Guardians Hitting Coach Hired By Cincinnati Reds
Story by Logan Potosky
The Cleveland Guardians had a productive offensive season in 2024, tallying a +87 run differential en route to 92 wins and the second seed in the American League postseason.
However, Cleveland will now seek a new hitting coach for the 2025 season and beyond.
On Thursday, the Cincinnati Reds announced that they have hired Guardians Hitting Coach Chris Valaika as their Director of Hitting & Major League Hitting Coach.
The 39-year-old now joins former Guardians manager Terry Francona in Cincinnati after the pair worked together in Cleveland for two seasons.
Valaika had served as Cleveland's hitting coach since 2022, helping lead the Guardians to a pair of American League Central titles during his tenure.
Under Valaika's direction, Cleveland's offense ranked in the top half of MLB in: fewest strikeouts (1,196, fourth), stolen bases (148, tied for fifth), runs (708, 14th), and RBI (670, 15th).
But perhaps one of Cleveland's strongest offensive improvements during Valaika's time as the team's hitting coach was its power. After hitting the second-fewest home runs (127) in MLB in 2022 and fewest home runs (124) a season ago, the Guardians hit 185 home runs this year, which ranked tied for 12th in MLB.
One player to show a significant power stride this year under Valaika was All-Star left fielder Steven Kwan. After hitting a combined 11 home runs in his first two seasons, the 27-year-old hit 14 home runs, despite missing most of May with a left hamstring strain.
Cleveland's coaching staff currently has Dan Puente, whom the team hired this past offseason, as Assistant Hitting Coach.
Valaika being hired by the Reds not the first significant staff change for Cleveland this offseason. The St. Louis Cardinals hired former Cleveland Director of Player Development Rob Cerfolio this past Tuesday.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/guardians as Guardians Hitting Coach Hired By Cincinnati Reds.
Re: Articles
10652Who are the Guardians’ free agents, and what will the 40-man roster look like after the World Series?
Updated: Oct. 24, 2024, 3:45 p.m.|Published: Oct. 24, 2024, 6:02 a.m.
By Joe Noga, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — The list of Guardians free agents this offseason is short on names but long on impact when it comes to the contributions each veteran player made to the club’s success up to and including 2024.
Shane Bieber, Austin Hedges, Matthew Boyd and Alex Cobb are set to test the open market once the World Series reaches its conclusion, unless they entertain the idea of a reunion in some capacity with the Guardians.
It’s a possibility that intrigues both the individual players and the organization, according to Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti.
Cleveland can negotiate exclusively with all four right now, but Antonetti told reporters Tuesday that it is unusual for players in their position to agree to extensions at this point, more often than not.
“If they’ve gotten to this point, they’ll go to free agency and see what that looks like,” Antonetti said. “I would imagine a few weeks from now, we’ll not only be engaging (them) about returning but also engaging with others on the market.”
Antonetti acknowledged there are a lot of factors that go into a player’s individual decision about where the next chapter of his career will be, and that the Guardians are hopeful they have created an environment that is attractive to people in their position.
“But there are other things that go into that,” Antonetti said. “Including finances and geography and family preferences and other things that lead to those decisions.”
Manager Stephen Vogt said his message to all four players when the postseason ended was that first and foremost they have to do what is best for themselves and their families, recognizing that it is extremely hard to play six-plus years in the major leagues in order to be in the position they are in.
“Of course we’re going to fight, of course we’re going to work,” Vogt said. “But at the same time, players have earned the right to do what’s best for them and their family, and (we) respect whatever decision is made by them.”
Below is a look at all four Guardians free agents this offseason.
Shane Bieber
Bieber was brilliant in two starts to begin the 2024 campaign before succumbing to an elbow injury that required season-ending surgery. He rehabbed throughout the year, but with recovery time generally 12 to 18 months, it is unlikely he will be ready to pitch in a major league game before June.
In seven seasons with Cleveland, Bieber authored some of the most memorable stretches on the mound among any of the franchise’s pitching greats. A unanimous Cy Young and triple-crown during the pandemic shortened 2020 season, an All-Star Game MVP award at Progressive Field in 2018 and countless double-digit strikeout efforts made Bieber one of the faces of the franchise for the better part of a decade.
Bieber avoided arbitration by signing a $13.1 million deal in January. At the time, it felt like that would be the final contract he ever signed with the Guardians. But the injury opened the door to a possible reunion on a deal that could be beneficial to both sides.
“We would love to have him back,” general manager Mike Chernoff said. “It seemed like there’s a mutual interest, and I think we’ll have to have those conversations with him over the course of the winter.”
One thing that will not change, no matter whether Bieber re-signs in Cleveland or not, is the lasting impact he has made on the organization, Antonetti said.
“Probably more importantly the impact he’s had on the people around him,” Antonetti said. “He’s helped elevate our culture in the clubhouse. He sets the standard for how guys go about their work. Hopefully he will be here to continue that in person, but if not, his impact here will be felt for a long time.”
Austin Hedges
Hedges hit .152 with a pair of home runs and 16 RBI in 146 plate appearances, but his work with Cleveland’s young pitching staff and his daily preparation, along with Bo Naylor and David Fry, made a significant impact on the Guardians’ ability to prevent runs.
His presence in the clubhouse, meanwhile, continued to be the stuff of legends. “His leadership is vocal, it’s energetic,” Vogt said.
Antonetti revealed that prior to Hedges’ exit interview he communicated how much the organization would love to have the 10-year veteran back. Antonetti told reporters Tuesday that Hedges expressed an interest in returning.
“Hopefully that’s something we’ll be able to work through because he made a massive impact on our team,” Antonetti said. “He’s another player that helps elevate everyone around him.”
Hedges signed a one-year contract reportedly worth $4 million last December. Vogt said he would welcome him back, and not just for his leadership in the clubhouse.
“He’s not just the mascot, this is a really good player,” Vogt said. “He’s so much more to us than what any outside source can see. He helps us get better. He helps me get better. He challenges the coaching staff, he challenges his teammates and he brings the energy every single day.”
Matthew Boyd
Boyd appeared in eight regular season games, compiling a 2-2 record and 2.72 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings. The club was 6-2 in games he started. The left-hander made three postseason starts and did not earn a decision, but posted a 0.75 ERA in 12 innings with 14 strikeouts and just one earned run allowed.
Boyd’s journey back to the mound was well documented, but the stability and consistency he brought to Cleveland’s rotation once he joined the fray in August was equally remarkable.
Vogt described the 10-year veteran as an “elite human being” and praised him for the leadership he provided.
“He meant more in the sense of helping those young pitchers, helping those young players understand what it takes,” Vogt said. “He enjoyed being here and he added a ton of value to our team, not just on the mound but in the clubhouse.”
Alex Cobb
Cobb’s run was short-circuited by recurring nagging blister issues that caused him to make just three regular season starts, going 2-1 with a 2.76 ERA.
His Sept. 1 start against Pittsburgh was brilliant, navigating six perfect innings before being drilled by a one-hop grounder by Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the seventh.
Cobb did not fare as well in the postseason where he made two starts and allowed a combined five runs over 5 2/3 innings.
If the 37-year-old righty still has the fire to compete for a spot in Cleveland’s rotation, a healthy Cobb could be an intriguing option.
“Most of the teams that have acquired me over the last few years kind of know the type of pitcher I am and are okay with the stuff that I bring and sign up for that,” Cobb said.
Minor-league free agents
Carlos Carrasco, Tyler Beede and Estevan Florial each appeared in games for Cleveland in 2024, but were outrighted to Triple-A Columbus and off the 40-man roster at the end of the year. All three elected free agency this week and are not expected to be back with the club next season.
Antonetti praised Carrasco for his contributions for more than a decade to the organization.
“Carlos is at that point in his career where he has to think about what’s next and the impact it has on his family and whether or not he wants to continue to play,” Antonetti said. “But he’ll always have a special place here.”
Guardians' arbitration-eligible players
The following Guardians are arbitration eligible and are under team control through at least 2025. They are listed with their years of service time and projected arbitration salaries according to MLBTradeRumors.com, an industry standard source for ballparking the numbers throughout the offseason.
Josh Naylor (5.127): $12M
Lane Thomas (5.014): $8.3M
James Karinchak (4.099): $1.9M
Triston McKenzie (4.002): $2.4M
Sam Hentges (3.157): $1.4M
Nick Sandlin (3.157): $1.6M
Eli Morgan (3.091): $1MM
Steven Kwan (3.000): $4.3M
Ben Lively (2.133): $3.2M
Naylor, Thomas and Kwan are not going anywhere unless they are traded. Sandlin and Morgan are likely in the same boat. But players such as Karinchak, McKenzie and Hentges could find themselves candidates to be non-tendered by the Nov. 17 deadline if the front office is inclined to try and save a few dollars.
Lively is in a unique position, having become eligible for four years of arbitration by virtue of gaining “super two” status based on service time. He is under club control through 2028 and is out of minor league options like McKenzie and Hentges.
Lively’s $3.2 million projected arbitration figure could put him on the fringe of what the club can afford. But the fact that he basically rescued the starting rotation in 2024 when Bieber was lost for the season, and that reliable starting pitching is hard enough to come by on the open market as it is, makes him a little more likely to be back than not.
Updated: Oct. 24, 2024, 3:45 p.m.|Published: Oct. 24, 2024, 6:02 a.m.
By Joe Noga, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — The list of Guardians free agents this offseason is short on names but long on impact when it comes to the contributions each veteran player made to the club’s success up to and including 2024.
Shane Bieber, Austin Hedges, Matthew Boyd and Alex Cobb are set to test the open market once the World Series reaches its conclusion, unless they entertain the idea of a reunion in some capacity with the Guardians.
It’s a possibility that intrigues both the individual players and the organization, according to Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti.
Cleveland can negotiate exclusively with all four right now, but Antonetti told reporters Tuesday that it is unusual for players in their position to agree to extensions at this point, more often than not.
“If they’ve gotten to this point, they’ll go to free agency and see what that looks like,” Antonetti said. “I would imagine a few weeks from now, we’ll not only be engaging (them) about returning but also engaging with others on the market.”
Antonetti acknowledged there are a lot of factors that go into a player’s individual decision about where the next chapter of his career will be, and that the Guardians are hopeful they have created an environment that is attractive to people in their position.
“But there are other things that go into that,” Antonetti said. “Including finances and geography and family preferences and other things that lead to those decisions.”
Manager Stephen Vogt said his message to all four players when the postseason ended was that first and foremost they have to do what is best for themselves and their families, recognizing that it is extremely hard to play six-plus years in the major leagues in order to be in the position they are in.
“Of course we’re going to fight, of course we’re going to work,” Vogt said. “But at the same time, players have earned the right to do what’s best for them and their family, and (we) respect whatever decision is made by them.”
Below is a look at all four Guardians free agents this offseason.
Shane Bieber
Bieber was brilliant in two starts to begin the 2024 campaign before succumbing to an elbow injury that required season-ending surgery. He rehabbed throughout the year, but with recovery time generally 12 to 18 months, it is unlikely he will be ready to pitch in a major league game before June.
In seven seasons with Cleveland, Bieber authored some of the most memorable stretches on the mound among any of the franchise’s pitching greats. A unanimous Cy Young and triple-crown during the pandemic shortened 2020 season, an All-Star Game MVP award at Progressive Field in 2018 and countless double-digit strikeout efforts made Bieber one of the faces of the franchise for the better part of a decade.
Bieber avoided arbitration by signing a $13.1 million deal in January. At the time, it felt like that would be the final contract he ever signed with the Guardians. But the injury opened the door to a possible reunion on a deal that could be beneficial to both sides.
“We would love to have him back,” general manager Mike Chernoff said. “It seemed like there’s a mutual interest, and I think we’ll have to have those conversations with him over the course of the winter.”
One thing that will not change, no matter whether Bieber re-signs in Cleveland or not, is the lasting impact he has made on the organization, Antonetti said.
“Probably more importantly the impact he’s had on the people around him,” Antonetti said. “He’s helped elevate our culture in the clubhouse. He sets the standard for how guys go about their work. Hopefully he will be here to continue that in person, but if not, his impact here will be felt for a long time.”
Austin Hedges
Hedges hit .152 with a pair of home runs and 16 RBI in 146 plate appearances, but his work with Cleveland’s young pitching staff and his daily preparation, along with Bo Naylor and David Fry, made a significant impact on the Guardians’ ability to prevent runs.
His presence in the clubhouse, meanwhile, continued to be the stuff of legends. “His leadership is vocal, it’s energetic,” Vogt said.
Antonetti revealed that prior to Hedges’ exit interview he communicated how much the organization would love to have the 10-year veteran back. Antonetti told reporters Tuesday that Hedges expressed an interest in returning.
“Hopefully that’s something we’ll be able to work through because he made a massive impact on our team,” Antonetti said. “He’s another player that helps elevate everyone around him.”
Hedges signed a one-year contract reportedly worth $4 million last December. Vogt said he would welcome him back, and not just for his leadership in the clubhouse.
“He’s not just the mascot, this is a really good player,” Vogt said. “He’s so much more to us than what any outside source can see. He helps us get better. He helps me get better. He challenges the coaching staff, he challenges his teammates and he brings the energy every single day.”
Matthew Boyd
Boyd appeared in eight regular season games, compiling a 2-2 record and 2.72 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings. The club was 6-2 in games he started. The left-hander made three postseason starts and did not earn a decision, but posted a 0.75 ERA in 12 innings with 14 strikeouts and just one earned run allowed.
Boyd’s journey back to the mound was well documented, but the stability and consistency he brought to Cleveland’s rotation once he joined the fray in August was equally remarkable.
Vogt described the 10-year veteran as an “elite human being” and praised him for the leadership he provided.
“He meant more in the sense of helping those young pitchers, helping those young players understand what it takes,” Vogt said. “He enjoyed being here and he added a ton of value to our team, not just on the mound but in the clubhouse.”
Alex Cobb
Cobb’s run was short-circuited by recurring nagging blister issues that caused him to make just three regular season starts, going 2-1 with a 2.76 ERA.
His Sept. 1 start against Pittsburgh was brilliant, navigating six perfect innings before being drilled by a one-hop grounder by Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the seventh.
Cobb did not fare as well in the postseason where he made two starts and allowed a combined five runs over 5 2/3 innings.
If the 37-year-old righty still has the fire to compete for a spot in Cleveland’s rotation, a healthy Cobb could be an intriguing option.
“Most of the teams that have acquired me over the last few years kind of know the type of pitcher I am and are okay with the stuff that I bring and sign up for that,” Cobb said.
Minor-league free agents
Carlos Carrasco, Tyler Beede and Estevan Florial each appeared in games for Cleveland in 2024, but were outrighted to Triple-A Columbus and off the 40-man roster at the end of the year. All three elected free agency this week and are not expected to be back with the club next season.
Antonetti praised Carrasco for his contributions for more than a decade to the organization.
“Carlos is at that point in his career where he has to think about what’s next and the impact it has on his family and whether or not he wants to continue to play,” Antonetti said. “But he’ll always have a special place here.”
Guardians' arbitration-eligible players
The following Guardians are arbitration eligible and are under team control through at least 2025. They are listed with their years of service time and projected arbitration salaries according to MLBTradeRumors.com, an industry standard source for ballparking the numbers throughout the offseason.
Josh Naylor (5.127): $12M
Lane Thomas (5.014): $8.3M
James Karinchak (4.099): $1.9M
Triston McKenzie (4.002): $2.4M
Sam Hentges (3.157): $1.4M
Nick Sandlin (3.157): $1.6M
Eli Morgan (3.091): $1MM
Steven Kwan (3.000): $4.3M
Ben Lively (2.133): $3.2M
Naylor, Thomas and Kwan are not going anywhere unless they are traded. Sandlin and Morgan are likely in the same boat. But players such as Karinchak, McKenzie and Hentges could find themselves candidates to be non-tendered by the Nov. 17 deadline if the front office is inclined to try and save a few dollars.
Lively is in a unique position, having become eligible for four years of arbitration by virtue of gaining “super two” status based on service time. He is under club control through 2028 and is out of minor league options like McKenzie and Hentges.
Lively’s $3.2 million projected arbitration figure could put him on the fringe of what the club can afford. But the fact that he basically rescued the starting rotation in 2024 when Bieber was lost for the season, and that reliable starting pitching is hard enough to come by on the open market as it is, makes him a little more likely to be back than not.
Re: Articles
10653Farm director joins the Cardinals as an assistant general manager
Our alums are over major league baseball.
As sure as any vote for the quality of the organization
Our alums are over major league baseball.
As sure as any vote for the quality of the organization
Re: Articles
10654Guardians offseason storylines: Cleveland needs a new hitting coach, pitching help
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 17: Matthew Boyd #16 of the Cleveland Guardians throws a pitch during the first inning against the New York Yankees during Game Three of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field on October 17, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
By Zack Meisel
7h ago
CLEVELAND — Matthew Boyd had worn the No. 48 for much of his major-league career, but in Cleveland, those digits belonged to closer Emmanuel Clase. So as Boyd considered a new number when he joined the Guardians over the summer, he thought about 29. Nope, that’s Tim Herrin’s number. Austin Hedges wore 27.
What about 19, his son’s birthday?
“Oh, can’t wear that,” Boyd thought. “Not here.”
No, that’s the number Bob Feller made famous during his Hall of Fame career in Cleveland. No one will wear No. 19 again. Even an outsider like Boyd knew that.
Well, actually, he’s an insider. His great-grandmother was Feller’s cousin.
On occasion this past season, he’d walk past the Feller statue that stands outside the center-field gates at Progressive Field and greet the guy who resides somewhere on a far-off branch of Boyd’s family tree.
When Boyd was 12, his father gifted him a signed Feller picture. Boyd’s father and grandfather served in the military, and Boyd’s dad taught him about Feller’s service aboard the USS Alabama during World War II in the middle of his big-league career.
In high school, Boyd chose Feller as his subject for a biographical presentation. He consulted the now-defunct Bob Feller Museum in Van Meter, Iowa, for more information, and at the end of his delivery, Boyd casually mentioned the distant relation.
In 2015, as a rookie pitcher with the Detroit Tigers, Boyd visited Cleveland for the first time as a big leaguer. He toured the Feller exhibit in the ballpark’s terrace club, a shrine with old newspaper clippings, Navy gear, gloves and baseballs and a grainy, black-and-white video featuring Feller throwing his envied heater past a speeding motorcycle.
Over the years, Boyd has downplayed the connection. He didn’t want to attach his name to such an icon or invite the public to make comparisons as he embarked on a major-league career.
“He was a hero,” Boyd said. “The last thing I want to do is be an impostor.”
Then, he wound up in Cleveland, with the only franchise Feller ever pitched for, in the building with a press box seat still reserved for the guy who, in retirement, would sit in his third-row perch and jinx any opposing pitcher flirting with an Opening Day no-hitter. (Feller is the only pitcher in AL/NL history to accomplish that feat.) Boyd, fresh off his recovery from Tommy John surgery, ended up starting playoff games for a team that threatened to win its first World Series since 1948, when Feller was a rotation mainstay.
“The irony of playing in Cleveland is kind of cool,” Boyd said.
Boyd’s arrival in the middle of the summer and emergence as a reliable entity in a beleaguered rotation was one of many subplots fueling the Guardians’ wild ride to the ALCS. His uncertain future will be one of many storylines to follow this winter. Will distant family ties be enough to keep the free-agent pitcher in Cleveland?
Here is a collection of thoughts about what lies ahead for the Guardians.
The Guardians need a new hitting coach. Chris Valaika trimmed about 20 minutes off his commute from Columbus when he joined the Cincinnati Reds as their director of hitting and a hitting coach. No, this doesn’t mean new Reds manager Terry Francona will next poach pitching coach Carl Willis. Cincinnati retained its well-regarded pitching coach, Derek Johnson.
Throughout the year, Willis voiced how he felt indebted to the Guardians organization. He made stops in Seattle and Boston but has worked for Cleveland for much of the past 30 years. He coached CC Sabathia in the low levels of the minors, then guided him to a Cy Young Award a decade later. He helped Cliff Lee and Shane Bieber follow suit. When the Guardians clinched the AL Central in September and Willis reflected on his decision to return under a new manager, he stressed how he wanted to see the franchise end its World Series drought. That doesn’t sound like someone who would seek work elsewhere. He could, however, ponder retirement, as he did a year ago.
As for the hitting coach vacancy, it could be a chance for Stephen Vogt to shape his staff the way he wants after inheriting some holdovers from Francona’s group. Vogt also might need a new bench coach if Craig Albernaz lands the Miami Marlins’ managerial gig. Albernaz has ties to Marlins president Peter Bendix from his lengthy tenure with the Tampa Bay Rays, as well as to Marlins assistant GM Gabe Kapler, whom Albernaz coached under with the San Francisco Giants.
Francona signed a three-year deal (with a club option) with the Reds, so maybe Valaika could be a candidate to succeed him. The Guardians interviewed Valaika for their managerial gig before they hired Vogt.
Anyway, the 2025 Ohio Cup might be one for the history books.
The Guardians, the poster child for pitching development, need starting pitching help. They haven’t faced this sort of quandary in at least a decade. There’s Tanner Bibee and then … a ton of questions. Can Triston McKenzie return to his Cy Young Award-caliber form? Can Gavin Williams brush aside a disappointing season and take a massive leap in 2025? Can Joey Cantillo or Logan Allen or Doug Nikhazy be trusted? Can Ben Lively duplicate his age-32 breakout season?
That’s a lot of hoping.
There’s some level of mutual interest between the club and free agents Bieber, Boyd and Alex Cobb, but it’s difficult to forecast what’s realistic.
Boyd is a Scott Boras client, which typically spells doom for any Cleveland endeavor, but his experience with the Guardians couldn’t have gone much better. And because it went so well, he could have more suitors than a typical pitcher who made eight starts after returning from elbow surgery.
Shane Bieber, who underwent Tommy John surgery in April, will be a free agent after the World Series. (Mike Lawrie / Getty Images)
Bieber is eyeing a June or July return, so he could sign a one-year deal like Boyd did, or he could gain some security and sign a backloaded two-year deal, as has become trendy for pitchers in his situation. There will probably be teams that would outbid Cleveland, but is Bieber comfortable enough with the Guardians’ medical staff to want to stick around and boost his value before his next round of free agency?
Cobb is 37 and just had a season marred by injuries, so for a team starved for starting pitching help (what a bizarro world this is) and averse to risk, to invest in someone his age probably doesn’t sit atop the priority list.
go-deeper
GO DEEPER
Guardians' playoff season built on trash talk, coaches' bond: 'This is who we are'
For much of the season, between a quarter and a third of the Guardians’ payroll was tied to non-contributing players. Jean Segura, who was never fitted for a Cleveland uniform after the Josh Bell trade and probably spent the year sailing on a yacht in the Maldives, earned $8.5 million. The Guardians will pay him another $2 million in the form of a buyout and then never speak to him again. They paid Myles Straw $4.9 million to suntan on The Oval all summer on Ohio State’s campus. They still owe him $15.5 million over the next two years (including a $1.75 million buyout for 2027). Bieber was the second-highest-paid player on the roster at $13.1 million, but he made only two starts before tearing his elbow. Ramón Laureano ($5.15 million) didn’t make it to Memorial Day with the club. James Karinchak ($1.9 million) never made an appearance.
The salaries for Segura, Straw, Bieber, Laureano and Karinchak added up to more than $28 million. Scott Barlow, the team’s third-highest-paid player ($6.7 million) was designated for assignment in September.
All but Straw’s paycheck will come off the books. Josh Naylor, Andrés Giménez and Steven Kwan are due modest raises. Lane Thomas, José Ramírez and Ben Lively will receive slight bumps as well. Nothing crazy, though. There should be some payroll flexibility (based on their historic trend of pinching every penny, that is; there ought to be plenty of flexibility).
As for Straw, his skills are best suited for a team with a stout outfield so he can be advantageously deployed when a team can squeeze the most out of his defense and base-running skills. This isn’t that team until it finds another legitimate source of offense to join Kwan and Thomas. Straw couldn’t crack the outfield rotation this year, even as the team cycled through Laureano, Estevan Florial, Tyler Freeman, Will Brennan, Jhonkensy Noel, Daniel Schneemann, Angel Martínez and Johnathan Rodriguez. The Guardians can’t simply assume Chase DeLauter will save them in 2025; they could use an everyday outfielder, especially with Thomas due to hit free agency next winter.
The love affair between the Guardians and Hedges could continue for another year, but the team needs more offense out of its catcher spot. Hedges isn’t going to be the one to provide that. The Guardians either need Bo Naylor to break out or they need to create the sort of catching team that thrived in the first half of the season. Fry was the key to that setup, but once he suffered an elbow injury in late June, he no longer had defensive versatility, and the Guardians had to lean on Naylor and Hedges. Fry is visiting Dr. Keith Meister this week. Few patients exit his office without stitches and a lengthy recovery timetable.
Speaking of Fry, he isn’t overly emotional. He’s usually the one supplying a lighthearted one-liner in his Texan baritone that perfectly encapsulates a game or a player’s performance. He talks like a sports fan at a bar who is mesmerized watching Ramírez’s base running or Cade Smith’s fastball. After the Game 5 loss to the New York Yankees, though, he was overcome with emotion. There was, of course, the disappointment associated with a season ending as he debriefed with Hedges and Naylor. There was also the fact that when he returned to his locker and checked his phone, he had a video from his wife: Their 1-year-old daughter had taken her first steps that night at Progressive Field.
Team president Chris Antonetti said he expects Josh Naylor will be “an anchor” for the 2025 Guardians. Granted, he’s not going to come out and declare, “We intend to trade him in December to the highest bidder.” Sigh. If only executives spoke in such definite terms. Anyway, Naylor, who has one more year of team control and is projected to earn about $12 million in arbitration, will be a popular subject of hot-stove conversation this winter.
Kyle Manzardo went 6-for-19 with a homer in his first postseason. (Jason Miller / Getty Images)
Kyle Manzardo is ready for everyday at-bats. Fry’s defensive versatility — or lack thereof, depending on the status of his elbow — will factor into the equation at first base/designated hitter/catcher. The Guardians can’t just trade Naylor for the sake of cashing in a little bit of value for a soon-to-be free agent. They need his power. They need to be bolstering their roster, not subtracting from it, so dealing him for a prospect doesn’t make much sense unless they have a corresponding solution for the middle of their order.
Three contract extension candidates to consider:
• Kwan: He seems like a safe bet to remain a quality player for a while, one of the toughest outs in the league who now can slug some, in addition to being a Gold Glove finalist for the third consecutive year. He’s going to command a lot more money than he would have, say, two years ago, when the sides had brief conversations that didn’t amount to much.
• Thomas: He’ll be a free agent after the 2025 season, so it might be a dialogue worth starting. The Guardians witnessed him at his best and his worst. He has shown flashes of being an imposing power hitter and a super threat on the bases, but he hasn’t quite put it all together in one season. Would he rather just bet on himself in 2025 and test free agency? The Guardians could always use productive outfielders.
• Bibee: They didn’t come close when negotiating a deal last spring, and Bibee delivered another strong season. He’s only one more year from reaching arbitration, so this could be Cleveland’s last chance to lock him up long-term.
By Zack Meisel
7h ago
CLEVELAND — Matthew Boyd had worn the No. 48 for much of his major-league career, but in Cleveland, those digits belonged to closer Emmanuel Clase. So as Boyd considered a new number when he joined the Guardians over the summer, he thought about 29. Nope, that’s Tim Herrin’s number. Austin Hedges wore 27.
What about 19, his son’s birthday?
“Oh, can’t wear that,” Boyd thought. “Not here.”
No, that’s the number Bob Feller made famous during his Hall of Fame career in Cleveland. No one will wear No. 19 again. Even an outsider like Boyd knew that.
Well, actually, he’s an insider. His great-grandmother was Feller’s cousin.
On occasion this past season, he’d walk past the Feller statue that stands outside the center-field gates at Progressive Field and greet the guy who resides somewhere on a far-off branch of Boyd’s family tree.
When Boyd was 12, his father gifted him a signed Feller picture. Boyd’s father and grandfather served in the military, and Boyd’s dad taught him about Feller’s service aboard the USS Alabama during World War II in the middle of his big-league career.
In high school, Boyd chose Feller as his subject for a biographical presentation. He consulted the now-defunct Bob Feller Museum in Van Meter, Iowa, for more information, and at the end of his delivery, Boyd casually mentioned the distant relation.
In 2015, as a rookie pitcher with the Detroit Tigers, Boyd visited Cleveland for the first time as a big leaguer. He toured the Feller exhibit in the ballpark’s terrace club, a shrine with old newspaper clippings, Navy gear, gloves and baseballs and a grainy, black-and-white video featuring Feller throwing his envied heater past a speeding motorcycle.
Over the years, Boyd has downplayed the connection. He didn’t want to attach his name to such an icon or invite the public to make comparisons as he embarked on a major-league career.
“He was a hero,” Boyd said. “The last thing I want to do is be an impostor.”
Then, he wound up in Cleveland, with the only franchise Feller ever pitched for, in the building with a press box seat still reserved for the guy who, in retirement, would sit in his third-row perch and jinx any opposing pitcher flirting with an Opening Day no-hitter. (Feller is the only pitcher in AL/NL history to accomplish that feat.) Boyd, fresh off his recovery from Tommy John surgery, ended up starting playoff games for a team that threatened to win its first World Series since 1948, when Feller was a rotation mainstay.
“The irony of playing in Cleveland is kind of cool,” Boyd said.
Boyd’s arrival in the middle of the summer and emergence as a reliable entity in a beleaguered rotation was one of many subplots fueling the Guardians’ wild ride to the ALCS. His uncertain future will be one of many storylines to follow this winter. Will distant family ties be enough to keep the free-agent pitcher in Cleveland?
Here is a collection of thoughts about what lies ahead for the Guardians.
The Guardians need a new hitting coach. Chris Valaika trimmed about 20 minutes off his commute from Columbus when he joined the Cincinnati Reds as their director of hitting and a hitting coach. No, this doesn’t mean new Reds manager Terry Francona will next poach pitching coach Carl Willis. Cincinnati retained its well-regarded pitching coach, Derek Johnson.
Throughout the year, Willis voiced how he felt indebted to the Guardians organization. He made stops in Seattle and Boston but has worked for Cleveland for much of the past 30 years. He coached CC Sabathia in the low levels of the minors, then guided him to a Cy Young Award a decade later. He helped Cliff Lee and Shane Bieber follow suit. When the Guardians clinched the AL Central in September and Willis reflected on his decision to return under a new manager, he stressed how he wanted to see the franchise end its World Series drought. That doesn’t sound like someone who would seek work elsewhere. He could, however, ponder retirement, as he did a year ago.
As for the hitting coach vacancy, it could be a chance for Stephen Vogt to shape his staff the way he wants after inheriting some holdovers from Francona’s group. Vogt also might need a new bench coach if Craig Albernaz lands the Miami Marlins’ managerial gig. Albernaz has ties to Marlins president Peter Bendix from his lengthy tenure with the Tampa Bay Rays, as well as to Marlins assistant GM Gabe Kapler, whom Albernaz coached under with the San Francisco Giants.
Francona signed a three-year deal (with a club option) with the Reds, so maybe Valaika could be a candidate to succeed him. The Guardians interviewed Valaika for their managerial gig before they hired Vogt.
Anyway, the 2025 Ohio Cup might be one for the history books.
The Guardians, the poster child for pitching development, need starting pitching help. They haven’t faced this sort of quandary in at least a decade. There’s Tanner Bibee and then … a ton of questions. Can Triston McKenzie return to his Cy Young Award-caliber form? Can Gavin Williams brush aside a disappointing season and take a massive leap in 2025? Can Joey Cantillo or Logan Allen or Doug Nikhazy be trusted? Can Ben Lively duplicate his age-32 breakout season?
That’s a lot of hoping.
There’s some level of mutual interest between the club and free agents Bieber, Boyd and Alex Cobb, but it’s difficult to forecast what’s realistic.
Boyd is a Scott Boras client, which typically spells doom for any Cleveland endeavor, but his experience with the Guardians couldn’t have gone much better. And because it went so well, he could have more suitors than a typical pitcher who made eight starts after returning from elbow surgery.
Shane Bieber, who underwent Tommy John surgery in April, will be a free agent after the World Series. (Mike Lawrie / Getty Images)
Bieber is eyeing a June or July return, so he could sign a one-year deal like Boyd did, or he could gain some security and sign a backloaded two-year deal, as has become trendy for pitchers in his situation. There will probably be teams that would outbid Cleveland, but is Bieber comfortable enough with the Guardians’ medical staff to want to stick around and boost his value before his next round of free agency?
Cobb is 37 and just had a season marred by injuries, so for a team starved for starting pitching help (what a bizarro world this is) and averse to risk, to invest in someone his age probably doesn’t sit atop the priority list.
go-deeper
GO DEEPER
Guardians' playoff season built on trash talk, coaches' bond: 'This is who we are'
For much of the season, between a quarter and a third of the Guardians’ payroll was tied to non-contributing players. Jean Segura, who was never fitted for a Cleveland uniform after the Josh Bell trade and probably spent the year sailing on a yacht in the Maldives, earned $8.5 million. The Guardians will pay him another $2 million in the form of a buyout and then never speak to him again. They paid Myles Straw $4.9 million to suntan on The Oval all summer on Ohio State’s campus. They still owe him $15.5 million over the next two years (including a $1.75 million buyout for 2027). Bieber was the second-highest-paid player on the roster at $13.1 million, but he made only two starts before tearing his elbow. Ramón Laureano ($5.15 million) didn’t make it to Memorial Day with the club. James Karinchak ($1.9 million) never made an appearance.
The salaries for Segura, Straw, Bieber, Laureano and Karinchak added up to more than $28 million. Scott Barlow, the team’s third-highest-paid player ($6.7 million) was designated for assignment in September.
All but Straw’s paycheck will come off the books. Josh Naylor, Andrés Giménez and Steven Kwan are due modest raises. Lane Thomas, José Ramírez and Ben Lively will receive slight bumps as well. Nothing crazy, though. There should be some payroll flexibility (based on their historic trend of pinching every penny, that is; there ought to be plenty of flexibility).
As for Straw, his skills are best suited for a team with a stout outfield so he can be advantageously deployed when a team can squeeze the most out of his defense and base-running skills. This isn’t that team until it finds another legitimate source of offense to join Kwan and Thomas. Straw couldn’t crack the outfield rotation this year, even as the team cycled through Laureano, Estevan Florial, Tyler Freeman, Will Brennan, Jhonkensy Noel, Daniel Schneemann, Angel Martínez and Johnathan Rodriguez. The Guardians can’t simply assume Chase DeLauter will save them in 2025; they could use an everyday outfielder, especially with Thomas due to hit free agency next winter.
The love affair between the Guardians and Hedges could continue for another year, but the team needs more offense out of its catcher spot. Hedges isn’t going to be the one to provide that. The Guardians either need Bo Naylor to break out or they need to create the sort of catching team that thrived in the first half of the season. Fry was the key to that setup, but once he suffered an elbow injury in late June, he no longer had defensive versatility, and the Guardians had to lean on Naylor and Hedges. Fry is visiting Dr. Keith Meister this week. Few patients exit his office without stitches and a lengthy recovery timetable.
Speaking of Fry, he isn’t overly emotional. He’s usually the one supplying a lighthearted one-liner in his Texan baritone that perfectly encapsulates a game or a player’s performance. He talks like a sports fan at a bar who is mesmerized watching Ramírez’s base running or Cade Smith’s fastball. After the Game 5 loss to the New York Yankees, though, he was overcome with emotion. There was, of course, the disappointment associated with a season ending as he debriefed with Hedges and Naylor. There was also the fact that when he returned to his locker and checked his phone, he had a video from his wife: Their 1-year-old daughter had taken her first steps that night at Progressive Field.
Team president Chris Antonetti said he expects Josh Naylor will be “an anchor” for the 2025 Guardians. Granted, he’s not going to come out and declare, “We intend to trade him in December to the highest bidder.” Sigh. If only executives spoke in such definite terms. Anyway, Naylor, who has one more year of team control and is projected to earn about $12 million in arbitration, will be a popular subject of hot-stove conversation this winter.
Kyle Manzardo went 6-for-19 with a homer in his first postseason. (Jason Miller / Getty Images)
Kyle Manzardo is ready for everyday at-bats. Fry’s defensive versatility — or lack thereof, depending on the status of his elbow — will factor into the equation at first base/designated hitter/catcher. The Guardians can’t just trade Naylor for the sake of cashing in a little bit of value for a soon-to-be free agent. They need his power. They need to be bolstering their roster, not subtracting from it, so dealing him for a prospect doesn’t make much sense unless they have a corresponding solution for the middle of their order.
Three contract extension candidates to consider:
• Kwan: He seems like a safe bet to remain a quality player for a while, one of the toughest outs in the league who now can slug some, in addition to being a Gold Glove finalist for the third consecutive year. He’s going to command a lot more money than he would have, say, two years ago, when the sides had brief conversations that didn’t amount to much.
• Thomas: He’ll be a free agent after the 2025 season, so it might be a dialogue worth starting. The Guardians witnessed him at his best and his worst. He has shown flashes of being an imposing power hitter and a super threat on the bases, but he hasn’t quite put it all together in one season. Would he rather just bet on himself in 2025 and test free agency? The Guardians could always use productive outfielders.
• Bibee: They didn’t come close when negotiating a deal last spring, and Bibee delivered another strong season. He’s only one more year from reaching arbitration, so this could be Cleveland’s last chance to lock him up long-term.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain