Guardians notes: Triston McKenzie’s elbow, Josh Naylor’s contract, Stephen Vogt’s new gig
Sep 24, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Triston McKenzie (11) pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Josefczyk-USA TODAY Sports
By Zack Meisel
6h ago
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CLEVELAND — With snow covering Cleveland’s streets and subzero wind chills forcing everyone indoors, it might not feel as though baseball is around the corner.
“No, not at all,” Tanner Bibee said.
Pitchers and catchers, however, will descend upon Goodyear, Arizona, in three weeks. The Cleveland Guardians gathered at the Huntington Convention Center for their annual Guards Fest on Saturday.
Here are some takeaways:
The most popular elbow on the team
Triston McKenzie (along with a slew of fellow pitchers) threw a bullpen session at St. Ignatius High School on Friday. He said he feels completely normal, a reassuring report after shoulder and elbow injuries wrecked his 2023 season. McKenzie totaled 16 innings last year, so he has thrown more throughout the winter than he normally would.
“The buildup is a little more gradual,” he said, “as opposed to low-to-high.”
The ulnar collateral ligament in McKenzie’s right elbow might be as pivotal and as scrutinized as any ligament on the roster. McKenzie emerged as a frontline starter in 2022, with a 2.96 ERA across a career-high 191 innings. He recovered from a shoulder strain last season to make a pair of starts in June, only to sprain a ligament in his elbow. He opted not to undergo surgery, and after 10 weeks of rehab, he made a pair of appearances in late September.
He maintained a cheery disposition in the clubhouse, but he said being sidelined for so long tested him.
“There was a certain point in the season,” he said, “where I felt like, even though I was in the clubhouse and I was bringing energy, I wasn’t really a part of the team, to a degree. Steven (Kwan) said, ‘You mean more here than you know.’ When they were on the road and I wasn’t able to travel, he said, the team definitely missed me. That definitely warmed my heart and made me push harder to get back.”
Cleveland’s rotation has plenty of potential, with standouts McKenzie and Shane Bieber joining three sophomores who proved they belonged last year: Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams and Logan Allen.
“The sky’s the limit,” Bibee said. “We all think we can be one of the best in the major leagues.”
Health will be paramount, though. McKenzie and Bieber combined for only 25 starts last season, and there’s a dramatic drop in ability and/or track record after the top five in the Guardians’ starting pitcher hierarchy.
Up to speed
The Guardians handed Stephen Vogt the reins to a roster full of unproven position players ahead of a spring camp that figures to feature a bunch of open competitions. First, he needed to learn who all of these people are.
“I’ve done a lot, just trying to get up to speed on what guys have done in the past and what their skill sets are,” he said. “At the same time, I want to see it with my own eyes. It’s a fresh start for everybody. I don’t want to go into it with a ton of preconceived notions about everybody. So, asking opinions and doing some research on my own, but really want to see how guys play and watch them go about their business once we get to Goodyear.”
We appreciate you. Yes, you!
Thank you all for coming out to Guards Fest, in spite of the weather.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/x6Epg68nq8
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) January 21, 2024
The outfield is wide open, with Kwan occupying one spot, Ramón Laureano, Estevan Florial, Will Brennan and Myles Straw factoring into the equation in some fashion, and Johnathan Rodríguez, Jhonkensy Noel and George Valera also on the 40-man roster. Gabriel Arias, Brayan Rocchio and Tyler Freeman will battle for the shortstop and utility infielder gigs, with Juan Brito, Angel Martínez and José Tena lurking. Rule 5 Draft choice Deyvison De Los Santos will attempt to convince Cleveland that, as a 20-year-old who’s never played above Double A, he’s worth keeping on the big-league roster.
The Guardians employed an uninspiring offense last season, which ranked 27th in runs scored. After a dormant winter from the front office, it remains a group full of question marks.
As for one of the new faces, consider Vogt intrigued by Florial, the former top-100 prospect who floundered in limited opportunities with the Yankees.
“I love the swing. He passes the eye test,” Vogt said. “This guy is physical, he has a lot of power, he’s fast, he can play some outfield. For him, getting a fresh start with us, getting out of the situation in New York, where he was kind of blocked, he’s going to get a chance to play.”
Catchers corner
If Bo Naylor needs any guidance, he has options. His manager caught for a decade in the majors. His first-base coach, Sandy Alomar Jr., did it for two decades. His bench coach, Craig Albernaz, spent nine years as a minor-league catcher and recently drew rave reviews for his work with the Giants’ backstops. The club’s assistant hitting coach, Dan Puente, is a catcher by trade.
“I’m going to try my best to be a sponge and take everything I can from them,” Naylor said.
There’s also veteran backup Austin Hedges, who returned to the organization on a $4 million deal.
“He’s a fool. He’s a clown,” Kwan said. “But it’ll be good. He keeps the locker room together. He’s a vocal leader. He’s one of those guys who will let people know what’s going on. He’ll talk just to talk, also, but the locker room, I think, should be a certain way and he’s the enforcer.”
As for Naylor, he posted a 1.113 OPS over the final six weeks of his rookie campaign, and he enters the new season as the unquestioned starter, one who’s ready for all of the responsibilities that come with a daily spot in the lineup and behind the plate.
“He’s the cog that makes everything run,” Tanner Bibee said. “He does a ton of research. He was a rookie like me last year, but he showed so much work ethic behind the scenes and a way to put trust into me that he knew what he was talking about. It came to a point where I was rarely shaking off, I was trusting everything he put down, whether we were on the same page or not.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time, it worked, and the 1 percent of the time it didn’t work, it was probably my fault.”
The other Naylor(s)
The Guardians control Josh Naylor for two more seasons before he can test free agency. They sorely need his stick. His brother could soon develop into a cornerstone of the roster. He seems like a candidate with whom the front office would at least consider a long-term contract. They typically reserve those conversations for spring training, and Naylor opted not to reveal whether an extension is a possibility.
“I’m going to leave that to them,” he said. “You can ask them that question. Cleveland is an incredible place to play. I love my teammates. I love my coaches. My brother is here, too, which is awesome. We’ll see.”
Bo said the novelty of playing in the majors with his brother will never wear off. The two have trained all winter in Arizona, Florida and Toronto with their youngest brother, Myles, whom the A’s selected with the 39th overall pick last summer. It’s the first offseason the three have been able to spend together. Since Myles can’t work out at the Guardians’ complex, they often meet at a batting cage in a central location in Arizona.
José for MVP … and then HOF?
José Ramírez has six top-10 finishes in the American League MVP balloting in the past seven years, but has yet to capture the hardware. Perhaps Shohei Ohtani’s relocation to the National League will help his chances, but Ramírez is also 31, so the clock on that award might be ticking. That won’t stop Vogt and the coaches from reminding Ramírez that he’s plenty capable.
“He’s an MVP-caliber player every year,” Vogt said. “He, in my opinion, has a chance to be a Hall of Famer. That’s something that myself and the rest of the staff want to push him toward. When he’s that type of player, we’re going to have a chance to win a lot of games.”
Kwan, for one, spent time this winter studying Ramírez’s approach at the plate, trying to emulate his bat speed and how he angles his bat during his swing.
“Bat speed’s been a big one,” Kwan said, “just trying to get a little uptick anywhere I can. I don’t think it’ll sacrifice any of the contact, but I think if I can swing the bat a little harder, have a little more intent, anticipate a little more, I think it’ll be a good starting point.”
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