule 5-eligible.
Outfield
Prediction:
Josh Naylor
Harold Ramirez
Franmil Reyes
Myles Straw
Richie Palacios
Steven Kwan
George Valera
Oscar Gonzalez
The outfield could look very, very different by Opening Day. There has of course been talk about Franmil Reyes possibly finding himself in the outfield more often, but it would be shocking for the Guardians to not acquire at least one outfielder this offseason, either through a trade or free-agent signing. Steven Kwan seems like a lock for the 40-man roster because he’s Rule 5-eligible and the 24-year-old put up really solid numbers at Triple-A Columbus in 2021, including a .311/.398/.505 line with five home runs and a 1.75 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 103 at-bats. But that also could make him an ideal piece to dangle out there as part of a larger trade. The Guardians have made it clear they intend to improve the outfield this offseason, and a former fifth-round pick like Kwan could certainly help them do that.
The same goes for Oscar Gonzalez, who hit 31 home runs in the minors this season with a .293/.329/.542 line between Akron and Columbus.
Assuming the Guardians look outside the organization for some additional outfield help – and honestly even if they don’t – the team knows what it has in Bradley Zimmer and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see his time with Cleveland to come to an end in order to make room for these younger players. The prospect of seeing what they have with guys like Kwan, Gonzalez and Palacios is just too enticing to keep flailing about with Zimmer in the lineup.
Starting Rotation
Prediction:
Shane Bieber
Aaron Civale
Cal Quantrill
Zach Plesac
Triston McKenzie
The Guardians rotation is set, and boy does it look glorious. So glorious, in fact, there might even be some interesting trade chips just on the outside of the rotation – or possibly within it. The emergence of Cal Quantrill and Triston McKenzie last season opens a door that could allow the Guardians to entertain trading a rotation piece for a bat this offseason. If that happens, they’ll just have to bank on not going through another once-a-century rash of pitching injuries next year. The name immediately jumping out as a potential trade piece? Zach Plesac. If the Guardians were to parlay Plesac and some prospects into a major piece like, say, Bryan Reynolds from the Pittsburgh Pirates, I think fans could live with Eli Morgan, Logan Allen, or maybe Scott Moss/Cody Morris shoring up the rotation.
Bullpen
Prediction:
Emmanuel Clase
Anthony Gose
Sam Hentges
James Karinchak
J.C. Mejia
Eli Morgan
Scott Moss
Kyle Nelson
Nick Sandlin
Trevor Stephan
Carlos Vargas
Logan Allen
Cody Morris
Joey Cantillo
Konnor Pilkington
A bullpen can be a hard thing to predict, but there are certainly some solidified spots in place for the Guardians. You know Clase and Sandlin are going to solidify the back-end of the bullpen, but everything else is up in the air – including James Karinchak, whose future on the team should honestly be in question. Not just because of his struggles, but because he would be a great trade piece for another team in desperate need of bullpen help.
Steve DiMatteo is the host of the California Penal League Podcast, which you can find on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you get your podcasts.
by Steve DiMatteo21 hours ago Follow @steve_dimatteo
The deadline for the Cleveland Guardians to set their 40-man roster is looming, so who is going to make it?
The Guardians have a lot of decisions to make this offseason, and that includes how to navigate their 40-man roster. With so many young players making their ascent to the majors, the active roster is starting to get a bit jam-packed – not to mention the consideration of many notable Rule 5-eligible players who must be added to the 40-man roster in order to be protected from the prying eyes of other teams.
With that in mind, here are our predictions for the Guardians’ 40-man roster. This doesn’t take into account hypothetical trades (at least too much), which do seem increasingly likely. But for the purposes of this first pass, let’s just see what the team is currently working with internally.
40-man Roster Predictions for the Cleveland Guardians
Catcher
Prediction:
Austin Hedges
Bryan Lavastida
It’s likely time for Guardians fans to say goodbye to Roberto Perez, unless he is willing to take a severely reduced contract after Cleveland passed on his $7 million team option. There’s always the chance the team looks outside the organization for a catcher to back up Austin Hedges, who is heading to arbitration himself this offseason. But Bryan Lavastida appears ready for a shot at the majors; the only question is whether the Guardians will want him to get more regular at-bats down in Triple-A Columbus.
Infield
Prediction:
Gabriel Arias
Bobby Bradley
Ernie Clement
Andres Gimenez
Owen Miller
Jose Ramirez
Amed Rosario
Tyler Freeman
Brayan Rocchio
Nolan Jones
There are a lot of decisions that need to be made in the Guardians infield. While Jose Ramirez is obviously entrenched at third and Amed Rosario appears locked in at shortstop for the time being, the other side of the diamond is in total flux. Bobby Bradley likely has the first-base job barring a move being made via trade or free agency, given his 99 wRC+ in 2021 and prolific power potential. Jhonkensy Noel is rocketing through the minors and will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft this year, but the Guardians might be able to get away with not adding him to the 40-man, because he’s still a few years away from major-league action. But he could very well be the team’s first baseman of the future.
So who is going to start at second base this year? Ernie Clement? Owen Miller? Andres Gimenez? Does Gabriel Arias just blow everyone away in spring training and take the job? It’s hard to say at this point, but ultimately, there isn’t a lot of turnover here at the moment, aside from potentially dropping Yu Chang to make room for some of the new names like the aforementioned Noel, along with Tyler Freeman and Brayan Rocchio, both of whom are also Rule 5-eligible.
Outfield
Prediction:
Josh Naylor
Harold Ramirez
Franmil Reyes
Myles Straw
Richie Palacios
Steven Kwan
George Valera
Oscar Gonzalez
The outfield could look very, very different by Opening Day. There has of course been talk about Franmil Reyes possibly finding himself in the outfield more often, but it would be shocking for the Guardians to not acquire at least one outfielder this offseason, either through a trade or free-agent signing. Steven Kwan seems like a lock for the 40-man roster because he’s Rule 5-eligible and the 24-year-old put up really solid numbers at Triple-A Columbus in 2021, including a .311/.398/.505 line with five home runs and a 1.75 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 103 at-bats. But that also could make him an ideal piece to dangle out there as part of a larger trade. The Guardians have made it clear they intend to improve the outfield this offseason, and a former fifth-round pick like Kwan could certainly help them do that.
The same goes for Oscar Gonzalez, who hit 31 home runs in the minors this season with a .293/.329/.542 line between Akron and Columbus.
Assuming the Guardians look outside the organization for some additional outfield help – and honestly even if they don’t – the team knows what it has in Bradley Zimmer and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see his time with Cleveland to come to an end in order to make room for these younger players. The prospect of seeing what they have with guys like Kwan, Gonzalez and Palacios is just too enticing to keep flailing about with Zimmer in the lineup.
Starting Rotation
Prediction:
Shane Bieber
Aaron Civale
Cal Quantrill
Zach Plesac
Triston McKenzie
The Guardians rotation is set, and boy does it look glorious. So glorious, in fact, there might even be some interesting trade chips just on the outside of the rotation – or possibly within it. The emergence of Cal Quantrill and Triston McKenzie last season opens a door that could allow the Guardians to entertain trading a rotation piece for a bat this offseason. If that happens, they’ll just have to bank on not going through another once-a-century rash of pitching injuries next year. The name immediately jumping out as a potential trade piece? Zach Plesac. If the Guardians were to parlay Plesac and some prospects into a major piece like, say, Bryan Reynolds from the Pittsburgh Pirates, I think fans could live with Eli Morgan, Logan Allen, or maybe Scott Moss/Cody Morris shoring up the rotation.
Bullpen
Prediction:
Emmanuel Clase
Anthony Gose
Sam Hentges
James Karinchak
J.C. Mejia
Eli Morgan
Scott Moss
Kyle Nelson
Nick Sandlin
Trevor Stephan
Carlos Vargas
Logan Allen
Cody Morris
Joey Cantillo
Konnor Pilkington
A bullpen can be a hard thing to predict, but there are certainly some solidified spots in place for the Guardians. You know Clase and Sandlin are going to solidify the back-end of the bullpen, but everything else is up in the air – including James Karinchak, whose future on the team should honestly be in question. Not just because of his struggles, but because he would be a great trade piece for another team in desperate need of bullpen help.
Steve DiMatteo is the host of the California Penal League Podcast, which you can find on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you get your podcasts.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Articles
8330I enjoy the guessing game part of this although I agree that Rule 5 does not really mean a lot in the long run.
I would definitely not dump Chang. He started to hit last season and can play all over the infield.
I would not keep Kyle Nelson; his major league opportunities have been very limited and very bad; more important is his weak 2021 in AAA
I would not keep Scott Moss. His numbers and his health don't seem promising.
I probably would not protect Joey Cantillo who has talent but his injured 2020 makes him less likely to be drafted; and less likely to succeed if we keep him
I agree on dropping Zimmer, Johnson, and Young; and probably Garza
I am not so sure about Oscar Mercado, although his numbers are terrible he can play CF pretty well.
I might drop Harold Ramirez instead who hits pretty well but is atrocious in the OF and one DH is enough; now we know why he was dumped by his previous team and available to sign to a minor league contract.
I would like to add Tena, who he doesn't mention at all and probably Noel although with only 1 month in high A ball and not playing a defensively significant position he might not be worth picking up and starting his 3 year window on options.
I agree of course on adding Freeman, Valera, Rocchio; and the second tier Lavastida, Kwan, Palacios and Morris; and the third tier Gonzalez and Pilkington, although I'd put Tena and perhaps Noel ahead of both [Noel like Gonzalez is another long ball threat and although he doesn't walk a lot he does more than Oscar; not sure if either is much of a defender]
I would definitely not dump Chang. He started to hit last season and can play all over the infield.
I would not keep Kyle Nelson; his major league opportunities have been very limited and very bad; more important is his weak 2021 in AAA
I would not keep Scott Moss. His numbers and his health don't seem promising.
I probably would not protect Joey Cantillo who has talent but his injured 2020 makes him less likely to be drafted; and less likely to succeed if we keep him
I agree on dropping Zimmer, Johnson, and Young; and probably Garza
I am not so sure about Oscar Mercado, although his numbers are terrible he can play CF pretty well.
I might drop Harold Ramirez instead who hits pretty well but is atrocious in the OF and one DH is enough; now we know why he was dumped by his previous team and available to sign to a minor league contract.
I would like to add Tena, who he doesn't mention at all and probably Noel although with only 1 month in high A ball and not playing a defensively significant position he might not be worth picking up and starting his 3 year window on options.
I agree of course on adding Freeman, Valera, Rocchio; and the second tier Lavastida, Kwan, Palacios and Morris; and the third tier Gonzalez and Pilkington, although I'd put Tena and perhaps Noel ahead of both [Noel like Gonzalez is another long ball threat and although he doesn't walk a lot he does more than Oscar; not sure if either is much of a defender]
Re: Articles
8331Meisel expects a lot of activity today!
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Articles
8332hard to avoid that; unless they want to only add 4 kids to the roster.
I assume they are trying to make minor league deals with some guys like Garza and Nelson and Moss and Ramirez [although still could lose them in Rule 5 but none of those seem worth drafting]
I assume they are trying to make minor league deals with some guys like Garza and Nelson and Moss and Ramirez [although still could lose them in Rule 5 but none of those seem worth drafting]
Re: Articles
8333from Covering the Corner website
Names to know
LHP Joey Cantillo: A core muscle injury wiped out the majority of his 2021 season after the canceled 2020 minor league season, which could allow for Cleveland to float him through the draft. However, he’s left-handed, is tall and projectable, has a plus changeup and left-handers are the easiest targets in the draft, and easy to stash on a roster all year. If the Pirates were able to hide Luis Oviedo all of 2021, someone could easily hide Cantillo all of 2022, who has more experience and is left-handed. We’re on the fence here but Cantillo has been on the radar of a lot of teams before Cleveland traded for him in 2020 and that probably hasn’t changed. If he’s not protected, he’s a big risk to be taken.
INF Tyler Freeman: Another shoulder surgery limited Freeman to 41 games in 2021, but he was off to a strong start and has some of the best bat to ball skills in all of baseball, something that is starting to trend widely throughout the sport. Though he is probably not ready to play in the bigs in 2022, middle infielders with the strong fundamental skills and makeup of someone like Freeman are also easy targets, so there’s next to no doubt Cleveland adds him.
OF/DH Oscar Gonzalez: Yes, Gonzalez hit 31 homers in 2021 and was among the top 10 in minor league baseball among that category. And yes, Cleveland hasn’t developed any real great outfielders the last several years, power hitters chief among the ones lacking. However, the track record in the organization of power hitters the last several years isn’t a good one. That doesn’t always translate to the majors and Gonzalez has a below average approach at the plate when it comes to working the count. That can work at the major league level, but the margin for error is lower. In addition, Gonzalez is something of a liability defensively. Cleveland just re-signed him to a minor league deal after he became a minor league free agent a few weeks ago. If they were going to add him to the 40 man roster, they would have done it already instead of signing him to a minor league deal. Still, if the DH is coming to the NL, someone should take Gonzalez and give him a shot. Despite their issues developing position players/outfielders, Cleveland has higher priority players to make room for now. That’s a good thing.
OF Steven Kwan: Kwan had the lowest swinging strike rate of anyone in baseball in 2021, minors or majors (2.6%) and added some pop to his game (12 homers in 296 PAs). He can play all three outfield positions, has speed even though he hasn’t used it a ton, and puts the bat on the ball. If Cleveland doesn’t protect him, he’ll likely be taken as he can play as soon as 2022 even if he could use a few more months in Triple-A. If they don’t protect him, look for a possible trade involving Kwan so they don’t lose him for nothing.
C Bryan Lavastida: After only catching his final JUCO season before Cleveland drafted him, Lavastida has come a long way as a backstop. He still has some consistencies to work on in terms of throwing mechanics and blocking, but pitchers praised his game calling and his framing was rated highly by Baseball Prospectus’ framing rate stats. His bat also took off between High-A and Double-A, so there’s very little reason for Cleveland not to roster him. He can play as soon as 2023 or in a pinch, in 2022.
RHP Cody Morris: A shoulder issue knocked Morris out half the year in 2021 but he came back stronger and better than ever. He was up to 99 early on as a starter with a new slider/cutter, his same good curveball and an improved changeup. There are durability questions despite his frame, but 29 other teams would love to give Morris a shot in 2022 in their rotation or at least the bullpen, so he’s safe as a lock right now unless there’s some sort of trade in the works.
1B/3B Jhonkensy Noel: There are a lot of people concerned that a 20 year old corner infielder with massive power that’s already showing in games could be taken. Yes, there are several organizations out there with room to add several Rule 5 players to their weak system and rosters. Oakland, Washington or Baltimore may all have some room for this kind of player. However, Noel is 20 and has never played above High-A, only spending a ⅓ of his 2021 season there. He’s also mostly a first basemen who can play some third for now, or will at least keep getting shots. That’s not the kind of player that is easy to hide for a full season. Noel needs to play a lot to continue developing as he still is susceptible to breaking pitches. He’s a good hitter but is still raw in many ways, which is scary and good. If a team takes him looking at his upside, they risk rushing his development by exposing him to major league pitching before he’s ready, or sitting him on the bench for a large portion of the season and stunting his development because he needs to play. It’s unlikely a team takes this chance and Cleveland probably will dare a team to try.
LHP Konnor Pilkington: After coming over from the White Sox in the Cesar Hernandez trade, Pilkington had a strong showing. He can miss bats and though his control wasn’t as good as they’d like, Pilkington is someone you can count on for pitching depth in 2022 as he should start the year in Columbus and be something like second or third in the pecking order for starting pitching depth next year should a need arise. Other teams would be ready to give him the same shot in 2022 so he’s someone who likely finds his way on the 40.
OF/INF Richie Palacios: He started out hot in the AFL and cooled off, but still, Palacios had a very strong 2021 campaign and is now more of a fit in Cleveland as an outfielder than an infielder due to depth. But he reached Triple-A with strong numbers. He’s emerging as a leadoff type hitter and should be protected at this point. If not, he’ll have to be involved in some sort of trade because he would be a lock to be selected if left off.
SS Brayan Rocchio: The 20 year old started a little slowly in High-A after a year away from the game being stuck in Venezuela due to the pandemic, but picked it up quickly and then got even hotter with the bat in Double-A. He’s a gifted shortstop who has pop, can run, hit for average and has more upside left, still. He’s a lock.
LHP Adam Scott: Another Rule 5 eligible arm and lefty that saw an injury wipe out a majority of his 2021 season. Scott has about an average fastball, a plus slider and a good semblance of command, save for his rustiness in 2021. Some team could give him a shot because he’s left-handed and has two pitches that should play in the bullpen in 2022. If Cleveland can create enough room to keep him, they should, or work out a trade in order not to lose him for nothing.
INF Jose Tena: Coming into the year some were in on Tena as a prospect and he hit well in High-A at age 20 without much pro or stateside experience. He’s swing happy but it worked for him. He has bat to ball skills though his approach could be better. But not everyone can change that and he can hit, so let him hit. He plays Gold Glove defense at short but can play second or third base. At the beginning of the offseason I was in the camp saying leave him unprotected because the risk of him being taken is low, but I’ve changed my stance because it’s not a stretch to see him have a chance to survive in 2022 at the major league level if someone is creative. It might be 50/50 at best that anyone takes Tena, who has only three games of experience at Double-A, but he hasn’t even reached his potential yet and he could be valuable for them in a trade in 2022, and that might be enough to not risk losing him.
OF George Valera: Valera should be ready by the second half of 2022 to play in the majors. Will Cleveland play him then? Probably not. But he’s their best prospect right now and the best position player prospect they’ve had since Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez, so we don’t need to waste time talking about this.
On the bubble
At 36 players on the 40, Cleveland has room to add four players right now, and they’ll obviously need to create more room to do so. Through either straight designating some of them for assignment or trading some for cash, a comp pick, PTBNL that doesn’t need to be added to the 40, they will clear some spots to add more than four.
LHP Logan S. Allen: He struggled to hang onto the rotation spot he earned in spring training, had health issues and never claimed a roster spot. Being out of options puts him in jeopardy.
RHP Justin Garza: Filled some innings for Cleveland when they were a little desperate, but didn’t really take off as a reliever. He’s got options left but he’s 27 and expendable if Cleveland needs an additional spot to clear. Probably not the first guy they would look to move off, but would be an option if they want to create more room.
LHP Sam Hentges: He wasn’t ready for a major league role in 2021 but was thrust into one anyone and he was going to be out of options regardless. He couldn’t shake it as a starter and never found much control, though his stuff looks enticing out of the bullpen. It’s hard to see Cleveland giving up on a tall lefty who throws hard this soon, but maybe they clear his spot using him in a trade if needed.
RHP JC Mejia: He may get a 4th option year so Cleveland may opt to hold onto him as depth for that reason, but there’s more pitching depth coming and he didn’t show much this year. He probably wasn’t ready for big league action in 2021 with how much time in the minors he missed previously, but he was running out of time.
LHP Scott Moss: Moss should have been an option to start for Cleveland in 2021 as he was major league ready in 2020 even. But injuries wiped that out and it’s hard to see him hanging onto a spot on the 40 when there are others they need the space for now. All of Pilkington, Cantillo and Scott might be better options than Moss in 2022.
LHP Kyle Nelson: Was a solid relief candidate in 2020 with high spin stuff and command but dealt with injuries and never did find that level. Anthony Gose’s emergence and the need to create space should make this somewhat of an easy decision.
LHP Alex Young: A waiver claim late in the year because the team needed pitching bodies. He wasn’t good for Arizona or Cleveland. Expect him to be off the 40 man roster to clear a spot.
INF Yu Chang: Cleveland has a ton of middle infielders on the roster now and then will have to add at least two more in Freeman and Rocchio, and possibly Tena. They can’t keep them all and Chang is out of options. He played more late in the year but he lacks the upside of others on the roster already and could be used in a trade to clear a spot.
OF Daniel Johnson: Despite his tools and minor league performance, Cleveland has never given Johnson a real major league opportunity. He’s ready and deserves one. Maybe 2022 is that year. He’s definitely on the bubble with the way they’ve handled his career to this point, because I think it says they’re not as sure about his future given his age by now. But he has an option for 2022 and that depth could be valuable to them so I think he sticks around.
OF Oscar Mercado: He has never regained what made him look like the CF of the next few years in 2019. He struggled all of 2020 and then never really was able to crack the roster in 2021. He’s out of options now and doesn’t quite seem to fit. He has a chance to stick around for spring training maybe, but it’s going to be a battle. They might be able to find a trade partner for him to clear a spot.
OF Harold Ramirez: Cleveland sure gave him a lot of run in 2021 and he hit early on, but he’s not a great defender and has a poor approach at the plate. He’s also out of options and there’s not much chance both he and Mercado can or should be here going into the winter.
OF Bradley Zimmer: He hit some mammoth homers in 2021, ran the bases well like normal and played good defense. But he’s approaching 30, heading to arbitration and is out of options himself. They’ll need to keep someone from this group with experience and some production, so I’d bet he hangs on another year.
Prediction:
In order of confidence that they’ll be protected:
OF George Valera
SS Brayan Rocchio
SS Tyler Freeman
C Bryan Lavastida
RHP Cody Morris
INF/OF Richie Palacios
OF Steven Kwan
LHP Konnor Pilkington
LHP Joey Cantillo
SS Jose Tena
That’s 10, so they’d need to create six additional spots to add them all right now.
Removals via DFA or trade
LHP Alex Young
LHP Kyle Nelson
LHP Scott Moss
RHP Justin Garza
OF Oscar Mercado
INF Yu Chang
OF Harold Ramirez
That’s seven spots cleared. I think they could choose to keep one of Chang or Garza for now. I don’t think they’ll DFA Chang and lose him for nothing if they go that route. If they don’t have a trade worked out for him, they can DFA Garza for the additional spot, but that’s where I’m at right now.
Names to know
LHP Joey Cantillo: A core muscle injury wiped out the majority of his 2021 season after the canceled 2020 minor league season, which could allow for Cleveland to float him through the draft. However, he’s left-handed, is tall and projectable, has a plus changeup and left-handers are the easiest targets in the draft, and easy to stash on a roster all year. If the Pirates were able to hide Luis Oviedo all of 2021, someone could easily hide Cantillo all of 2022, who has more experience and is left-handed. We’re on the fence here but Cantillo has been on the radar of a lot of teams before Cleveland traded for him in 2020 and that probably hasn’t changed. If he’s not protected, he’s a big risk to be taken.
INF Tyler Freeman: Another shoulder surgery limited Freeman to 41 games in 2021, but he was off to a strong start and has some of the best bat to ball skills in all of baseball, something that is starting to trend widely throughout the sport. Though he is probably not ready to play in the bigs in 2022, middle infielders with the strong fundamental skills and makeup of someone like Freeman are also easy targets, so there’s next to no doubt Cleveland adds him.
OF/DH Oscar Gonzalez: Yes, Gonzalez hit 31 homers in 2021 and was among the top 10 in minor league baseball among that category. And yes, Cleveland hasn’t developed any real great outfielders the last several years, power hitters chief among the ones lacking. However, the track record in the organization of power hitters the last several years isn’t a good one. That doesn’t always translate to the majors and Gonzalez has a below average approach at the plate when it comes to working the count. That can work at the major league level, but the margin for error is lower. In addition, Gonzalez is something of a liability defensively. Cleveland just re-signed him to a minor league deal after he became a minor league free agent a few weeks ago. If they were going to add him to the 40 man roster, they would have done it already instead of signing him to a minor league deal. Still, if the DH is coming to the NL, someone should take Gonzalez and give him a shot. Despite their issues developing position players/outfielders, Cleveland has higher priority players to make room for now. That’s a good thing.
OF Steven Kwan: Kwan had the lowest swinging strike rate of anyone in baseball in 2021, minors or majors (2.6%) and added some pop to his game (12 homers in 296 PAs). He can play all three outfield positions, has speed even though he hasn’t used it a ton, and puts the bat on the ball. If Cleveland doesn’t protect him, he’ll likely be taken as he can play as soon as 2022 even if he could use a few more months in Triple-A. If they don’t protect him, look for a possible trade involving Kwan so they don’t lose him for nothing.
C Bryan Lavastida: After only catching his final JUCO season before Cleveland drafted him, Lavastida has come a long way as a backstop. He still has some consistencies to work on in terms of throwing mechanics and blocking, but pitchers praised his game calling and his framing was rated highly by Baseball Prospectus’ framing rate stats. His bat also took off between High-A and Double-A, so there’s very little reason for Cleveland not to roster him. He can play as soon as 2023 or in a pinch, in 2022.
RHP Cody Morris: A shoulder issue knocked Morris out half the year in 2021 but he came back stronger and better than ever. He was up to 99 early on as a starter with a new slider/cutter, his same good curveball and an improved changeup. There are durability questions despite his frame, but 29 other teams would love to give Morris a shot in 2022 in their rotation or at least the bullpen, so he’s safe as a lock right now unless there’s some sort of trade in the works.
1B/3B Jhonkensy Noel: There are a lot of people concerned that a 20 year old corner infielder with massive power that’s already showing in games could be taken. Yes, there are several organizations out there with room to add several Rule 5 players to their weak system and rosters. Oakland, Washington or Baltimore may all have some room for this kind of player. However, Noel is 20 and has never played above High-A, only spending a ⅓ of his 2021 season there. He’s also mostly a first basemen who can play some third for now, or will at least keep getting shots. That’s not the kind of player that is easy to hide for a full season. Noel needs to play a lot to continue developing as he still is susceptible to breaking pitches. He’s a good hitter but is still raw in many ways, which is scary and good. If a team takes him looking at his upside, they risk rushing his development by exposing him to major league pitching before he’s ready, or sitting him on the bench for a large portion of the season and stunting his development because he needs to play. It’s unlikely a team takes this chance and Cleveland probably will dare a team to try.
LHP Konnor Pilkington: After coming over from the White Sox in the Cesar Hernandez trade, Pilkington had a strong showing. He can miss bats and though his control wasn’t as good as they’d like, Pilkington is someone you can count on for pitching depth in 2022 as he should start the year in Columbus and be something like second or third in the pecking order for starting pitching depth next year should a need arise. Other teams would be ready to give him the same shot in 2022 so he’s someone who likely finds his way on the 40.
OF/INF Richie Palacios: He started out hot in the AFL and cooled off, but still, Palacios had a very strong 2021 campaign and is now more of a fit in Cleveland as an outfielder than an infielder due to depth. But he reached Triple-A with strong numbers. He’s emerging as a leadoff type hitter and should be protected at this point. If not, he’ll have to be involved in some sort of trade because he would be a lock to be selected if left off.
SS Brayan Rocchio: The 20 year old started a little slowly in High-A after a year away from the game being stuck in Venezuela due to the pandemic, but picked it up quickly and then got even hotter with the bat in Double-A. He’s a gifted shortstop who has pop, can run, hit for average and has more upside left, still. He’s a lock.
LHP Adam Scott: Another Rule 5 eligible arm and lefty that saw an injury wipe out a majority of his 2021 season. Scott has about an average fastball, a plus slider and a good semblance of command, save for his rustiness in 2021. Some team could give him a shot because he’s left-handed and has two pitches that should play in the bullpen in 2022. If Cleveland can create enough room to keep him, they should, or work out a trade in order not to lose him for nothing.
INF Jose Tena: Coming into the year some were in on Tena as a prospect and he hit well in High-A at age 20 without much pro or stateside experience. He’s swing happy but it worked for him. He has bat to ball skills though his approach could be better. But not everyone can change that and he can hit, so let him hit. He plays Gold Glove defense at short but can play second or third base. At the beginning of the offseason I was in the camp saying leave him unprotected because the risk of him being taken is low, but I’ve changed my stance because it’s not a stretch to see him have a chance to survive in 2022 at the major league level if someone is creative. It might be 50/50 at best that anyone takes Tena, who has only three games of experience at Double-A, but he hasn’t even reached his potential yet and he could be valuable for them in a trade in 2022, and that might be enough to not risk losing him.
OF George Valera: Valera should be ready by the second half of 2022 to play in the majors. Will Cleveland play him then? Probably not. But he’s their best prospect right now and the best position player prospect they’ve had since Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez, so we don’t need to waste time talking about this.
On the bubble
At 36 players on the 40, Cleveland has room to add four players right now, and they’ll obviously need to create more room to do so. Through either straight designating some of them for assignment or trading some for cash, a comp pick, PTBNL that doesn’t need to be added to the 40, they will clear some spots to add more than four.
LHP Logan S. Allen: He struggled to hang onto the rotation spot he earned in spring training, had health issues and never claimed a roster spot. Being out of options puts him in jeopardy.
RHP Justin Garza: Filled some innings for Cleveland when they were a little desperate, but didn’t really take off as a reliever. He’s got options left but he’s 27 and expendable if Cleveland needs an additional spot to clear. Probably not the first guy they would look to move off, but would be an option if they want to create more room.
LHP Sam Hentges: He wasn’t ready for a major league role in 2021 but was thrust into one anyone and he was going to be out of options regardless. He couldn’t shake it as a starter and never found much control, though his stuff looks enticing out of the bullpen. It’s hard to see Cleveland giving up on a tall lefty who throws hard this soon, but maybe they clear his spot using him in a trade if needed.
RHP JC Mejia: He may get a 4th option year so Cleveland may opt to hold onto him as depth for that reason, but there’s more pitching depth coming and he didn’t show much this year. He probably wasn’t ready for big league action in 2021 with how much time in the minors he missed previously, but he was running out of time.
LHP Scott Moss: Moss should have been an option to start for Cleveland in 2021 as he was major league ready in 2020 even. But injuries wiped that out and it’s hard to see him hanging onto a spot on the 40 when there are others they need the space for now. All of Pilkington, Cantillo and Scott might be better options than Moss in 2022.
LHP Kyle Nelson: Was a solid relief candidate in 2020 with high spin stuff and command but dealt with injuries and never did find that level. Anthony Gose’s emergence and the need to create space should make this somewhat of an easy decision.
LHP Alex Young: A waiver claim late in the year because the team needed pitching bodies. He wasn’t good for Arizona or Cleveland. Expect him to be off the 40 man roster to clear a spot.
INF Yu Chang: Cleveland has a ton of middle infielders on the roster now and then will have to add at least two more in Freeman and Rocchio, and possibly Tena. They can’t keep them all and Chang is out of options. He played more late in the year but he lacks the upside of others on the roster already and could be used in a trade to clear a spot.
OF Daniel Johnson: Despite his tools and minor league performance, Cleveland has never given Johnson a real major league opportunity. He’s ready and deserves one. Maybe 2022 is that year. He’s definitely on the bubble with the way they’ve handled his career to this point, because I think it says they’re not as sure about his future given his age by now. But he has an option for 2022 and that depth could be valuable to them so I think he sticks around.
OF Oscar Mercado: He has never regained what made him look like the CF of the next few years in 2019. He struggled all of 2020 and then never really was able to crack the roster in 2021. He’s out of options now and doesn’t quite seem to fit. He has a chance to stick around for spring training maybe, but it’s going to be a battle. They might be able to find a trade partner for him to clear a spot.
OF Harold Ramirez: Cleveland sure gave him a lot of run in 2021 and he hit early on, but he’s not a great defender and has a poor approach at the plate. He’s also out of options and there’s not much chance both he and Mercado can or should be here going into the winter.
OF Bradley Zimmer: He hit some mammoth homers in 2021, ran the bases well like normal and played good defense. But he’s approaching 30, heading to arbitration and is out of options himself. They’ll need to keep someone from this group with experience and some production, so I’d bet he hangs on another year.
Prediction:
In order of confidence that they’ll be protected:
OF George Valera
SS Brayan Rocchio
SS Tyler Freeman
C Bryan Lavastida
RHP Cody Morris
INF/OF Richie Palacios
OF Steven Kwan
LHP Konnor Pilkington
LHP Joey Cantillo
SS Jose Tena
That’s 10, so they’d need to create six additional spots to add them all right now.
Removals via DFA or trade
LHP Alex Young
LHP Kyle Nelson
LHP Scott Moss
RHP Justin Garza
OF Oscar Mercado
INF Yu Chang
OF Harold Ramirez
That’s seven spots cleared. I think they could choose to keep one of Chang or Garza for now. I don’t think they’ll DFA Chang and lose him for nothing if they go that route. If they don’t have a trade worked out for him, they can DFA Garza for the additional spot, but that’s where I’m at right now.
Re: Articles
8334That was a very good analysis only partly because I generally agree with him.
I think Johnson proved he cannot play the OF and Tito really called him out after a couple dreadful games.
Among all the current marginal OF I guessed Mercado would stay but Zimmer still probably offers more upside since he can run, play very good CF and hit on occasion.
I don't let Chang go and his conclusion Yu appears to remain, too.
No one has mentioned Carlos Vargas who went on the roster last winter with very little experience and then missed the whole year. Would anyone take him? Does he still warrant a spot over these other guys?
I think Johnson proved he cannot play the OF and Tito really called him out after a couple dreadful games.
Among all the current marginal OF I guessed Mercado would stay but Zimmer still probably offers more upside since he can run, play very good CF and hit on occasion.
I don't let Chang go and his conclusion Yu appears to remain, too.
No one has mentioned Carlos Vargas who went on the roster last winter with very little experience and then missed the whole year. Would anyone take him? Does he still warrant a spot over these other guys?
Re: Articles
8335CLEVELAND -- The Guardians knew that setting their 40-man roster was going to be more challenging than it has been over the past few offseasons. On Friday, the team’s plethora of moves demonstrated why.
Cleveland selected 10 of its prospects' contracts, but entered the day with just four vacancies on the 40-man roster. Here’s a breakdown of the shuffling the club had to do to protect its young talent from the Rule 5 Draft prior to Friday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline:
Who was added to the 40-man
From Triple-A: Outfielder Steven Kwan, righty Cody Morris and infielder Richie Palacios
From Double-A: Infielder Tyler Freeman, catcher Bryan Lavastida, lefty Konnor Pilkington, infielder Brayan Rocchio, infielder Jose Tena and outfielder George Valera
From High-A: Infielder Jhonkensy Noel
Added by trade
The Guardians picked up another righty in Tobias Myers from the Rays in exchange for Minor League infielder Junior Caminero. Myers owned a 3.90 ERA in 25 games (22 starts) for the Rays’ Double-A and Triple-A squads. Myers was also added to Cleveland’s 40-man roster.
Who was released
In order to clear space for the 11 new faces, the Guardians had to part ways with seven players: outfielders Daniel Johnson and Harold Ramirez and hurlers J.C Mejia, Scott Moss, Kyle Nelson, Justin Garza and Alex Young.
The meaning behind the moves
There was no doubt that middle-infielder Freeman (the club’s No. 1 prospect according to MLB Pipeline), outfielder Valera (No. 2) and middle infielder Rocchio (No. 7) would be protected from the Rule 5 Draft. The trio has been on Cleveland’s radar since each joined the farm system, and with the club's constant need for outfielders, Valera certainly becomes a valuable piece on the 40-man roster.
Even though Freeman's 2021 season ended early after left shoulder surgery, Cleveland remains optimistic about his future. The only question mark when it comes to Freeman is the abundance of middle infielders the Guardians have in their system (and now on their 40-man roster), including Rocchio, Gabriel Arias, Andrés Giménez, Amed Rosario, Ernie Clement and Owen Miller. Cleveland may have to get creative in using some guys as trade pieces, while figuring out who the best options to lock down second and shortstop will be for the future.
Rocchio is an intriguing candidate, though he may need a little more time than the rest of the names on this list before cracking the big league roster. The 20-year-old infielder split the 2021 season between High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron, leading the organization in runs scored (79) and posting a combined .277 average with 26 doubles, five triples, 15 homers and 63 RBIs.
Palacios (No. 14) was the next most-likely name to be added to the 40-man roster. While he spent the majority of the season at second base, he might end up finding a home in Cleveland’s outfield. This past season, he led the Guardians’ farm system in average (.297) and doubles (33).
After these four top prospects, there were no true guarantees of who could be added to Cleveland’s roster. But it's no secret the team desperately needs outfield help, which is why adding Kwan – who batted a combined .328 between Double-A and Triple-A this year, striking out just 31 times in 341 plate appearances -- was important. And with just as much shortage of depth behind the plate as there is in the outfield, Lavastida (No. 13) was another crucial addition.
The constant outfield troubles the team has endured over the past few years is also what led to the release of Johnson and Ramirez. Johnson had a few brief stints in the big leagues but was never able to find his footing. Ramirez made solid contact offensively for Cleveland throughout the season, but his bat and his defense were consistent enough to land a permanent job.
Cleveland selected 10 of its prospects' contracts, but entered the day with just four vacancies on the 40-man roster. Here’s a breakdown of the shuffling the club had to do to protect its young talent from the Rule 5 Draft prior to Friday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline:
Who was added to the 40-man
From Triple-A: Outfielder Steven Kwan, righty Cody Morris and infielder Richie Palacios
From Double-A: Infielder Tyler Freeman, catcher Bryan Lavastida, lefty Konnor Pilkington, infielder Brayan Rocchio, infielder Jose Tena and outfielder George Valera
From High-A: Infielder Jhonkensy Noel
Added by trade
The Guardians picked up another righty in Tobias Myers from the Rays in exchange for Minor League infielder Junior Caminero. Myers owned a 3.90 ERA in 25 games (22 starts) for the Rays’ Double-A and Triple-A squads. Myers was also added to Cleveland’s 40-man roster.
Who was released
In order to clear space for the 11 new faces, the Guardians had to part ways with seven players: outfielders Daniel Johnson and Harold Ramirez and hurlers J.C Mejia, Scott Moss, Kyle Nelson, Justin Garza and Alex Young.
The meaning behind the moves
There was no doubt that middle-infielder Freeman (the club’s No. 1 prospect according to MLB Pipeline), outfielder Valera (No. 2) and middle infielder Rocchio (No. 7) would be protected from the Rule 5 Draft. The trio has been on Cleveland’s radar since each joined the farm system, and with the club's constant need for outfielders, Valera certainly becomes a valuable piece on the 40-man roster.
Even though Freeman's 2021 season ended early after left shoulder surgery, Cleveland remains optimistic about his future. The only question mark when it comes to Freeman is the abundance of middle infielders the Guardians have in their system (and now on their 40-man roster), including Rocchio, Gabriel Arias, Andrés Giménez, Amed Rosario, Ernie Clement and Owen Miller. Cleveland may have to get creative in using some guys as trade pieces, while figuring out who the best options to lock down second and shortstop will be for the future.
Rocchio is an intriguing candidate, though he may need a little more time than the rest of the names on this list before cracking the big league roster. The 20-year-old infielder split the 2021 season between High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron, leading the organization in runs scored (79) and posting a combined .277 average with 26 doubles, five triples, 15 homers and 63 RBIs.
Palacios (No. 14) was the next most-likely name to be added to the 40-man roster. While he spent the majority of the season at second base, he might end up finding a home in Cleveland’s outfield. This past season, he led the Guardians’ farm system in average (.297) and doubles (33).
After these four top prospects, there were no true guarantees of who could be added to Cleveland’s roster. But it's no secret the team desperately needs outfield help, which is why adding Kwan – who batted a combined .328 between Double-A and Triple-A this year, striking out just 31 times in 341 plate appearances -- was important. And with just as much shortage of depth behind the plate as there is in the outfield, Lavastida (No. 13) was another crucial addition.
The constant outfield troubles the team has endured over the past few years is also what led to the release of Johnson and Ramirez. Johnson had a few brief stints in the big leagues but was never able to find his footing. Ramirez made solid contact offensively for Cleveland throughout the season, but his bat and his defense were consistent enough to land a permanent job.
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833629
Tobias
Myers
RHP, Durham Bulls, AAA
Tampa Bay Rays
AGE
23
DOB 08/05/1998
THROWS R
HT 6' 0"
DRAFTED
2016, 6th (181) - BAL
WT 193
ETA 2022
Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 60 | Overall: 45
Myers was still only 17 years old when the Orioles took him in the sixth round of the 2016 Draft out of Winter Haven (Fla.) High School and signed him for $225,000, just below slot for the pick. He was off to a solid start at Class A Short Season when the O’s moved him to the Rays at the 2017 Trade Deadline in a straight swap for former No. 1 overall pick Tim Beckham. The 6-foot right-hander’s stuff wavered in the following years, and while he posted a 2.31 ERA for Class A Advanced Charlotte in 2019, he didn’t miss many bats with only 53 strikeouts in 78 innings that summer. Those results have flipped in 2021, and the Rays have felt comfortable pushing Myers all the way to Triple-A in just his age-22 season.
Tampa Bay was hopeful that Myers was about to take off after he started throwing around 93-95 with his fastball during last year’s instructional league, indicating a return to the velocity he had shown earlier in his career. The heater also features plenty of armside movement that keeps hitters uncomfortable. Coming in with plenty of drop, his curveball has shown plus potential dating back to his amateur days, and it still gives a good vertical combination with the fastball. The changeup has developed into a solid option and has helped especially against left-handers, who have struck out at nearly the same rates as their right-handed counterparts in 2021. Myers has been a textbook example of control vs. command in his career. He’s never had an issue throwing strikes, which remains true in his breakout season, but he’s been punished in the past for hitting too much of the zone.
It’s been a process to get Myers to a space where he can generate whiffs consistently, but that has finally come. The Rays are still watching to see if his improved stuff can hold over the length of an entire season, and if the reports are just as strong this fall as they were in the spring, he could be a rotation option as early as 2022.
W L ERA G GS SV IP H HR BB K AVG WHIP GO/AO
2016
ORI (ROK)
0 0 4.70 3 3 0 7.2 10 1 2 4 .303 1.57 1.38
2017
2 Teams 4 2 3.54 12 12 0 56.0 45 1 10 73 .211 0.98 1.02
2018
BG (A)
10 6 3.71 23 21 0 119.0 127 11 41 101 .274 1.41 0.67
2019
2 Teams 9 1 2.13 21 14 0 84.2 73 4 28 59 .239 1.19 0.00
2021
2 Teams 8 7 3.90 25 22 0 117.2 101 19 28 146 .228 1.10
AA)
5 3 3.32 13 10 0 59.2 49 8 10 81 .222 0.99 0.72
DUR (AAA)
3 4 4.50 12 12 0 58.0 52 11 18 65 .234 1.21 0.69
Tobias
Myers
RHP, Durham Bulls, AAA
Tampa Bay Rays
AGE
23
DOB 08/05/1998
THROWS R
HT 6' 0"
DRAFTED
2016, 6th (181) - BAL
WT 193
ETA 2022
Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 60 | Overall: 45
Myers was still only 17 years old when the Orioles took him in the sixth round of the 2016 Draft out of Winter Haven (Fla.) High School and signed him for $225,000, just below slot for the pick. He was off to a solid start at Class A Short Season when the O’s moved him to the Rays at the 2017 Trade Deadline in a straight swap for former No. 1 overall pick Tim Beckham. The 6-foot right-hander’s stuff wavered in the following years, and while he posted a 2.31 ERA for Class A Advanced Charlotte in 2019, he didn’t miss many bats with only 53 strikeouts in 78 innings that summer. Those results have flipped in 2021, and the Rays have felt comfortable pushing Myers all the way to Triple-A in just his age-22 season.
Tampa Bay was hopeful that Myers was about to take off after he started throwing around 93-95 with his fastball during last year’s instructional league, indicating a return to the velocity he had shown earlier in his career. The heater also features plenty of armside movement that keeps hitters uncomfortable. Coming in with plenty of drop, his curveball has shown plus potential dating back to his amateur days, and it still gives a good vertical combination with the fastball. The changeup has developed into a solid option and has helped especially against left-handers, who have struck out at nearly the same rates as their right-handed counterparts in 2021. Myers has been a textbook example of control vs. command in his career. He’s never had an issue throwing strikes, which remains true in his breakout season, but he’s been punished in the past for hitting too much of the zone.
It’s been a process to get Myers to a space where he can generate whiffs consistently, but that has finally come. The Rays are still watching to see if his improved stuff can hold over the length of an entire season, and if the reports are just as strong this fall as they were in the spring, he could be a rotation option as early as 2022.
W L ERA G GS SV IP H HR BB K AVG WHIP GO/AO
2016
ORI (ROK)
0 0 4.70 3 3 0 7.2 10 1 2 4 .303 1.57 1.38
2017
2 Teams 4 2 3.54 12 12 0 56.0 45 1 10 73 .211 0.98 1.02
2018
BG (A)
10 6 3.71 23 21 0 119.0 127 11 41 101 .274 1.41 0.67
2019
2 Teams 9 1 2.13 21 14 0 84.2 73 4 28 59 .239 1.19 0.00
2021
2 Teams 8 7 3.90 25 22 0 117.2 101 19 28 146 .228 1.10
AA)
5 3 3.32 13 10 0 59.2 49 8 10 81 .222 0.99 0.72
DUR (AAA)
3 4 4.50 12 12 0 58.0 52 11 18 65 .234 1.21 0.69
Re: Articles
8337Cleveland Guardians
+ Tyler Freeman, IF (No. 1, MLB No. 59)
+ George Valera, OF (No. 2, MLB No. 63)
+ Brayan Rocchio, IF (No. 7)
+ Jose Tena, IF (No. 12)
+ Bryan Lavastida, C (No. 13)
+ Richard Palacios, 2B (No. 14)
Aaron Bracho, IF (No. 15)
+ Jhonkensy Noel, IF (No. 25)
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Steven Kwan, OF
Cody Morris, RHP
Konnor Pilkington, LHP
+ Tyler Freeman, IF (No. 1, MLB No. 59)
+ George Valera, OF (No. 2, MLB No. 63)
+ Brayan Rocchio, IF (No. 7)
+ Jose Tena, IF (No. 12)
+ Bryan Lavastida, C (No. 13)
+ Richard Palacios, 2B (No. 14)
Aaron Bracho, IF (No. 15)
+ Jhonkensy Noel, IF (No. 25)
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Steven Kwan, OF
Cody Morris, RHP
Konnor Pilkington, LHP
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8338I'LL KEEP THIS HERE AS PROOF OF MY FALLABILITY; AND TO IDENTIFY 4 TALENTED EX-CLEVELAND MINOR LEAGUERS
WHO WERE NOT PROTECTED We can have them back, if we drop somone [Zimmer?] from the roster
[assuming that I'm right this time and they are Rule 5 eligible]
Houston added C Yainer Diaz rated 13 on their list who we traded for Straw
Cardinals added Jhon Torres who we dealt a few years ago for Oscar Mercado [he's 17 on their prospect list]
Tampa added OF Ruben Cardenas their No. 28 prospect who we dealt 2 or 3 years ago. for Christian Arroyo [who's done very well for Boston] and RHP Hunter Woods
Toronto added 2b/of Samad Taylor their No. 23 prospect who we traded several years ago for Joe Smith; Taylor had a breakout year in 2021
WHO WERE NOT PROTECTED We can have them back, if we drop somone [Zimmer?] from the roster
[assuming that I'm right this time and they are Rule 5 eligible]
Houston added C Yainer Diaz rated 13 on their list who we traded for Straw
Cardinals added Jhon Torres who we dealt a few years ago for Oscar Mercado [he's 17 on their prospect list]
Tampa added OF Ruben Cardenas their No. 28 prospect who we dealt 2 or 3 years ago. for Christian Arroyo [who's done very well for Boston] and RHP Hunter Woods
Toronto added 2b/of Samad Taylor their No. 23 prospect who we traded several years ago for Joe Smith; Taylor had a breakout year in 2021
Re: Articles
8339Baseball America brief analysis of each protected player. Kwan and Freeman are both described as among the best contact hitters in the minors. That sounds like an unusual and useful skill in the era of swings and misses.
Kwan, 24, is one of the best contact hitters in the minor leagues with plus on-base ability and the defensive chops to handle all three outfield positions. He flashed newfound game power in 2021 after making swing adjustments, making him a must-add for the Guardians.
Valera, 21, is one of the top offensive prospects in a deep Cleveland system. He reached Double-A in his age-20 season and hit .260/.405/.505 overall.
Rocchio, 20, is another precious talent from Cleveland’s vaunted 2017 international class. The switch-hitter has an innate feel for the game that allows all of his tools to play up. He has the defensive ability to stick at shortstop long-term while providing average or better offensive production.
Freeman, 22, missed the final two months of the regular season after having left shoulder surgery. The 71st overall pick in the 2017 draft carries a lifetime .319 batting average across at-bats and is one of the best pure contact hitters in the minors.
Lavastida, 22, reached Triple-A in September before rejoining Akron for their playoff run. A 15th-rounder out of the junior college ranks in 2018, he possesses strong bat-to-ball skills and on-base ability while flashing average in-game power.
Noel, 20, displays some of the best raw power in Cleveland's organization with elite maximum exit velocities surpassing 114 mph. He missed nearly a month with a sprained ankle but still made the most of his 2021, combining for 19 home runs across both Class A levels
Palacios, 24, exhibited some of the best plate discipline among Guardians minor leaguers in 2021, walking at a 13.6% rate between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. He finished his season with Scottsdale in the Arizona Fall League, batting .263/.371/.500 and earning the selection to the AFL Fall Stars Game.
Pilkington, 24, was acquired by Cleveland in the deadline trade that sent Cesar Hernandez to the White Sox. The former Mississippi State standout commands the entirety of his four-pitch mix, missing bats at a high rate with his low-90s fastball, low-80s changeup, and tight, gyro-spin slider.
Tena, 20, is yet another member of the Guardians' 2017 international class. He had a standout season for High-A Lake County with his plus bat-to-ball skills, above-average raw power and plenty of foot speed on display. He’s still a work in progress at the plate and in the field but has the tools of a future everyday middle infielder.
Myers, 23, was acquired from the Rays earlier in the day in exchange for middle infield prospect Junior Caminero. The righthander’s fastball features some of the biggest vertical movement of any pitcher in the minors. He pairs it effectively with a mid-80s sweeping breaking ball he calls a cutter, an above-average changeup and an over-the-top curveball in the high 70s.
Morris, 25, missed the early portion of the 2021 season due to a lat injury but made quick work of minor league hitters after being assigned to Double-A Akron on July 1. Morris logged a 1.62 ERA with 93 strikeouts against just 20 walks and made his Triple-A debut in early August. The South Carolina product pairs a mid-90s fastball with a plus changeup, a cutter and a low-80s curveball with two-plane break.
Kwan, 24, is one of the best contact hitters in the minor leagues with plus on-base ability and the defensive chops to handle all three outfield positions. He flashed newfound game power in 2021 after making swing adjustments, making him a must-add for the Guardians.
Valera, 21, is one of the top offensive prospects in a deep Cleveland system. He reached Double-A in his age-20 season and hit .260/.405/.505 overall.
Rocchio, 20, is another precious talent from Cleveland’s vaunted 2017 international class. The switch-hitter has an innate feel for the game that allows all of his tools to play up. He has the defensive ability to stick at shortstop long-term while providing average or better offensive production.
Freeman, 22, missed the final two months of the regular season after having left shoulder surgery. The 71st overall pick in the 2017 draft carries a lifetime .319 batting average across at-bats and is one of the best pure contact hitters in the minors.
Lavastida, 22, reached Triple-A in September before rejoining Akron for their playoff run. A 15th-rounder out of the junior college ranks in 2018, he possesses strong bat-to-ball skills and on-base ability while flashing average in-game power.
Noel, 20, displays some of the best raw power in Cleveland's organization with elite maximum exit velocities surpassing 114 mph. He missed nearly a month with a sprained ankle but still made the most of his 2021, combining for 19 home runs across both Class A levels
Palacios, 24, exhibited some of the best plate discipline among Guardians minor leaguers in 2021, walking at a 13.6% rate between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. He finished his season with Scottsdale in the Arizona Fall League, batting .263/.371/.500 and earning the selection to the AFL Fall Stars Game.
Pilkington, 24, was acquired by Cleveland in the deadline trade that sent Cesar Hernandez to the White Sox. The former Mississippi State standout commands the entirety of his four-pitch mix, missing bats at a high rate with his low-90s fastball, low-80s changeup, and tight, gyro-spin slider.
Tena, 20, is yet another member of the Guardians' 2017 international class. He had a standout season for High-A Lake County with his plus bat-to-ball skills, above-average raw power and plenty of foot speed on display. He’s still a work in progress at the plate and in the field but has the tools of a future everyday middle infielder.
Myers, 23, was acquired from the Rays earlier in the day in exchange for middle infield prospect Junior Caminero. The righthander’s fastball features some of the biggest vertical movement of any pitcher in the minors. He pairs it effectively with a mid-80s sweeping breaking ball he calls a cutter, an above-average changeup and an over-the-top curveball in the high 70s.
Morris, 25, missed the early portion of the 2021 season due to a lat injury but made quick work of minor league hitters after being assigned to Double-A Akron on July 1. Morris logged a 1.62 ERA with 93 strikeouts against just 20 walks and made his Triple-A debut in early August. The South Carolina product pairs a mid-90s fastball with a plus changeup, a cutter and a low-80s curveball with two-plane break.
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83406 thoughts on the Cleveland Guardians’ updated 40-man roster
by Steve DiMatteo19 hours ago Follow @steve_dimatteo
Cleveland Guardians, Bradley Zimmer
The Cleveland Guardians have updated their 40-man roster – who made the cut?
The first day of the Cleveland Guardians existence was busy, what with the sign to the team store falling down and, more importantly, the team being tasked with setting its 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 draft.
The team selected eleven players to the 40-man Friday:
Outfielder Steven Kwan
RHP Cody Morris
Infielder/outfielder Richie Palacios
Infielder Tyler Freeman
Catcher Bryan Lavastida
LHP Konnor Pilkington
Infielder Brayan Rocchio
Infielder Jose Tena
Outfielder George Valera
Infielder Jhonkensy Noel
RHP Tobias Myers
The Guardians also cut loose seven others, including outfielders Harold Ramirez and Daniel Johnson and pitchers Justin Garza, J.C. Mejia, Scott Moss, Kyle Nelson, and Alex Young.
Here are some initial thoughts on the updated roster now that the dust has settled (for now):
1. The Cleveland Guardians youth movement is on in full force
With a lot of top prospects becoming Rule 5-eligible, it was always assumed the Guardians would have to protect a good number of them, but it’s still surprising to see just how much of a roster overhaul has taken place. Not to mention the average age of the 40-man roster is now a ridiculous 24.5 years old.
But there are a lot of exciting young names now littered across the 40-man, and many of them appear ready to make an impact in Cleveland as early as 2022. Names like Steven Kwan, Richie Palacios, Cody Morris, George Valera, Tyler Freeman and more… this represents the wave of the Guardians future, which could be here even sooner than anticipated.
2. Who is Tobias Myers?
The Guardians made a trade amidst the roster-crunch chaos, acquiring right-handed pitcher Tobias Myers from the Tampa Bay Rays, who are becoming a frequent trade partner, for 18-year-old infield prospect Junior Caminero. Myers, 23, had a combined 3.90 ERA in 117 2/3 innings between Double-A Montgomery (go Biscuits!) and Triple-A Durham this year. He made 22 starts this season, but ultimately projects as a bullpen arm with an extensive pitch arsenal, including an above-average fastball and curveball. He should slot into the Guardians bullpen immediately.
3. The excitement of adding Jhonkensy Noel and Jose Tena to the roster
Adding the likes Jhonkensy Noel and Jose Tena to the 40-man roster has less to do with what their immediate impact could be on the team as opposed to simply protecting them from the Rule 5 draft. Both Noel and Tena were eligible, and though they’re both young – both are 20 years old – a rebuilding team could have scooped them up.
Which wouldn’t have been too surprising given the seasons they both had. Tena hit .281/.331/.467 with 16 home runs and 25 doubles at High-A Lake County, and absolutely tore up the Arizona Fall League to the tune of a .387/.467/.516 line in 17 games. Noel, meanwhile, could very well be the team’s first baseman of the future, as he continues to rocket through the minors. Even in an injury-shortened 2021 season, Noel hit a combined .340/.390/.615 with 19 home runs and 14 doubles in 265 at-bats spanning three minor-league levels.
4. What will the Guardians do with Bradley Zimmer and/or Oscar Mercado?
It was somewhat surprising to see both Zimmer and Mercado on the 40-man with Harold Ramirez being left off – the team has not seemed willing to give Daniel Johnson a real chance, so it’s not shocking to see him designated for assignment, and I’d imagine another team could scoop him up for the immediate power potential that can be plugged into a lineup.
There are likely more moves to be made in the outfield, and even with Zimmer and Mercado still on the 40-man for now, it seems likely that a free-agent move or trade would continue to shake things up. It would honestly be shocking to see both of them on the Opening Day roster.
5. Why didn’t the Guardians protect Oscar Gonzalez?
Gonzalez, 23, seemed like a perfect Rule 5-eligible choice for the 40-man; after all, he launched an impressive 31 homers between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. But he also struck out 112 times and walked only 22 times while not projecting to be very reliable defensively. With the Guardians’ focus on building a roster of hitters who make solid contact and get on base, the team is willing to roll the dice on another team picking him up.
6. What does this all mean for more Guardians moves this offseason?
There is still plenty of flexibility on the roster for the Guardians to make acquisitions, primarily in the outfield. Though Steven Kwan could make an immediate impact, George Valera is still a few years away. Franmil Reyes could see more time in the outfield this season and Myles Straw is entrenched in center field, but there are plenty of questions in left field and who will fill the roles of fourth and fifth outfielder. Expect some more moves here.
Steve DiMatteo is the host of the California Penal League Podcast, which you can find on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you get your podcasts.
by Steve DiMatteo19 hours ago Follow @steve_dimatteo
Cleveland Guardians, Bradley Zimmer
The Cleveland Guardians have updated their 40-man roster – who made the cut?
The first day of the Cleveland Guardians existence was busy, what with the sign to the team store falling down and, more importantly, the team being tasked with setting its 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 draft.
The team selected eleven players to the 40-man Friday:
Outfielder Steven Kwan
RHP Cody Morris
Infielder/outfielder Richie Palacios
Infielder Tyler Freeman
Catcher Bryan Lavastida
LHP Konnor Pilkington
Infielder Brayan Rocchio
Infielder Jose Tena
Outfielder George Valera
Infielder Jhonkensy Noel
RHP Tobias Myers
The Guardians also cut loose seven others, including outfielders Harold Ramirez and Daniel Johnson and pitchers Justin Garza, J.C. Mejia, Scott Moss, Kyle Nelson, and Alex Young.
Here are some initial thoughts on the updated roster now that the dust has settled (for now):
1. The Cleveland Guardians youth movement is on in full force
With a lot of top prospects becoming Rule 5-eligible, it was always assumed the Guardians would have to protect a good number of them, but it’s still surprising to see just how much of a roster overhaul has taken place. Not to mention the average age of the 40-man roster is now a ridiculous 24.5 years old.
But there are a lot of exciting young names now littered across the 40-man, and many of them appear ready to make an impact in Cleveland as early as 2022. Names like Steven Kwan, Richie Palacios, Cody Morris, George Valera, Tyler Freeman and more… this represents the wave of the Guardians future, which could be here even sooner than anticipated.
2. Who is Tobias Myers?
The Guardians made a trade amidst the roster-crunch chaos, acquiring right-handed pitcher Tobias Myers from the Tampa Bay Rays, who are becoming a frequent trade partner, for 18-year-old infield prospect Junior Caminero. Myers, 23, had a combined 3.90 ERA in 117 2/3 innings between Double-A Montgomery (go Biscuits!) and Triple-A Durham this year. He made 22 starts this season, but ultimately projects as a bullpen arm with an extensive pitch arsenal, including an above-average fastball and curveball. He should slot into the Guardians bullpen immediately.
3. The excitement of adding Jhonkensy Noel and Jose Tena to the roster
Adding the likes Jhonkensy Noel and Jose Tena to the 40-man roster has less to do with what their immediate impact could be on the team as opposed to simply protecting them from the Rule 5 draft. Both Noel and Tena were eligible, and though they’re both young – both are 20 years old – a rebuilding team could have scooped them up.
Which wouldn’t have been too surprising given the seasons they both had. Tena hit .281/.331/.467 with 16 home runs and 25 doubles at High-A Lake County, and absolutely tore up the Arizona Fall League to the tune of a .387/.467/.516 line in 17 games. Noel, meanwhile, could very well be the team’s first baseman of the future, as he continues to rocket through the minors. Even in an injury-shortened 2021 season, Noel hit a combined .340/.390/.615 with 19 home runs and 14 doubles in 265 at-bats spanning three minor-league levels.
4. What will the Guardians do with Bradley Zimmer and/or Oscar Mercado?
It was somewhat surprising to see both Zimmer and Mercado on the 40-man with Harold Ramirez being left off – the team has not seemed willing to give Daniel Johnson a real chance, so it’s not shocking to see him designated for assignment, and I’d imagine another team could scoop him up for the immediate power potential that can be plugged into a lineup.
There are likely more moves to be made in the outfield, and even with Zimmer and Mercado still on the 40-man for now, it seems likely that a free-agent move or trade would continue to shake things up. It would honestly be shocking to see both of them on the Opening Day roster.
5. Why didn’t the Guardians protect Oscar Gonzalez?
Gonzalez, 23, seemed like a perfect Rule 5-eligible choice for the 40-man; after all, he launched an impressive 31 homers between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. But he also struck out 112 times and walked only 22 times while not projecting to be very reliable defensively. With the Guardians’ focus on building a roster of hitters who make solid contact and get on base, the team is willing to roll the dice on another team picking him up.
6. What does this all mean for more Guardians moves this offseason?
There is still plenty of flexibility on the roster for the Guardians to make acquisitions, primarily in the outfield. Though Steven Kwan could make an immediate impact, George Valera is still a few years away. Franmil Reyes could see more time in the outfield this season and Myles Straw is entrenched in center field, but there are plenty of questions in left field and who will fill the roles of fourth and fifth outfielder. Expect some more moves here.
Steve DiMatteo is the host of the California Penal League Podcast, which you can find on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you get your podcasts.
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