Cleveland Sports Forum

Resetting the MLB trade candidates field: The 7 players most likely to be dealt this winter

By Jim Bowden
7h ago
87


At the start of the offseason, I wrote an article about 10 of the top players most likely to be traded this winter, a list that included Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo and Tyler Glasnow. The Padres have since traded Soto to the Yankees in a seven-player deal, and the Red Sox dealt Verdugo to the Yankees for three pitchers. On Thursday night, the news broke that the Rays have agreed in principle on a deal sending Glasnow (along with Manuel Margot) to the Dodgers for right-hander Ryan Pepiot and outfielder Jonny DeLuca.




If the Rays-Dodgers trade — which The Athletic reported is pending a physical and contingent upon Glasnow agreeing to an extension with Los Angeles — is finalized, three players from my initial list will have been moved. So, who’s next? The Brewers and White Sox are seriously considering trading their top starting pitchers — Corbin Burnes and Dylan Cease, respectively — and the Guardians are open to trading their All-Star closer, Emmanuel Clase, if the right offer materializes. But other intriguing names are being discussed in trade talks across the sport.

Therefore, I’ve reset the field of top trade candidates — adding and subtracting a few names based on the latest intel I’m hearing in conversations with front-office executives and others in the game. Here is my updated list, which highlights the seven players most likely to be traded between now and the beginning of spring training.

1. Corbin Burnes, RHP, Brewers
Matt Arnold’s phone has been inundated with texts from opposing general managers about Burnes, who many in the industry initially believed would be traded this winter. Then the buzz was that the Brewers would not be moving Burnes in the short term. Then, during the Winter Meetings, some GMs thought the 2021 National League Cy Young winner would get traded if Milwaukee could get the right return. What will the Brewers do? Burnes will be a free agent after next season and they won’t be able to re-sign him, but will they deal him now or wait until the deadline? The Brewers will be looking to land young controllable starting pitching in return, and they match up well with possible trade partners such as the Blue Jays, Orioles, Dodgers and Giants.

go-deeper
GO DEEPER

Rosenthal: What I'm hearing about the starting pitcher market


Dylan Cease has started 32 or more games in each of the past three seasons. (Dale Zanine / USA Today)
2. Dylan Cease, RHP, White Sox
New White Sox GM Chris Getz has been shopping Cease and listening to offers all offseason, but he recently paused the process to wait for the free-agent starting pitching market to settle before he circles back to interested teams. Once Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell sign, expect trade talks to heat up with the teams that miss out on that trio of top starters. Cease, who will turn 28 this month, is under team control for two more seasons. The White Sox appear to match up well with teams such as the Orioles, Reds and Dodgers, who all have strong farm systems.

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3. Emmanuel Clase, RHP, Guardians
Clase was one of the best closers in baseball in 2021 and 2022, posting a 1.32 ERA with 66 saves over that span. Last season he wasn’t as dominant, logging a 3.22 ERA, though he still led the majors with 44 saves and 65 games finished. Year over year, his strikeouts per nine innings dipped from 9.5 to 7.9 and his walks per nine increased from 1.2 to 2.0. In April 2022, Cleveland signed Clase to a five-year, $20 million deal with club options in ’27 and ’28. However, there’s uncertainty with all relievers, and the Guardians have decided to at least listen to trade offers for Clase, who is only 25 years old. They’re especially interested to see if they could get an impact corner outfielder in return and are reminding teams that Clase will make significantly less than Josh Hader, 29, is asking for on the open market. Teams such as the Rangers (Clase’s former club), Dodgers and Yankees would fit with the Guardians on a trade because all three have the outfielders that Cleveland covets.


Randy Arozarena makes a leaping catch in the 2023 All-Star Game, his first midsummer classic. (Joe Nicholson / USA Today)
4. Randy Arozarena, LF, Rays
The Rays have listened to trade offers on Arozarena this offseason. Although they control him for three more years, he’s now arbitration-eligible and his salary will grow significantly over that span. (Arozarena made $4.15 million this year and is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to get $9 million via arbitration next year.) The Rays match up well in an Arozarena trade with the Mariners (who could dangle one of their top young starting pitchers such as Bryce Miller), or the Guardians (who could offer a young pitcher like Gavin Williams), or the Giants (who could offer lefty prospect Carson Whisenhunt). But it would be difficult for Tampa Bay to trade Arozarena, who is a fan-favorite.

5. Edward Cabrera, RHP, Marlins
The Marlins are not shopping Cabrera; they love his stuff but young controllable starting pitchers have more trade value than ever, and if they could turn Cabrera into three major-league players to fill their needs, that type of deal must be considered. Cabrera logged a 4.24 ERA last season over 20 starts and two relief appearances in the majors. He struck out 118 in 99 2/3 innings. He will turn 26 in April and is not eligible for arbitration until 2026. The Marlins match up well with the Rays in a potential deal, and their new president of baseball operations, Peter Bendix, knows Tampa Bay’s system from top to bottom after more than a decade in that organization. He joined the Marlins in early November and wasted no time in making a trade with his mentor, Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander, a couple of weeks later. They’ll make another trade before too long. And after agreeing to deal Glasnow, the Rays, as always, will be looking for controllable young starters like Cabrera.

6. Jonathan India, 2B, Reds
The Reds keep saying publicly that they are not shopping India or planning on trading him, but they are listening to offers and would be willing to move the former Rookie of the Year if they get the right starting pitcher back in a deal. The signing of corner infielder Jeimer Candelario (three-year, $45 million deal) makes India expendable. The Reds’ best infield setup now appears to be Candelario at first, Matt McLain at second, Elly De La Cruz at short and Noelvi Marte at third. That leaves the DH spot to India and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, with Spencer Steer, who led the team in homers and doubles as a rookie, spending more time in left field. The Reds like having the protection of extra infielders because the upper levels of their farm system don’t offer big-league depth in that area, but their need to upgrade the starting rotation trumps that. The Red Sox, Angels and White Sox are among the teams that could use India.

7. Jake Cronenworth, INF, Padres
The Padres’ cost-cutting is underway and Cronenworth is next on their to-do list. However, trading him is not going to be easy considering he slashed .229/.312/.378 last season with 10 home runs, 48 RBIs and a 92 OPS+. His bWAR went from 4.1 in 2022 to 1.0 in 2023. Cronenworth, who will turn 30 in January, is signed through 2030, his age-36 season, with an average annual value north of $12 million per year. That seems like a fair contract for his abilities, but most of those seasons are after his “prime years” (ages 25-31) and he’s coming off a disappointing season, so San Diego would likely have to eat significant money to complete a deal.

not sure why they picked up Rivas in the first place,

Guys this is a large issue slowing down the market - and Cleveland is one of the main players in it. This is about Bally Sports - owned by Diamond.



MLB, Bally RSNs reach tentative ‘framework’ for 2024 broadcasts

2h ago

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The bankrupt Diamond Sports Group, which holds the 2024 broadcast rights to 11 Major League Baseball teams through its Bally-branded regional sports networks, appears to be nearing a settlement with baseball’s commissioner’s office that could create relative certainty as to which MLB teams Diamond will broadcast next year.

“We are in a position to believe that we have a framework to move forward,” said James Bromley, a lawyer for MLB, during a federal bankruptcy hearing in Houston. “We have a lot of conditions and issues that we still need to work through.”

The next hearing is set for Jan. 10. Such a deal, if consummated, would likely also add clarity to those 11 teams’ television revenues, at least for the 2024 season. The Diamond drama looms in the background of free agency, if not over it, particularly now as the market moves beyond Shohei Ohtani, who was never going to lack for suitors.

The teams that remain under contract with Diamond for 2024 are the Los Angeles Angels, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Guardians, Miami Marlins, Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers.

Lawyers for Diamond and MLB did not specify in court what the framework they’re building would look like, or whether it would include all 11 remaining teams. MLB and Diamond declined to comment after the hearing.

Both Cleveland and Texas are known as teams that Diamond has considered dropping unless a revised financial arrangement could be reached. Those two teams had lawyers in court Friday.

“The Guardians are supportive of what’s being proposed today,” said Oliver Zeltner, who represents the team. “We haven’t been involved in the mediation, but what we’ve heard today is encouraging.”

A lawyer for Diamond, Andrew Goldman, added a new wrinkle, however, when he mentioned that there are “three teams who are currently not contemplated to be in the fold.” Previously there were only two such known teams — the Guardians and Rangers. The identity of that third team was not immediately clear.

A lawyer for the Rangers, Charles Koster, added there are “three teams that debtors will be seeking to change the financial arrangement with.”

The third team might be a club previously carried by Diamond that is not currently, which would include the Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres or Minnesota Twins.

Rob Manfred on Diamond/Bally giving up the Padres broadcast rights: "They notified us literally, literally, less than 24 hours before they went off the air."

— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) May 31, 2023

Koster also said that the parties were making an effort “to get to a broad and global deal with all of the MLB teams and MLB itself.”

“That said, obviously, as we all know, there is not a deal until there’s a deal, and there’s also not necessarily a common set of issues among all of the clubs,” Koster said.

Some player agents this offseason have privately pointed out that potentially affected teams appear to have tightened their wallets on account of the uncertainty surrounding Diamond and the Bally stations, and some team executives have made at least indirect comments reinforcing as much. That stance, in turn, has irked agents who believe the teams are overhyping concern for TV revenue.

Diamond was supposed to square off with MLB on Friday. The league had asked the court for Diamond to decide which teams it would or would not carry for 2024. But the parties made enough progress in a long mediation meeting Thursday that the sides asked for the hearing to be pushed to January to further settlement talks.

The adjournment could help the parties “see if we can have peace break out in the valley,” said Goldman, the Diamond lawyer.

“It’s a particularly complicated set of bullet points that we’re going to try to reduce,” he said.

The larger question might be what will happen after 2024. By that time, Diamond is likely to have a Chapter 11 reorganization plan in place, one that could well return any baseball TV rights Diamond still holds for 2025 and beyond to the respective teams. So even if Diamond can broadcast the remaining 11 teams for 2024, its current partner teams are likely to be looking for different partners for 2025 — whether that’s MLB distributing games itself or another third party.

Entering 2023, Diamond carried 14 MLB teams. Diamond stopped making rights fee payments to the Padres and Diamondbacks during the 2023 season, and MLB took over those broadcasts. Diamond’s deal with the Twins expired after last season.

Other teams face near-term TV uncertainty as well. The Colorado Rockies are not known to have a TV home for 2024 yet after Warner Bros. Discovery got out of the RSN business.

Guardians Sign Austin Hedges, Designate Alfonso Rivas For Assignment

By Logan Potosky | Last updated 12/15/23

When the Cleveland Guardians signed right-handed pitcher Ben Lively earlier this week, their 40-man roster was at its maximum capacity.

This transaction came after it was reported that catcher Austin Hedges was signing a one-year contract with Cleveland, which was not yet official.

However, on Friday, the Guardians officially announced their signing of Hedges.

In order for Cleveland’s 40-man roster to remain at 40 players, first baseman/outfielder Alfonso Rivas was designated for assignment.

This comes just over a month after the Guardians claimed Rivas off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The 27-year-old has played 167 games over three MLB seasons, hitting .243 with 98 hits, seven home runs, 43 RBI, 16 doubles, and a .673 OPS. In 2023, Rivas played a combined 48 games with Pittsburgh and the San Diego Padres, hitting .229 with 25 hits, three home runs, 15 RBI, 10 doubles, and a .725 OPS.

With this transaction, Cleveland will now have one week to either trade him or place him on waivers.

Rivas is not the first player the Guardians have designated for assignment this offseason. Last month, they designated starting pitcher Cal Quantrill, relief pitcher Michael Kelly, and catcher Cam Gallagher for assignment last month.

While Kelly was claimed off waivers by the Oakland Athletics and Gallagher elected free agency, Cleveland was able to find a trade partner for Quantrill. The Guardians traded the starting pitcher to the Colorado Rockies for Minor League catcher Kody Huff.

With Cleveland officially signing Hedges, the team is getting not just a former member of its club, but the catcher with the most defensive runs saved (86) in MLB since 2015.

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Six Guardians players earn payouts from MLB pre-arbitration bonus pool
[and this doesn't come from the Guardians' bank account. I think]

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Tanner Bibee’s second-place finish in the American League Rookie of the Year race landed him a nice bonus check from Major League Baseball just in time for the holidays.

Bibee was among 10 pre-arbitration eligible players to earn at least $1 million from the bonus pool as determined under baseball’s collective bargaining agreement prior to the 2022 season. Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez ($1,865,349) and Arizona’s Corbin Carroll ($1,812,337) were the top pool earners.
Bibee went 10-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 142 innings with 141 strikeouts and 45 walks in 25 starts after making his debut April 26. He ranked second among 2023 MLB rookies in win percentage (.714), third in wins, ERA, strikeouts and opponent slugging percentage. The right-hander won seven straight decisions from June 18 to August 13, and was the first AL rookie pitcher with 10 wins, 140 strikeouts and a sub-3.00 ERA since New York’s Masahiro Tanaka in 2014.

Several of Bibee’s Guardians teammates also found some extra cash in their stockings, but none more than the $1,016,931 Bibee took home after finishing behind Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson as the AL’s top rookie performer.

A total of six Cleveland pre-arb players were among the 101 allocated a payout from the bonus pool, including Andrés Giménez ($558,541), Emmanuel Clase ($500,000), Steven Kwan ($477,103), Bo Naylor ($317,528) and Logan Allen ($275,013).

Negotiated into baseball’s most recent collective bargaining agreement, the bonus pool is seen as a way to reward high-performing players who are locked into league-minimum salaries based on their service time. Last year, Clase and Giménez each earned more than $1.3 million in bonuses while Kwan picked up a check that topped the $500,000 mark.

Payouts were determined by a joint WAR formula as well as how a player finished in year-end awards voting. Kwan and Giménez picked up their second consecutive Gold Glove Awards in November, while Clase was named All-MLB second team on Saturday.

The joint wins above replacement metric, agreed upon by MLB and the MLB Players’ Association, includes separate calculations for pitchers and position players.

At least 25 players picked up checks of more than $500,000 while 10 players earned a bonus of more than $1 million. Seventeen players who made their big league debuts in 2023 were among those who cashed in, led by Bibee and Cincinnati’s Matt McLain ($445,873).

Baltimore and Detroit had seven players each earn money from the bonus pool. The Mariners, Reds, Rays, Twins and Guardians had six apiece.

Mo' Money ! Mo' Money !

Brayan Rocchio is going to be huge for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024

Perhaps lost in the shuffle, shortstop Brayan Rocchio figures to be a key piece for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024 and beyond.

By Steve DiMatteo | 3:24 PM EST

The Cleveland Guardians aren't exactly lighting the offseason on fire at the moment, but they've done some interesting things to this point (though there's plenty of work left to do, something we cover in the latest episode of the California Penal League podcast). Maybe not as interesting as the Kansas City Royals, who clearly see the AL Central for the taking, but that's a story for another day.

The being said, the Guardians' offense is in a better place today than it was in 2023, if you're willing to believe that. Power notwithstanding, Cleveland has many incredibly intriguing young pieces that should propel the team in 2024. Much has been written about new guys like Kyle Manzardo - heck, even Deyvison De Los Santos at this point - but let's take a quick look back at another top prospect who might be getting lost in the fray (for now): Brayan Rocchio.

Despite the fact that Gabriel Arias is still on the roster, one expects Rocchio to truly take over the shortstop position sometime in 2024.

In his first taste of the majors in 2023, the 22-year-old hit .247/.279/.321 with no home runs, six doubles and 27 strikeouts in 86 scattered plate appearances. It's hard to make too much of Rocchio's limited time with the Guardians last season, but there's still a very good chance he could be the shortstop of the future once he settles in.

Nicknamed "The Professor" for his high baseball IQ, Rocchio is an excellent defender who has begun to develop some pop in his bat, hitting 18 home runs across Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus in 2022. In his time shuffling back and forth with Columbus in 2023, Rocchio also hit seven homers to go along with 33 doubles and a .280/.367/.421 line. There's just nothing left for him to prove in the minors at this point, and his path to getting regular playing time in Cleveland should only get clearer from here (especially as guys like Tyler Freeman have started dabbling with the outfield).

This is also taking into account the fact that Rocchio is currently tearing up the Venezuelan Winter League to the tune of a .372/.438/.558 line with a home run, five doubles, and five RBI in 48 plate appearances.

And we collectively might be underselling the fact that Rocchio is still considered one of the team's top prospects (right behind 2022 first-round pick Chase DeLauter in Baseball America's updated list and right at the top on MLB.com). He's a solid all-around prospect offensively and defensively, and he might end up being a doubles machine at the major-league level.

If the Guardians are actually going to get better offensively in 2024, Rocchio figures to be right in the middle of that evolution.

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Cleveland has many incredibly intriguing young pieces that should propel the team in 2024.

Incredibly intriguing. Well ok

This is how the Cleveland Stadium looked in 1963 when Vic Davalillo was a rookie. The Plain Dealer



GUARDIANS

Vic Davalillo, Tribe memories, trips to the frigid old Stadium, lost autographs

Terry Pluto

Published: Dec. 17, 2023, 4:54 a.m.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – I wrote a column earlier in the week about Vic Davalillo, the former Tribe outfielder who was with Cleveland from 1963-68. He died at the age of 84 or 87, depending upon the sources. He played for six teams over 16 MLB seasons. He was an a Gold Glove winner with Cleveland in 1964 and made the 1965 All-Star team.

I interviewed Rocky Colavito about him, as they played together in the outfield along with Leon Wagner for three years. I mentioned names such as Chico Salmon, Fred Whitfield and others from that era. The story inspired about 30 emails from readers and some great memories.




Vic Davalillo was a Gold Glove winner and an All-Star with the Tribe in the middle 1960s.The Plain Dealer

DEATH & MEMORIES

“I felt a little old and sad when I read about Victor Davalillo passing away at 84. He was one of my favorite Indians in the 1960s. I can still see him at the plate in his distinctive stance with that huge bat. I never understood why he used such a big bat. I remember his amazing speed, hustle and outstanding glove. Collecting baseball cards, walking up the ramp and seeing that beautiful green grass, Bertman’s Mustard, watching guys like Vic, and hope - precious memories of a 75 year-old man.”

– Keith

“Unfortunately, Vic passed away on my 71st birthday (Dec. 6). Made me realize two things: How old I am and how I enjoy thinking about all those fun times going to the games with my dad.”

– Randy

Hey, Randy & Keith: When I talked to Rocky Colavito about Davalillo’s age, we decided 87 is more likely. For Latino players, it made sense to slice a few years off their age to be more attractive to scouts. Remember, the younger the better, according to the scouts.

Davalillo, Rocky and the rest from the 1960s played in a three-channel, black-and-white TV world where about 25 games were televised. The rest were on radio. It was a time of baseball cards and buying a scorecard at the game for a quarter, then keeping score with a little golf pencil.

LITTLE LEAGUE MEMORIES

“The passing of Vic Davalillo made me recall my time with the Bedford Little League when we were ‘The Davalillos, The Mighty Davalillos.’ We played in bright orange jerseys on dusty fields lined with fresh lime where the outfield often ended at a snow fence.

“We routinely lost to the teams named for Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris – not because the Bronx Battery was better than Vic, but because those players were 10 and we were only 8. I was never able to trade my Davalillo card for Mantle or Maris, but I am going to look through the shoebox tonight and see if I can find Vic.”

– Mark

“Whenever we played Wiffle ball, I was Davalillo. Even though I was a right-handed batter, when I went through the lineup and it was Davalillo’s turn to bat, I batted left-handed and stepped in the bucket – emulating him.”

– Robert

Hey Mark & Robert: I remember also playing Wiffle ball and other games like that as a kid. We tried to imitate the batting stances of our favorite players. Wonder if anyone plays Wiffle ball anymore?




Luis Tiant struck out 19 in a game in 1968 for Cleveland.PD Photo

THOSE COLD STADIUM, HOT CHOCOLATE GAMES

“I remember going to opening day in 1969 with my best friend, Gerald (Jerry) Pelz. It was a bright, sunny day, so we had light jackets. What a mistake. We were seated on the shady side of Municipal Stadium with the wind blowing in off the lake. It was in the low 40s and we shivered. We kept buying hot chocolate to warm our hands. We didn’t want to drink it.. We thought it would cause us to break out with acne.

“We ended up leaving around the eighth inning. If I recall correctly, the Indians were losing. Jerry was my best friend throughout high school. We were basically inseparable ... We lost touch after. I later learned Jerry had joined the Navy and was a chopper pilot. When President Reagan sent ships to protect the Persian Gulf, Jerry went missing and was presumed lost in the Gulf on a chopper mission. I was able to visit his marker in Arlington but his remains were never recovered.

“Jerry and I went to many baseball games together. Fisher Foods gave away general admission tickets with I believe $50 in receipts. We used those a lot! The best game we ever saw was July 3, 1968 when Luis Tiant went 10 innings, striking out 19 as the Indians won 1-0.”

– Jeff

Hey, Jeff: My father worked at old Fisher Food. It later became Fisher/Fazio/Costa, where I worked in the warehouse during the summer while in school. I don’t recall the free tickets from Fisher Foods, but I got free tickets from the old Plain Dealer Grandstand Manager’s contests.

PHOTO & AUTOGRAPH MEMORIES

“Davalillo was one of the most memorable Indians of my childhood. I still have a photo of him from Fan Appreciation Camera Day!”

– Kirk

“My dad once chased down Davalillo for an autograph for me in the old Municipal Stadium. He wouldn’t let Vic alone until he signed.”

– Bob

“I used to put my glove on my right hand (like Vic) and pretend to make great catches near a little fence in my backyard. I got his autograph when he was in the stands during a game because of an injury.”

– Terry

“When Davalillo would strike out, he’d run back to the dugout. In Venezuela, you’d get pelted with cans and bottles after you struck out ... One of our neighbors was a babysitter for all us brothers. She had a letter in Spanish from Davalillo. She recently told me she lost it in a flood in her subdivision.”

– Kevin

Hey, Kevin, Terry, Bob & Kirk: Do any of us have those old baseball cards and autogrpahs?




Chico Salmon worked for the Cleveland Recreation Department for a while after his baseball career.Cleveland Plain Dealer

DO YOU REMEMBER CHICO SALMON?

“When the Orioles released him, the Cleveland Recreation Department hired Chico for the summer of 1972. He worked at the Bath House in Tremont. It was located next to Dempsey’s Tavern across from the pool and park.

“I just finished my ninth grade year and was heading to Lincoln-West High. Chico became a legend in his short time working in Tremont. The guys in Tremont would joke with him about playing fast pitch for money. Eventually, games were played and Chico won his $10 or $15 each time. Typically the game would end after all the rubber balls that Chico blasted over the houses were gone!”

– Dave Ford

Hey, Dave: Great to hear from you. I covered you when you pitched for the Orioles in 1979 when I was a rookie baseball writer for the Baltimore Evening Sun. I used to tell former Orioles manager Earl Weaver how both us were from Cleveland. He laughed, but I could tell he wasn’t very impressed by that fact. Chico Salmon was a utility infielder with the old Tribe and later Baltimore.

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Luis Tiant struck out 19 in a game in 1968 for Cleveland

Best pitched game I ever experienced [on the radio]. I was more impressed than with Len Barker's perfect game, but that was good too!

Projection Shows A Huge 2024 In Store For Andres Gimenez

By Andres Chavez December 21, 2023

FanGraphs is famous in the baseball industry for their ZiPS projections.

They are one of the most renowned in the game.

In their latest exercise, they examined the Cleveland Guardians and we can draw some impressive conclusions.




The one that really catches the eye is that Andres Gimenez leads the team with 5.1 projected WAR.

In reality, that number is attached to the position as a whole, not necessarily the player.

After opening the article, it becomes clear that the Guardian with the most projected WAR for the 2024 season is Jose Ramirez.

That shouldn’t be at all surprising, as he is expected to finish with 5.0.

Gimenez, however, is projected to wrap up next season at 4.6 WAR, by virtue of a .272/.339/.424 line and a 114 OPS+ (100 is considered league-average performance).

That would be an ideal scenario for the Guardians lineup: Gimenez having a rebound season and complementing his incredible defensive contributions with a good season at the plate.

“ZiPS remains a big fan of Andrés Giménez, and based on his peripherals, sees his 2022 as being a lot closer to who he is than his weaker 2023 season. Also helping his projection is the fact that he’s still young enough to have some unknown upside remaining,” Dan Szymborski wrote.

Steven Kwan is projected to finish with 2.7 WAR, and catcher Bo Naylor has a projected 2.4 WAR value next season.

ZiPS expects Brayan Rocchio (1.9 fWAR) to have an expanded role this upcoming season.

Among pitchers, Triston McKenzie and Shane Bieber are expected to be around or above the 3.0 WAR threshold, with Tanner Bibee close to it.

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Angels Claim Alfonso Rivas
By Steve Adams | December 22, 2023 at 1:03pm CDT

The Angels have claimed first baseman Alfonso Rivas off waivers from the Guardians, per announcements from both teams. Cleveland designated Rivas for assignment last week. The Angels’ 40-man roster is now full.

Rivas, 27, lost his roster spot when the Guardians made their one-year contract with backup catcher Austin Hedges official. He’d only been in the organization for about a month, having come over in an early November waiver claim.

Rivas has seen MLB time in each of the past three seasons, splitting those years between the Cubs, Padres and Pirates. He hit well in a tiny sample of 49 plate appearances during his 2021 MLB debut with the Cubs but carries a more tepid .233/.316/.342 slash in 410 trips to the plate over the two previous seasons.

That said, Rivas has a minor league option remaining and an excellent track record at the game’s top minor league level. He’s a career .313/.424/.492 hitter in parts of four Triple-A seasons and has drawn a walk in a massive 15.1% of his plate appearances there. He’s more of a gap hitter than true power bat, evidenced by his 40 doubles and 15 long balls in 637 career plate appearances in Triple-A.

In some respects, Rivas has a skill set similar to that of expected Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel, who raced to the Majors and debuted not even two months after being selected in the first round of the 2023 draft. Both are lefty-swinging first basemen with excellent plate discipline and more of a gap approach than a prototypical slugging first base profile. Schanuel, however, has a better hit tool, evidenced by his tiny 14.4% strikeout rate in a 132 plate appearance MLB debut (again, just months after playing NCAA ball).

Because Rivas has a minor league option remaining, he’s a sensible fallback option if the Angels both miss out on a larger upgrade at first base/designated hitter and see Schanuel struggle (be it in spring training or in the Majors early in the year). He could also serve as a lefty bat off the bench, if the Halos forgo further bench additions and prefer Rivas to 26-year-old first baseman/outfielder Trey Cabbage.

Angels have successfully replaced Ohtani with Rivas

Let's get this out of the way: The Cleveland Guardians cannot trade the 2024 #1 overall draft pick

The Cleveland Guardians won the 2024 MLB draft lottery, and they're stuck with that top overall pick, as MLB teams cannot trade draft picks.


By Steve DiMatteo | 7:10 AM EST

When the Cleveland Guardians won the 2024 MLB draft lottery, visions of sugar plums and top prospects began dancing in all of our heads.

The thought of selecting another top prospect next summer helps distract from the frustration of the Guardians not doing much yet this offseason, or the fact that the team's TV situation remains very much in flux with Bally Sports, the bane of just about everyone's existence.

But you might also be thinking about the Guardians just simply trading that top draft pick for, say, more draft picks or controllable young major-league players. It's a great idea in theory, but let's look at the logistics.

Can You Trade Draft Picks in MLB?

Simply put, no. Major League Baseball teams cannot trade draft picks to each other. Though it's incredibly common in the NBA and NFL, baseball doesn't allow the practice - unless it's a Competitive Balance round pick, of course.

But if we're talking about a regular old draft pick, sorry, it can't be done. So yes, the Guardians will absolutely be selecting someone with that #1 overall pick in 2024.

But why can't MLB teams trade their draft picks? Part of it comes down to the structure of the game itself. Unlike football and basketball, fans might not see draft picks - not even top ones - at the major-league level for at least 2-5 years, depending on whether the player is a high school or college player. The development path in baseball is long and winding, and without a salary cap, the draft is the only way many teams can compete with the likes of, say, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are spending the GDP of a small country this offseason.

More importantly, though, Major League Baseball wants to avoid teams trying to get out of paying top draft picks their signing bonuses. Slot values for MLB picks continue to rise, and in 2023, the slot value for the top overall pick in the draft was set at $9.7 million, with Pittsburgh paying Paul Skenes a signing bonus of $9.2 million last year (the first time a player ever signed for more than $9 million in the draft).

Plenty of big spenders would be more than happy to drop that kind of money on a player who might never even make the majors. And while there is a groundswell of support for reversing this rule in the game, it's doubtful it gets changed anytime soon. There's just no way certain MLB teams will act appropriately with this rule in play. The dynamics of baseball are just different, and the game is truly better this way.

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MLB Mock Draft 2024: Early Predictions For Every 1st-Round Selection

Bleacher Report

JOEL REUTER

DECEMBER 22, 2023




JJ WetherholtAP Photo/Gregory Payan

1. Cleveland Guardians: 2B/SS JJ Wetherholt, West Virginia

The best pure hitter in the 2024 draft class with a legitimate 70-grade hit tool, Wetherholt batted .449/.517/.787 with 24 doubles, 16 home runs, 60 RBI and 36 steals in 55 games last season while striking out just 22 times in 268 plate appearances. He will try his hand at shortstop for the first time this spring and has the athleticism to make it work, but even as a second baseman, his polished offensive games makes him a strong candidate to go No. 1 overall.

2. Cincinnati Reds: 1B Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest

A strong 6'5", 235-pound slugger, Kurtz has hit .345/.499/.708 with 39 home runs and 125 RBI in 110 games during his two seasons on campus. More than just a power hitter, he has also tallied more walks (111) than strikeouts (88), and he has a smooth left-handed swing with a 60-grade hit tool on top of his elite pop. As it stands, there is not a pitcher in this class worth reaching for a No. 2 overall, so the Reds opt for the best bat available.

3. Colorado Rockies: OF Charlie Condon, Georgia

A preferred walk-on at Georgia who redshirted in 2022, Condon has worked hard to add strength to his 6'6" frame and he exploded onto the scene last spring when he hit .386/.484/.800 with 25 home runs and 67 RBI in 56 games to win National Freshman of the Year honors. A big college slugger with a corner profile defensively fits the mold the Rockies have targeted time and again early in the draft.

4. Oakland Athletics: 1B/LHP Jac Caglianone, Florida

College baseball's most exciting two-way player, Caglianone was a finalist for the 2023 Golden Spikes Award alongside LSU teammates Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes. The 6'5", 245-pound lefty hit .323/.389/.738 with an NCAA-leading 33 home runs and 90 RBI at the plate, and he finished 7-4 with a 4.34 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 74.2 innings on the mound. He profiles best as a power-hitting first baseman right now, but with a 70-grade fastball that touches 100 mph and three playable offspeed pitches, he could make his case for a future on the mound if he throws strikes more consistently this spring.

5. Chicago White Sox: 2B Travis Bazzana, Oregon State

Bazzana was already one of the top college hitters in the 2024 draft class after batting .374/.500/.622 with 20 doubles, 11 home runs, 55 RBI and 36 steals in 39 attempts last spring. He then solidified his standing as a top-tier prospect by winning Cape Cod League MVP honors with a .375/.456/.581 line, 14 extra-base hits and 14 steals in 33 games. His 60-power, 60-speed toolbox more than makes up for his limited defensive profile.

6. Kansas City Royals: OF Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina

With legitimate five-tool potential, Honeycutt could make a case to go No. 1 overall if he shows a more polished hit tool this spring. After posting a 1.082 OPS with 25 home runs and 29 steals as a freshman in 2022, he took a step backward last spring with a .257/.418/.492 line, though he did trim his strikeout rate from 29.7 to 20.4 percent. With Gold Glove potential in center field, he is still a first-round talent even if he just duplicates last year's production at the plate.

7. St. Louis Cardinals: LHP Josh Hartle, Wake Forest

The Cardinals are drafting inside the top 10 for the first time since 1998 when they selected outfielder J.D. Drew with the No. 5 overall pick. High-floor college pitching has frequently been at the top of the team's draft board, and Hartle offers a terrific mix of upside and polish. The 6'5" left-hander finished 11-2 with a 2.81 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 140 strikeouts in 102.1 innings, raising his strikeout rate from 16.7 to 33.4 percent.

8. Los Angeles Angels: SS Seaver King, Wake Forest

King hit .411/.457/.699 with 11 home runs and 13 steals at D-II Wingate University last spring, then proved himself against high-level competition by hitting .424 over 71 plate appearances in the Cape Cod League. With a 60-hit, 65-speed offensive profile and the defensive tools to stick at shortstop, he checks all the boxes to be a first-round pick if his production translates against major conference competition.

9. Pittsburgh Pirates: OF Mike Sirota, Northeastern

The best mid-major player in the nation, Sirota hit .346/.472/.678 with 18 home runs, 54 RBI and 19 steals in 55 games last spring before going 7-for-23 with nine walks and a 1.037 OPS over eight games in the Cape Cod League. He has the speed to stick in center field defensively and room to add further strength to his athletic 6'3", 187-pound frame.

10. Washington Nationals: 3B Tommy White, LSU

White set the NCAA freshman record with 27 home runs in 55 games at NC State in 2022, then transferred to LSU where he continued to impress against SEC competition, hitting .374/.432/.725 with 24 doubles, 24 home runs and 105 RBI. He lacks the athleticism and range to stick at third base, so he will likely be limited to first base or designated hitter, but his power stacks up to anyone in the 2024 class and he has the hit tool to consistently tap into it.

11. Detroit Tigers: OF Konnor Griffin, Jackson Prep (MS)

Griffin reclassified from the 2025 draft class and won't turn 18 years old until late April, and he already looks the part of a future slugger with a 6'4", 205-pound frame and plus present power thanks to elite bat speed. He has 30/30 potential offensively and should have no problem sticking in center field, giving him as much upside as any prep hitter in the class.

12. Boston Red Sox: RHP Chase Burns, Wake Forest

Burns bumped 100 mph with his fastball in high school and has been up to 102 mph in college, and he backs it with an elite slider that generated a ridiculous 61 percent whiff rate in 2023. The 6'4" right-hander has been hit harder than his stuff might suggest, and he also comes with some reliever risk due to his inconsistent command, posting a 4.25 ERA in 72 innings spanning eight starts and 10 relief appearances last year. He has top-five pick upside, and transferring from Tennessee to pitching factory Wake Forest could help him take the next step.

13. San Francisco Giants: OF P.J. Morlando Griffin, Summerville High School (SC)

Morlando turned 19 years old in May, so he's on the older end of the prep prospect scale, but his offensive tools stack up to any high school hitter in the 2023 class. He won MVP honors and the Home Run Derby at the High School All-American Game last summer and has been a staple on the U18 national team, so he has had plenty of exposure to elite-level competition.

14. Chicago Cubs: RHP Brody Brecht, Iowa

One of the top high school pitchers in the 2021 draft, Brecht went undrafted with a strong commitment to the University of Iowa to play baseball and football. The 6'4", 225-pound right-hander might have the best raw stuff in the 2024 class with a 70-grade fastball that touches triple digits and a 70-grade wipeout slider. He posted a 3.74 ERA with 109 strikeouts in 77 innings last spring, but he also walked 61 hitters and has a long way to go in refining his command. He could take a huge step forward this spring now that he has quit football and turned his full attention to the baseball diamond.

15. Seattle Mariners: LHP Hagen Smith, Arkansas

Smith threw seven no-hitters during his senior season at Bullard High School in Texas, and he has steadily improved since stepping onto campus at the University of Arkansas. The 6'3", 215-pound lefty finished 8-2 with a 3.64 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and a 109-to-42 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 71.2 innings last spring, and he is still working to refine his electric stuff. He touches 98 mph with his fastball, backs it with a quality slider and splitter, and adds deception with a funky delivery.

16. Miami Marlins: OF Braden Montgomery, Texas A&M

Montgomery was a legitimate prospect as both an outfielder and a pitcher coming out of high school, but it is now clear his future is as a hitter. He batted .315/.414/.603 with 30 doubles, 35 home runs and 118 RBI in 126 games during his first two years at Stanford while struggling to an 8.54 ERA with 32 walks in 32.2 innings on the mound. Now he will look to further boost his stock against elite competition after transferring to Texas A&M.

17. Milwaukee Brewers: C Malcolm Moore, Stanford

One of the top high school players from the 2022 draft class to make his way onto campus, Moore hit .311/.386/.564 with 20 doubles, 15 home runs and 63 RBI in 64 games to earn Freshman All-American honors last spring. If he can take a step forward defensively, he could be a top-10 pick, but he is a first-round talent on the strength of his offensive game alone.

18. Tampa Bay Rays: RHP Thatcher Hurd, LSU

Hurd posted a 1.06 ERA and 0.77 WHIP in 34 innings as a freshman at UCLA before his season ended prematurely with a stress fracture in his back. The 6'4" right-hander transferred to LSU last spring and stumbled to a 5.68 ERA over 63.1 innings, splitting his time between the rotation and bullpen, but he finished on a high note as the winning pitcher (6.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K) in the College World Series clincher against Florida. The potential is there for him to be one of the nation's top college arms.

19. New York Mets: LHP Cam Caminiti, Saguaro High School (AZ)

One of the top pitching prospects in the 2025 draft class, Caminiti reclassified following a strong summer showcase, and he won't turn 18 years old until almost a month after the 2024 draft. The 6'2", 205-pound southpaw does not have much remaining physical projection, but he has four plus pitches, smooth mechanics and solid command. He also plays center field and has shown some potential as a hitter, and that athleticism serves him well on the mound.

20. Toronto Blue Jays: OF Slade Caldwell, Valley View High School (AR)

An advanced prep hitter who sprays line drives to all fields and has plus speed, Caldwell has drawn comparisons to New York Mets prospect Jett Williams. His undersized 5'8", 175-pound frame means he has limited power, but his compact swing and patient approach help him maximize his offensive tools. He is also a lock to stick in center field defensively thanks to his terrific range.

21. Minnesota Twins: C Caleb Lomavita, California

Lomavita hit .316/.367/.612 with 13 doubles, 16 home runs and 43 RBI in 48 games last spring while slashing his strikeout rate from 19.8 to 11.1 percent, and he continued to boost his draft stock with an .868 OPS and eight extra-base hits in 22 games in the Cape Cod League. He has the potential to develop into a plus defender behind the plate, but he is also athletic enough to potentially handle third base or a corner outfield spot.

22. Baltimore Orioles: RHP Drew Beam, Tennessee

With a mid-90s fastball, two solid breaking pitches and arguably the best changeup in the 2024 draft class, Beam has one of the highest floors of any college pitcher. The 6'4", 208-pound right-hander finished 9-4 with a 3.63 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 84.1 innings in 2023, and while his stuff doesn't jump off the screen, he is a safe bet to be a future MLB starter.

23. Los Angeles Dodgers: OF/LHP Noah Franco, IMG Academy (FL)

Yet another top-tier high school player who reclassified from the 2025 draft, Franco is a legitimate two-way talent, though the scales are tipping toward him being a hitter at the next level following an impressive summer showcase circuit in the batter's box. The 6'3", 188-pound outfielder has natural leverage in his swing and room to add more power as his frame fills out. That said, there is still a chance he could shift the industry consensus with a strong spring on the mound.

24. Atlanta Braves: LHP Jonathan Santucci, Duke

Santucci pitched his way into Duke's rotation as a freshman in 2022, then posted a 50-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 29.1 innings last spring before surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow cut his season short. The 6'2", 205-pound southpaw impressed during fall practice and has serious momentum heading into a healthy junior season. The Braves know how to develop pitching talent, and he still has some untapped upside.

25. San Diego Padres: SS/3B Caleb Bonemer, Okemos High School (MI)

Bonemer was one of the top prospects on the summer showcase circuit, and while he has been inconsistent at times, his loud raw tools make him Michigan's best high school position player prospect since Derek Jeter. The Padres have never been shy about rolling the dice on upside over polish, and his 55-grade raw power and potential plus defense on the left side of the infield make him a high-ceiling target at the back of the first round.

26. New York Yankees: 3B Cam Smith, Florida State

Smith looked overmatched at times during his freshman season at Florida State, hitting .258 with a 28.7 percent strikeout rate, but he also logged an .843 OPS and slugged 12 home runs. The draft-eligible sophomore then gave his stock a huge shot in the arm during the Cape Cod League when he hit .347/.406/.575 with 22 extra-base hits in 187 plate appearances to earn Most Outstanding Pro Prospect honors. His arrow is pointing straight up heading into his sophomore campaign.

27. Philadelphia Phillies: OF/RHP Carson Benge, Oklahoma State

After missing the entire 2022 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, Benge was a finalist for the John Olerud Award given to the nation's top two-way player after he hit .345/.468/.538 with 24 extra-base hits in 248 plate appearances while also striking out 35 batters over 35 innings in 10 starts. Elite contact skills and solid tools across the board as a position player give him a more promising outlook as an outfielder, especially if he can find more leverage in his swing, but don't sleep on his pitching potential another year removed from surgery.

28. Houston Astros: SS/3B Kaelen Culpepper, Kansas State

Culpepper was the most productive hitter on the collegiate national team last summer, batting .471/.526/.853 after posting a .325/.423/.576 line with 10 home runs and 41 RBI in 40 games during his sophomore season at Kansas State. A Gold Glove-caliber third baseman defensively, he will now try his hand at shortstop in an effort to further elevate his profile. Finding a tick more power would solidify his status as a first-round prospect.

29. Arizona Diamondbacks: RHP Michael Massey, Wake Forest

Massey spent 2023 pitching out of the Wake Forest bullpen where he logged a 2.59 ERA and 0.94 WHIP with 76 strikeouts in 41.2 innings. The 6'5", 230-pound right-hander is now poised to join Josh Hartle and Chase Burns in college baseball's best starting rotation, and he could pitch his way into the first round with a strong spring. There is some effort in his short-arm delivery that gives him reliever risk, and he needs to prove he can carry his stuff deep into games, but he has the frame and repertoire to thrive in his new role.

30. Texas Rangers: RHP Ryan Sloan, York High School (IL)

With a 6'4", 220-pound frame, three present plus pitches and a good command, Sloan is poised to follow in the footsteps of Quinn Priester (No. 18 in 2019), Owen Murphy (No. 20 in 2022) and Noah Schultz (No. 26 in 2022) as Illinois prep pitchers to go in the first round in recent years. His 60-grade fastball is as good as any in this year's prep class, and all signs point to him being the first prep right-hander off the board.

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