Interested in what the California Penal League may be Is the author a prisoner? a prison guard? Not that it matters.

I continue to disagree with him about Ramirez and Johnson.
a. Ramirez is a terrible fielder.
b. Johnson is an inattentive fielder
c. Johnson has not proven he can hit in AAA. Last season his line was 222/314/444. Struck out exactly 1/3 of his at bats. 2019 he was a much better hitter. Perhaps he can do better at age 27. I am sure someone will sign him as a minor league free agent

Doug Jones died at age 64. 303 career saves; 128 for Cleveland; 5 times all star. Made his Cleveland rookie debut at age 29 after a few innings with Milwaukee some years before.. But made up for lost time, pitched until he was 43.

Making sense of the Cleveland Guardians’ jam-packed (and super young) 40-man roster: Meisel’s Musings


By Zack Meisel Nov 23, 2021 34

CLEVELAND — A few thoughts on the Guardians’ roster, which is, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, stuffed to capacity with 40 players.

1. Consider this breakdown of Cleveland’s roster:

• 17 pitchers, 13 of whom have appeared in a major-league game
• Two catchers, one of whom has appeared in a major-league game
• 14 infielders, which is an exorbitant amount, and only half of them have appeared in a major-league game
• Seven outfielders, five of whom have appeared in a major-league game

In all, only 26 of the 40 players have big-league experience. Obviously, those won’t be the 26 players on the Guardians’ Opening Day roster. They need another catcher. (Yes, even after the minor-league addition of Sandy León on Monday, as he seems more apt for the Ryan Lavarnway/René Rivera role at Triple A-Columbus.) They sorely need a pair of corner outfielders. They’ll need better balance between starters and relievers on the pitching staff. And they need more major-league-ready depth, in the event of injuries or poor performance.

The Guardians will make additional moves as the offseason unfolds — well, whenever it ultimately unfolds, given that the sport might freeze next week. Any acquisition will cost someone a 40-man roster spot. And the club likely won’t be severing ties with any of the prospects it just protected, or else why protect them in the first place? So, those players on the fringe might want to wait a few months before signing a new lease at The 9.

For instance, the Guardians hung onto Oscar Mercado and Bradley Zimmer, both primarily center fielders. But Myles Straw is the everyday center fielder, so Mercado and Zimmer don’t have as much value in Cleveland as they might elsewhere. That could make one of them expendable once the Guardians add an established outfielder via trade or free agency, especially since the club protected Steven Kwan and Richie Palacios, who both could factor into the outfield equation, from being exposed to the Rule 5 draft.

Or, the front office could still seek to consolidate a few prospects (and/or big leaguers) in a trade for an imposing bat. This sure seems like their ideal preference, given the composition of the 40-man roster.

2. Let’s take a closer look at the 14 infielders. Bobby Bradley is the only first baseman. Jhonkensy Noel might eventually wind up there in a few years. Nolan Jones and Josh Naylor could enter the mix at first if Bradley falters. The club could acquire some competition (or an upgrade) for Bradley, too.

For now, Amed Rosario and José Ramírez will start on the left side of the infield. The possibilities at second base include Andrés Giménez, Yu Chang and Owen Miller. Ernie Clement is best suited for a utility role. Gabriel Arias has nothing left to prove in the minors, but his arm strength should anchor him to the left side of the infield, not second base. Palacios will compete for an Opening Day roster spot and has experience at second base and in the outfield.

There’s already a surplus of bodies, and that’s before Tyler Freeman and Brayan Rocchio join the fray in a year or so (maybe less for Freeman). Jose Tena isn’t far behind them, either.

Stockpiling prospects who play the same position will inevitably result in difficult trade decisions and educated guesses, and it’s possible certain players might blossom elsewhere. But it’s also necessary for the front office to maximize the potential of this group and identify which prospects will pan out in Cleveland and which prospects could fetch them talent at a different position in a trade.

3. The player-development landscape has changed across the league. Teams promote prospects earlier. Players skip levels, or make only pit stops at certain affiliates. They reach peak performance earlier in their careers. So, it’s not too surprising to see Cleveland protect a handful of 20-year-olds. (If you want to feel old: Noel was born three weeks before Cleveland mounted its historic comeback against Seattle in 2001.)

A no-brainer to protect, Rocchio, 20, was nearly four years younger than the average player in Double A last season. And he thrived. And then he excelled in the Venezuelan Winter League (.391/.440/.594 slash line in 76 plate appearances). Tena, also 20, flourished in the Arizona Fall League, leading all players with a .387 batting average. He pieced together a strong season at High-A Lake County and received accolades for his glovework.

It’s difficult to forecast where all of these middle infielders will play — not just in the majors, but even in the upper levels of the minors, especially once Rocchio graduates to Triple A, where Freeman and Arias and perhaps Giménez, Miller or Clement might linger.

4. Front-office members have stressed all year how challenging it is to master the art of the Rule 5 protection process, especially in guessing how other teams will approach it. There are at least a handful of tanking teams that have little to lose by plucking an inexperienced, yet intriguing, prospect and stashing him on their roster all season. That likely fueled the Guardians’ thinking in protecting Noel and Tena. They did leave Joey Cantillo unprotected, though, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see a team scoop up the soon-to-be 22-year-old and let him break into the big leagues as a seldom-used lefty reliever.

5. The Guardians will replace former assistant pitching coach Ruben Niebla with an internal promotion, and that might not be the only remaining staffing shakeup. The team is considering adding a third party to the Chris Valaika-Victor Rodriguez hitting coach tandem. Justin Toole previously filled that role, but a source said Toole “has a lot to offer,” and the club is evaluating whether he’d be most valuable in a major-league role, on the player development staff or in some sort of hybrid position. By the way, you’ll hear Cleveland’s front office — and others across the league — refer to “hitting teams” and “pitching teams” rather than individualized roles as the tenet of collaboration spreads like wildfire throughout the sport.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As MLB owners and players head toward a possible lockout if a new basic agreement isn’t reached by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, the business of baseball has moved into the fast lane.

Teams have been making trades and signing free agents at a faster than normal rate as they try improve their rosters before a potential lockout shuts down all offseason transactions.

The non-tender date, for instance, has been moved from Dec. 2 to Tuesday to avoid being neutralized if a lockout is declared. It means teams must offer unsigned players on their 40-man roster with fewer than six years in the big leagues contracts for the 2022 season. If not, they become free agents.

Teams sometimes don’t offer contracts to arbitration eligible players because they don’t want to pay them. The Guardians have seven eligible players. They had nine, but right-hander Nick Wittgren was outrighted off the roster and elected to become a free agent, while outfielder Harold Ramirez was designated for assignment and traded to the Cubs.

Catcher Austin Hedges, shortstop Amed Rosario, DH Franmil Reyes, Bradley Zimmer, Cal Quantrill and Josh Naylor are still eligible for arbitration.

In the meantime, teams are making moves. The Tigers and White Sox, AL Central rivals of the Guardians, have been busy.

Detroit traded for Cincinnati’s Gold Glove catcher Tucker Barnhard and signed free agent left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez to a five-year, $77 million deal. Rodriguez, 13-8 with a 4.74 ERA in Boston last season, will add experience to a young rotation that features Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning.

The Tigers needed a veteran starter because Spencer Turnbull will miss the 2022 season because of Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, while Matthew Boyd could miss opening day following flexor tendon surgery in his left forearm.

Detroit has also been shopping among the high-priced free-agent shortstops -- Carlos Correa, Javy Baez, Trevor Story and Corey Seager. The Tigers went 37-34 after the All-Star break last year, including a 15-14 record in September and October, to finish three games behind Cleveland at 77-85.

The White Sox finished 93-60, winning the division by 13 games over Cleveland. They have continued to pour money and talent into their bullpen with the signing of free agent Kendall Graveman to a three-year, $24 million contract. Graveman went 5-1 with 10 saves and a 1.77 ERA for Seattle and Houston last season. He struck out 66 and walked 20 in 56 innings.

Last season Chicago signed closer Liam Hendriks to a four-year, $54 million contract. He went 8-3 with a 2.54 ERA and led the AL with 38 saves. Hendriks struck out 113 and walked seven in 71 innings.

Then they traded for Craig Kimbrel, who didn’t pitch well after a great first half with the Cubs. Kimbrel is still with the White Sox on a one-year deal worth $16 million. But GM Rick Hahn made it clear Kimbrel could also be traded. The addition of Graveman would seem to make that more likely.

The biggest thing the Guardians have done is turn over 28% of their 40-man roster on Nov. 19 by adding 11 new players. That led to a couple of small trades with Ramirez going to the Cubs and right-hander J.C. Mejia to the Brewers. Lefties Kyle Nelson and Scott Moss, who were removed from the 40-man to make room for the newcomers, were claimed on waivers by Arizona and Philadelphia, respectively.

The Guardians also signed catcher Sandy Leon to a minor-league deal, but they have yet to address their biggest need -- offense. They could use upgrades in left and right field, second base, catcher and perhaps some platoon help at first base if Bobby Bradley continues to struggle against lefties.

Commissioner Rob Manfred, at the owners meetings in Chicago last week, said that if a deal isn’t reached by the deadline, a lockout would allow the owners and players time to reach a settlement and not endanger spring training or the start of the regular season.

“We’ve been down this path,” Manfred told reporters. “We locked out in ‘89-’90. I don’t think ‘94 worked out too great for anybody. I think when you look at other sports, the pattern has become to control the timing of the labor dispute and try to minimize the prospect of actual disruption of the season. That’s what it’s about. It’s avoiding doing damage to the season.”

MLB and the Players Association have avoided labor problems since 1994. But one is looming now and if a lockout is imposed after Wednesday’s deadline, the Guardians’ task of improving the offense is going to be put on hold.

Guardians executives under the Dolan ownership have learned to bide their time when it comes to offseason acquisitions. They have seldom been declared MLB’s winter pennant winners. Which means if there is a lockout, and they have to wait to improve the roster, that’s what they’ll do.

“Our goal is to improve the team prior to opening day, whenever that may be,” said Chris Antonetti, president of baseball operations.

The attributes that made Chris Valaika the choice as Cleveland Guardians hitting coach



PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 14: Chris Valaika of the Chicago Cubs looks on from the dugout before a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 14, 2014 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pirates defeated the Cubs 7-3. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
By Zack Meisel Nov 30, 2021 17
CLEVELAND — Chris Gimenez was 35 years old, stuck in Triple A and mired in a wretched funk at the plate.

“I was like, ‘What am I doing with my life at this point?’” Gimenez said.

Chris Valaika was the hitting coach for the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate in Iowa. He and Gimenez were similar in age and had played against each other for years. They forged a friendship that 2018 season, often grabbing postgame dinners and beers and chatting about their families and futures.

Ultimately, Valaika helped Gimenez retool his swing. Valaika understood the oft-indescribable feel Gimenez was struggling to pinpoint. They swung rebar, a piece of metal weighted in a particular way that helped Valaika demonstrate where Gimenez wanted his wrists to break and where he wanted his barrel to cross the zone.

Gimenez was eventually traded to Minnesota, where he enjoyed one of the better offensive stretches of his career.

“I have him to thank for a lot of that,” Gimenez said.

Hitting coach can be a thankless job. Ty Van Burkleo once said he regularly lost sleep because rarely is every hitter in a lineup functioning at an optimal level. There’s always another leak to plug.

A member of Cleveland manager Terry Francona’s staff since 2013, Van Burkleo was the longest-tenured hitting coach in the league. But this offseason the Guardians finally opted for a new voice in the dugout and in the cages. They tabbed the 36-year-old Valaika, formerly the Cubs’ assistant hitting coach, to take Van Burkleo’s place.

Valaika appeared in 99 career big-league games. By the time he was toiling away at Triple-A Iowa in 2015, he caught “the coaching bug,” he said. He had previously trained at Sparta Science, a Bay Area-based facility that specializes in biomechanics and body movement analysis. He was interested in the advancements in data, science and technology that were becoming more prevalent in ballparks and front offices. So, after the 2015 season, he returned to UC Santa Barbara to complete his degree and serve as a coach on its baseball team, which included a strike-throwing specialist named Shane Bieber.

Pat Valaika, the youngest of the four Valaika boys — all four were selected in the MLB amateur draft — remembers his brother telling him all about force plates, the kinetic chain and other scientific subjects that coaches, players and executives have explored in recent years.

“He was learning all the new analytical stuff,” Pat said, “and next thing you know, he had it down pat. I was like, ‘Geez, that was quick.’ He puts his mind to something and he’s all in. He really doesn’t half-ass anything.”

A lot has changed in the past decade or so. When Gimenez first reached the big leagues in 2009, Cleveland’s video staff would burn DVDs for hitters to study video on portable DVD players.

“That was top of the line,” Gimenez said, ‘like, ‘We’re rolling right now. I have a DVD player in my lap!’”

Following a brief stint working in sports science and coaching athletes in the San Francisco area, Valaika, dissatisfied with office life, joined the Cubs’ minor-league coaching ranks in 2017. He ascended to the role of major-league assistant hitting coach last season in Chicago, and when Cleveland’s front office opted to change the head of their hitting instruction group, Valaika was among the targets. (They also considered Jay Washington, who, coincidentally, is expected to wind up replacing Valaika in Chicago.)

The role of a hitting coach has evolved in recent years, and the qualities teams seek in candidates have changed as well. Luke Carlin, Cleveland’s minor-league catching coordinator, played with Valaika on that 2015 Iowa team. Carlin noted “you can’t hijack experience,” but said a coach must check three boxes: the ability to connect with players, vast knowledge of the subject matter and “instructional competence.” And fueling those areas of expertise, Carlin said, are social, emotional, mental and communication skills.

“I think I learn the most from him in those lower moments,” Pat Valaika said, “when you’re kind of lost and can just talk, break it down. He’s really good at the mental side as well. Most of the time you’re struggling, it’s not even mechanical. It’s mental.”

Added Carlin: “You can just pick up any book nowadays and read the research on it, but the authenticity and selflessness that come with becoming an effective coach are really the underlining, underpinning qualities that you need. That’s how you build trust.”

Valaika spent a decade playing professional ball with the Reds, Marlins and Cubs organizations. He posted a .633 OPS in 268 plate appearances across four major-league seasons with those three teams. As his career waned, he exhausted the resources at his disposal to better equip himself for a future in coaching. When assessing the fit as hitting coach, Carlin pointed to Valaika’s experience in both major- and minor-league clubhouses, his ability to navigate relationships well and the curiosity he demonstrated in the past in learning more about the technical side of hitting.

“Those are the traits,” Carlin said, “where you’re like, ‘OK, this guy might be a really good coach.’”

When Gimenez broke into professional ball, Eddie Murray was Cleveland’s hitting coach. Murray was a first-ballot Hall of Famer with 504 home runs and 3,255 hits to his name. He introduced himself to the league with a season impressive enough to land Rookie of the Year honors. He made eight All-Star teams.

Gimenez was a 19th-round pick who had a productive first year at short-season Mahoning Valley while playing all over the diamond. Murray told a group of hitters one day during 2005 spring training in Winter Haven, Fla., to hit the ball the other way. Gimenez knew the benefits of spraying the ball to the opposite field, but he wasn’t sure how to position himself to do so effectively. Murray repeated: Just hit the ball the other way.

“And I’m like, ‘Dude … how?’” Gimenez said. “Guys who have never struggled, never had to grind, they don’t necessarily know the mentality of the person they’re dealing with. To them, it came easy. That’s why they’re Hall of Famers. You have to be able to take the information and apply it on an individual basis.”

That’s a significant point of emphasis in Cleveland (and in many organizations), on both the pitching and hitting sides. Individualized pitching plans have fueled the team’s envied pitching factory. Valaika stressed the importance of tailoring a specific plan to each hitter, “rather than just trying to throw blanket drill packages or approaches or goals” on everyone. Every player has different physical limitations, different motivations, a different aptitude and tolerance for data and technology.

“Really trying to focus on individualizing everything,” Valaika said, “if it’s the movement quality, to how we attack a pitcher. It’s all based on that one hitter.”

“No hitter is exactly the same,” Gimenez said. “You have to be able to be malleable to mix things up. You can have the same core principles. That’s totally OK, in my opinion. But to be able to execute those core principles, it’s going to be different for everybody. That’s what makes a good coach, is somebody who can take those core principles and really mold them to fit each individual player.

“You have to know your customer. You have to know how you can compute what you see from a data perspective and relate that to a player and make it so a player understands what you’re talking about.”

Valaika will oversee an especially young group in Cleveland. He has already worked with Oscar Mercado and Owen Miller for a few days in Cleveland. He also has started to collaborate with the player development staff, his assistant coaches and front office analysts in an effort to ensure “we’re all aligned with the same messaging going forward.”

“You want to go somewhere that you can really dig in and make some change,” Valaika said. “This was a great fit for me.”

What the MLB lockout means for the Cleveland Guardians



CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 10: Josh Naylor #22 of the Cleveland Indians watches from the dugout during the first inning of a game against the Oakland Athletics at Progressive Field on August 10, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images)

By Zack Meisel Dec 2, 2021 33

CLEVELAND — Before the baseball world stopped spinning on its axis and before our heads stopped spinning as we attempted to keep up with the flurry of free-agent signings across the league, the Cleveland Guardians inked Enyel De Los Santos to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training.

De Los Santos, 25, owns a 6.06 ERA in the majors, though he has tossed nine scoreless innings in winter ball during the offseason. That’s all sort of beside the point at the moment. The headline here is that De Los Santos’ signing will be the prevailing transaction for Cleveland until MLB’s lockout ceases. That might take days or weeks or months. It might seem like millennia.

So, what does the lockout mean, specifically, for the Guardians?

No member of the 40-man roster can use the team’s facilities, which is somewhat inconvenient considering the club’s complex in Goodyear, Ariz., has turned into a year-round training ground for minor- and major-league players. Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac and plenty of other players live in the area during the offseason so they can take advantage of the weight room, batting cages, chefs and coaches.

That means those rehabbing from injuries, such as Nolan Jones or Tyler Freeman, have to find another location for the next steps of their recoveries. Josh Naylor had already returned to the batting cages as he continues his journey back from significant leg surgery, but he’ll have to navigate the path to full health on his own. Surely, the team planned ahead for this scenario with specific instructions so players wouldn’t be left to a Google search and forced to lean on a blog post titled “27 ways to heal that surgically repaired shoulder, and you won’t believe No. 14!” to get them through the winter.

During the work stoppage, teams and players cannot have contact. So, if Naylor wants to share his progress, he’ll have to do so indirectly. (Chronicling it for everyone to see on his social media, perhaps? Hey fans, I just wanted to let you know that I advanced to throwing from 90 feet today instead of 75 feet. I know that sort of rehab minutiae piques your interest, so be sure to like this post.) He can’t FaceTime manager Terry Francona as he runs the bases, for instance.

This is an especially unfortunate development for new hitting coach Chris Valaika, who is now unable to communicate with his hitters. He worked with a couple of players in Cleveland last month after he joined the staff, and he had reached out to the rest of the position-player contingent, but the lockout saps him of valuable relationship-building time. Valaika said a vital part of his job is learning the ins and outs of each hitter: knowing what makes them tick, their preferred learning styles, their tolerance for data and technology. He might have to hold off on all of that until spring training, assuming a deal is reached by then.

In the meantime, Valaika can lend his expertise to the organization’s hitting development group, led by Alex Eckelman. Valaika will participate in crafting the messaging the club’s minor-league instructors and coordinators will use with players. Minor leaguers and the minor-league season are not affected by the lockout.

Two weeks ago, the Guardians added a slew of prospects to their 40-man roster to protect them from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. That event was scheduled for next week, capping the annual Winter Meetings. Those meetings, which were set to take place in Orlando, Fla., have been canceled. The Rule 5 draft has reportedly been “postponed indefinitely.” That’s good news for Cleveland’s hopes of retaining Joey Cantillo and Oscar Gonzalez, but it makes you wonder if the club needed to protect 20-year-olds Jhonkensy Noel and Jose Tena after all.

Cleveland’s front office can use this roster freeze period to devise an intricate blueprint for upgrading the roster once a new CBA is hatched. The club’s executives know they need an addition or two in the outfield, in particular. They obviously can’t contact free agents, but they can assess the market following the recent frenzy, evaluate where their trade talks stand and try to capitalize on this rare pause so that when they’re given the green light, they can solve their roster deficiencies. (We’ll dive into these plans more in the coming days; we can actually include names and photos of active big leaguers here.)

This also means, however, that the team missed an opportunity to spark some excitement within the fan base. Slider saw his shadow, so that means six more weeks of water cooler and sports radio conversation about the Guardians’ meager outfield, the name change and their signs, which are either plummeting to the ground or aligned off-center. It guarantees that the only offseason additions anyone in Cleveland will be able to discuss for a while are Sandy León and Enyel De Los Santos.

And we all know there's no cheating in baseball.

No one would ever contact players because it's against the rules.

Well certainly you could legally tell a minor leaguer, who might be a friend of a major leaguer, something that might or might not be repeated to the major leaguer.



All legal too.

Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac and plenty of other players live in the area during the offseason so they can take advantage of the weight room, batting cages, chefs and coaches.

I'm pretty sure those guys along with other Phoenix area guys can figure out how to keep a pretty good routine going.

In normal years, do players on the 40, need permission to play winter ball?

What if they're injured during winter ball?

The Cleveland Guardians’ outfielder wish list: Trade targets to fill their greatest need



CINCINNATI, OHIO - AUGUST 03: Jesse Winker #33 of the Cincinnati Reds hits a double in the third inning against the Minnesota Twins at Great American Ball Park on August 03, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

By Zack Meisel Dec 6, 2021 51

CLEVELAND — The composition of Cleveland’s 40-man roster suggests one thing: There’s more shuffling ahead, whenever the collective bargaining agreement is settled and major-league activity resumes.

The club has flipped more than a quarter of its roster since the end of the season, protecting a bunch of prospects in the process. Now, it sits at a full 40 members, which means any free-agent addition or trade acquisition will cost someone else a roster spot. The puzzle is far from complete, as the roster includes 14 infielders, only one major-league-ready catcher and far more starting pitchers than relievers.

Clearly, the Guardians won’t sever ties with the prospects they shielded from the Rule 5 draft — unless, of course, they are included in a trade. That doesn’t rule out a modest free-agent signing, but whenever the lockout ends, the club will be positioned to execute a trade of consequence. Cleveland’s front office knows the outfield needs to be addressed in one manner or another.

The only healthy, proven outfielder on the roster is Myles Straw, so take a wild guess at which position the team is most desperate to address via trade. Oscar Mercado and Bradley Zimmer haven’t demonstrated they deserve regular at-bats. Steven Kwan and Richie Palacios have yet to step foot in a big-league batter’s box. Josh Naylor is recovering from significant leg surgery. George Valera has barely played above A ball. Franmil Reyes figures to spend most of his time at designated hitter.

So, an addition or two is in order, and a trade could be the most logical way (and most cost-efficient way, which might please ownership) to complete an upgrade. Now, who’s out there?

The golden geese
Cedric Mullins, Orioles
Bryan Reynolds, Pirates
Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks

These three fit the same theme: an All-Star outfielder in the prime of his career on a team light years away from postseason contention. And, well, because of those factors, acquiring any of the three would likely cost a farm system fortune. Mullins and Reynolds have four years of control remaining. Marte has three, at a more-than-reasonable grand total of $27.4 million.

None of the three teams has any urgency to deal their star, which arms them with leverage in any negotiations. For that reason, it might be wise for them to at least listen to any suitors’ offers, which is why you might hear rumblings about such.

2021 production
Cedric Mullins
0.291
0.360
0.518
Bryan Reynolds
0.302
0.390
0.522
Ketel Marte
0.318
0.377
0.532
The Guardians dealt away talented veterans in recent years for batches of young players, which equipped them with the ammunition necessary to execute a trade like this. It just always boils down to the asking price. Different teams assign different values to different prospects. A deal for any of these three would require an offer so irresistible it tempts the team enough to press the accept button now, rather than this summer or next winter or the summer or winter after that.

All three can play center field, but that’s not as pressing of a need for the Guardians, though an outfield with Straw and another rangy defender could allow them to regularly play Reyes or another less mobile option in right field.

The intriguing guys with limited control (1-2 years)
Jesse Winker, Reds
Ian Happ, Cubs
Mitch Haniger, Mariners
Trey Mancini, Orioles
Whit Merrifield, Royals

These guys would all pique the Guardians’ interest. In fact, Cleveland is one of many teams to bug the Reds about Winker throughout the year. In Chris Antonetti’s ideal world, Cleveland would obtain an outfield upgrade who can stick around for more than a year or two.

Winker was one of the best hitters in baseball last season before injuries derailed his career year. He owns a career .888 OPS, which will suffice in any city, though it’s worth noting the stark contrast in his splits: a .960 OPS versus right-handed pitching and a .600 OPS versus left-handed pitching. Last season, it was even more pronounced: 1.070 OPS versus righties, .572 OPS versus lefties. Pair him with a Jordan Luplow/Ryan Raburn/Brandon Guyer type and a team would essentially be employing 9 3/4 hat size Barry Bonds in a corner outfield spot.

There’s some front-office familiarity with the Cubs now that Carter Hawkins has taken over as Chicago’s GM. Happ, who has experience at second, third and all three outfield spots, has two years of control remaining. Happ worked closely last season with Cleveland’s new hitting coach, Chris Valaika. The Mariners have an outfield surplus and Haniger is entering his contract year, but they’re also intent on contending in 2022, so they may prefer a major-league return.

If Cleveland believes Valera could be ready in 2023 and trusts Josh Naylor or Nolan Jones could fill a corner outfield spot in 2022, a stopgap of Haniger or Mancini’s caliber could be an option. Whit Merrifield hasn’t missed a game since 2018 and has two inexpensive years of control remaining, but it’s difficult to envision the Royals dealing him within the division.

Joey Gallo also has only one year of control remaining, and the Yankees have reportedly taken calls on the CEO of the three true outcomes. Miami’s Garrett Cooper and Arizona’s David Peralta could be candidates as well.

Not a bad consolation prize
Austin Meadows, Rays
Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Blue Jays
Max Kepler, Twins

Gurriel and Kepler have incredibly reasonable salaries, with two and three years, respectively, of control remaining. (Meadows, who is eligible for arbitration this winter, will be a free agent after the 2024 season.) A potential framework for any of these guys might have to involve big-league talent being exchanged by both sides, as the Rays and Jays are contending and the Twins are sort of caught in between. Toronto could use pitching. Tampa Bay is always ready to deal anyone for what it deems to be proper value.

Meadows and Kepler, both left-handed hitters, have pronounced contrasts in their career splits, both faring far better against right-handed pitching. Gurriel’s splits are about even.

What about all of those Mets?
Dominic Smith, Jeff McNeil, J.D. Davis, Brandon Nimmo

Following their barrage of position-player signings before the lockout — Starling Marte, Mark Canha and Eduardo Escobar — the Mets have a surplus of batsmen. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be in a rush to move some of their excess talent, but perhaps Cleveland could find a match, maybe with a starting pitcher, either a major-league commodity or someone in the upper levels of the minors who could debut in 2022.

Smith, McNeil and Davis each have three years of control remaining. They’re all aiming to rebound from subpar 2021 seasons, which could lower the price tag in a trade. They all have positional flexibility, a quality Cleveland typically covets. McNeil has spent time at second base, third base and both corner outfield spots. Smith has played first and left. Davis hasn’t rated well anywhere but has experience at first, third and left.

Smith: .252/.312/.441 career slash line
McNeil: .299/.364/.459 career slash line
Davis: .271/.354/.446 career slash line

Nimmo, who owns a career .393 on-base percentage, will be a free agent after the 2022 season.

The Angels in the outfield
Jo Adell, Brandon Marsh, Taylor Ward

These teams have matched up well in recent years, as the Angels are in constant need of starting pitching and Cleveland has needed outfield help since Tris Speaker patrolled center field at League Park. Adell and Marsh were prized prospects who have graduated to the majors. Perhaps Cleveland could prey on the Angels’ desperation to surround Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani with a competent pitching staff.

As a rule these types of articles annoy me. Send me your stars for our crap - and stuff that never has any chance of happening.

But what the heck I posted it anyways.

My takeaway is that the Mets' options are probably the most viable since they do have a huge excess and we just traded with the Mets last offseason so there obviously is a relationship there.

Also the hitters are good ones coming off down years with reasonable prices. Our kinds of guys.

" Send me your stars for our crap"

Pete Franklin got those calls all the time in days of yore, in modern terms:

Hey Pete, I know the Phillies really need pitching so I think we can trade them Logan Allen and Sam Hentges and some minor leagues like maybe Scott Moss and Adam Scott for Bryce Harper and since they'd need to replace him in the outfield too we would give them Zimmer and Mercado and to really seal the deal Ernie Clement who's really a hard nosed kind of player.

Exactly!