Cleveland Sports Forum

5 more weeks till the start of the 6 month season.

There will be injuries....major, minor or manufactured.

Really doesn't matter who makes the opening day roster. As far as I know there are no bonuses for making the 26 selected to play the first game.

There will be many moves to the roster.

Only question will be can the "next man up" take advantage of the opportunity.

only significant for guys without remaining options, who could get picked up by another organization.
For that reasons Florial and de los santos need to be on the opening day roster. Not necessary for Manzardo, Rocchio, Brennan, Curry, I think Karinchak is not out of options, Gaddis, Herrin, C Smith, etc

Early SS prediction. Shane Bieber report. What about Deyvison De Los Santos? – Terry Pluto’s Guardians Scribbles

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Scribbles in my Guardians notebook:

1. Before spring training opened, I thought Gabriel Arias would receive the first chance to win the shortstop job. It’s obvious the front office likes his physical gifts – a strong arm, a good glove and some power at the plate. New Guardians manager Stephen Vogt has insisted the shortstop job is wide open. He’s talked about giving everyone “a fresh start.”

2. Arias can use a fresh start after hitting .210 (.628 OPS) with 10 HR and 345 plate appearances. Notice he had 345 at-bats. Cleveland did look at him. He went to the Puerto Rican Winter League where he batted only .214 (.543 OPS) with zero homers in 118 at-bats for Santurce. Yes, it’s winter ball and it’s hard to takes those numbers seriously. But .214 with zero homers in 118 at-bats? That’s not a good sign.

3. Which brings us to Brayan Rocchio, who also played in winter ball. That was in his native Venezuela, for his hometown of La Guaira. The shortstop batted .328 (.848 OPS) with a homer in 122 at-bats. Rocchio was the Class AAA Columbus Clippers Player of the Year, hitting .280 (.788 OPS) with seven HR and 65 RBI. He is rated Cleveland’s top prospect by The Athletic and No. 2 by Baseball America.

4. Vogt on Rocchio: “For Brayan to be able to play for his hometown team. He not only got that experience, but also won a championship … You hear me talk a lot about winning. That’s where development happens. When you get a taste of that champagne. A taste of that parade. Whatever it is, you want it every single year. It can really propel a player. Brayan has come in with a lot of confidence from that winter-ball experience.”

5. Arias and Rocchio are both 23. Both are young. But I wonder what happened to Arias as a hitter. In Puerto Rico, he struck out 26 times and walked three times. No power, either. In his big league career, he’s an .099 batter (13 for 131) vs. lefties, even though he’s a right-handed hitter. Is there something fundamentally wrong with him at the plate? I don’t have the answer, but that question should be asked.

6. Baseball America on Rocchio: “A switch-hitter, he has a smooth, consistent swing from both sides of the plate and excellent pitch recognition. He’s an aggressive hitter and consistently barrels the ball. Rocchio has grown into more power as he’s physically matured and worked more on strength training, and now has average power potential. It plays mostly as doubles-pop. Rocchio has long since answered any questions about his ability to stick at shortstop. He’s an above-average runner, and his hands and arm are good enough for the position.”

7. Both players have minor league options left. It’s hard to project both making the roster. Tyler Freeman is far better suited to be the utility infielder than Arias or Rocchio. Both need to play regularly – one in Cleveland, one in Class AAA.

8. In case you missed it, former Cleveland shortstop Amed Rosario signed with Tampa Bay for $1.5 million. He will be a super-utility man, playing second, short and even some outfield. Rosario made $7.8 million with Cleveland last year. He was traded at midseason to the Dodgers. He batted .256 (.709 OPS) in L.A. His defensive problems at short hurt his free agent market value.

9. Remember Yu Chang, who opened 2022 with Cleveland? He also is in Tampa Bay after signing a minor league contract. Chang hit .162 (.552 OPS) with Boston last year in 105 at-bats.

10. I talked to someone who has watched Shane Bieber throw in Goodyear. He raved about the right-hander, saying those reports of Bieber adding a few MPH to his fastball are true. You can see it in spring training.

11. The Guardians drills and practices were always crisp under former manager Terry Francona. They seem even quicker with Vogt, probably because the team is so young. The coaches are spending a lot of time teaching. There will be a lot of learning (and some painful lessons) at the big league level in 2024.

12. The Guardians are working with Steven Kwan, Tyler Freeman and some other hitters who make a lot of contact to be more aggressive, especially early in the count. Don’t be afraid to swing and miss. Freeman and Kwan worked with batting coach Chris Valaika about trying to make harder contact during the winter.

13. Three Naylor brothers spent most of the winter working out in Goodyear. Cleveland fans know Josh and Bo Naylor. The third is Myles Naylor, a first-round pick by Oakland last summer. The Naylors are the first trio to be picked in the first round directly out of high school.

14. If you look at the overall numbers for Deyvison De Los Santos, you’d wonder why the Guardians took him in the Rule 5 draft from Arizona. He batted .250 (.728 OPS) with 20 HR. Not bad numbers for a 20-year-old in Class AA. [I note: it is very unusual for a 20 year old to play in AA; he was placed at a level well ahead of his agemates] But that hardly makes him seem ready for the majors this season.

15. De Los Santos batted .207 (.576 OPS) in his first 63 games in the Texas League. He finished hitting .322 (.936 OPS) in the final 56 games after spending a few weeks working with coaches at the Arizona developmental site.

16. Baseball America on De Los Santos: “After back-to-back strong years in his first two seasons in the minors, he hit his first speed bump in 2023. His struggles at Class A Amarillo reached a point that the organization paused his season and brought him back to Arizona to clean up his swing. The difference upon his return was night and day. De Los Santos finished the year as perhaps the hottest hitter in the organization over the final two and a half months of the season.”
[Ther rate him as No. 8 1B prospect; Manzardo is No. 4]

17. Odds are the Guardians will keep him on the opening day roster. If not, they have to offer him back to the Diamondback, who certainly will take him. That’s also why it’s likely Kyle Manzardo will open at Class AAA Columbus.

18. The 23-year-old Manzardo has played only 203 minor league games – 94 in Class AAA. Don’t worry if some of your favorite prospects start in the minors. The Guardians are going to run through a lot of players this season with such a young roster.

Teaching. Can't do it now, but please, teach Kwan and
whomever else plays left and even center, how to play the wall at Progressive. Too many radio calls (rarely see TV), the ball hits med to high off the wall
and we are chasing the ball. Kind of like Boston's Green Monster.

Can Guardians’ new and improved Shane Bieber be the old Shane Bieber? CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 03: Pitcher Shane Bieber #57 of the Cleveland Guardians watches from the dugout prior to the game against the Atlanta Braves at Progressive Field on July 03, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
By Zack Meisel
7h ago


GOODYEAR, Ariz. — It’s easy to envision an optimal Shane Bieber. We’ve witnessed it from the Cleveland Guardians starter before.

In 2020, Bieber was the unanimous American League Cy Young Award winner, an ace at the peak of his powers, with a fastball he could plant in any quadrant of the zone and a curveball hitters couldn’t resist, even as it plunged into the dirt in front of home plate.

He mixed in an occasional cutter or slider or changeup simply to keep hitters uncomfortable. Everything worked in concert, every pitch seemed to evade the bat.

It’s not as easy to envision Bieber’s path back to that level of dominance. That was a 12-start sample in a pandemic-shortened, routine-ruined season. Shoulder and elbow injuries followed in 2021 and 2023, further clouding Bieber’s ceiling.

His career now sits at a crossroads. He feels “like a young 28,” he says, and this season figures to be pivotal in shaping his future.

There’s some mystery about what he is, what he could be, what the Guardians should expect from him, or what the Guardians should expect to acquire for him at the trade deadline if they fail to contend in the meager AL Central. It’s why the front office clutched onto him rather than sell low over the winter, despite their track record of dealing starting pitchers nearing free agency.

There’s some mystery for Bieber, too, which explains why he spent his winter at Driveline’s pitching lab in Scottsdale, Ariz. How he performs in 2024 will determine where he stands in a free-agent class that could include Max Scherzer, Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Zack Wheeler and Walker Buehler.

A critical season lies ahead, and one person is confident he knows how to help Bieber return to prominence. It’s the catcher Bieber trusts implicitly. To Austin Hedges, it all begins with a fastball at the knees.

“When he gets his fastball command, and he’s executing the bottom of the zone, and guys register that as a strike,” Hedges said, “now they swing at the curveball that bounces in front of home plate because that’s the same height.”

How Bieber performs in 2024 could determine where he stands in a star-studded free-agent class. (David Richard / USA Today)

That was the foundation for Bieber’s blossoming, but a lot has changed with his arsenal since his award-winning campaign. He has leaned on his cutter and slider more and his curveball less.

2020 curveball: 26.3% usage, 51.5% whiff rate
2021 curveball: 31.2% usage, 41.8% whiff rate
2022 curveball: 17.9% usage, 40.7% whiff rate
2023 curveball: 13.7% usage, 32.3% whiff rate

Bieber’s curveball started moving more horizontally last season, which didn’t pair as well with his fastball or differentiate enough from his slider. Through his work at Driveline, he altered his grip on the pitch.

“The spin rate declined,” said Guardians pitching coach Carl Willis, “so the power to the pitch backed off a little bit and in doing so, the angle of the pitch did change.”

Bieber allowed loads of hard contact last season. No pitcher with at least 100 innings surrendered a higher average exit velocity (91.6 mph). Only the Kansas City Royals’ Brady Singer served up a higher hard-hit rate (47.8 percent). Bieber’s strikeout rate, which topped out at 41.1 percent in 2020, dipped to 20.1 percent in 2023.

Since he missed significant chunks of two of the last three seasons, Willis said Cleveland’s coaches and analysts have found it challenging to attribute blame. Was he throwing his curveball with less conviction because his elbow was barking? Did his injuries cause bad habits with his delivery that fueled a decline in velocity?

Those questions prompted Bieber to visit Driveline. That, and the fact their facility sits 15 minutes from his house and 10 minutes from where he completes his offseason workouts. He wanted to use their motion capture data to identify if his mechanics were costing him horsepower. His average fastball sat at 94.1 mph in 2020 but plummeted to 91.3 mph in the last two years.

“I feel that there’s more in there,” he said.

Bieber said the feedback on his throwing motion was encouraging and that he didn’t need some overhaul. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt noted Bieber’s velocity has been better so far this spring. Willis said Bieber’s curveball resembles the one he tossed in 2020 and 2021, the one he could tunnel off his fastball and convince hitters to chase without hesitation.

“We need to see if the power to it is going to be there as well,” Willis said.

Bieber’s chase rate, by year:

2020: 94th percentile
2021: 83rd percentile
2022: 73rd percentile
2023: 50th percentile

“Everybody knew when the curveball was coming,” Willis said. “They couldn’t lay off it and they couldn’t hit it when they swung.”

Without as imposing of a fastball or as reliable of a curveball, though, Bieber has had to diversify his repertoire. His slider has remained an important piece of the puzzle, and he has turned to his cutter as a way to catch hitters in between the fastball and slider, with the intent of inducing a whiff or weak contact.

“I love the term ‘being unpredictable,’” Willis said.

In his next breath, Willis noted Bieber wasn’t unpredictable in 2020; his stuff was just so devastating, and his command was so unmatched that hitters stood no chance. That was with the fastball and curveball leading the way. Now, he needs those pitches to return to relevancy to make the cutter and slider more threatening.

“You can’t overdo the curveball,” Hedges said. “You have to get them off of it. No matter who’s pitching, if they have an outlier pitch, I know the hitter knows we have an outlier pitch. We can’t overdo it to make it not an outlier, so we have to throw everything we can in safe areas to either get them out quickly or make them get to a position where they’re going to have to chase because we’re not trying to throw it for a strike. To pitch well, you have to throw balls on purpose well, but to throw balls on purpose well, you have to execute the strikes.”

The path back to prominence begins Saturday. Bieber is expected to make his first Cactus League start, and the Guardians hope to see a new and improved Bieber that, in some ways, resembles the old Bieber. And it begins with getting his fastball and curveball back to form.

“When they’re perfect, the fastball has 20 inches of ride and the curveball has 20 inches of (drop) and no one in the world can see it because they look the exact same,” Hedges said. “That’s what we’re going to get back to.”

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Guardians can expect an extra roster battle in the bullpen.

On Wednesday, the club learned that Trevor Stephan will be down for three weeks without throwing due to a deep bone bruise in his right elbow. That means he'd ramp back up during the week of March 20. It's hard to imagine the Guardians would rush him to be ready by Opening Day the following week.

So now, the club has to be ready to make another tough decision. We can still assume Emmanuel Clase, Scott Barlow, Sam Hentges, Eli Morgan and Nick Sandlin will be back in the 'pen. Three spots are up for grabs if Cleveland carries eight relievers to start the year. Let's take a closer look at who could be selected.

Xzavion Curry

Curry did everything he could to prove his worth to the organization last year. He transitioned to the bullpen, ate up innings in a middle relief role, spot-started and even came in for one-frame appearances in high-leverage spots. He was arguably the club's unsung hero and could easily do the same thing again this year. But do the Guardians want him to be in the bullpen out of the gate? Their starting rotation is set, but their depth is thin. If there are any injuries, there aren't many guys who could permanently plug the hole until that starter returns. Curry may be the best of the options available to do just that, which could mean Cleveland wants him to get stretched out in Triple-A to start the year.

Carlos Carrasco

Carrasco is in a similar boat to Curry. They'd each be competing for that long-relief/spot starter spot. Carrasco brings experience to the table, which could be tremendously beneficial for this young staff. If he begins the year in the Majors and sits out in the 'pen, the other relievers could learn a lot by watching a game alongside a man who has played since most of them were in middle or high school. If the team finds value in that, he could be a heavy favorite to make the squad.


Tim Herrin

Herrin, too, has something unique to offer: he'd be the second lefty added to the relief corps (joining Hentges). It's too soon to read into Spring Training stats, but he's given up just one hit in his two Cactus League outings with one walk and one hit batter. He got 23 games of experience in the big leagues last year and could take a leap forward from the foundation he tried to establish. With an extra opening on the roster, Herrin's chances of making it jump exponentially.


Ben Lively

Lively may seem like another Carrasco/Curry type pitcher – a starter possibly filling a long-relief role – but maybe the Guardians could find value in his presence even with Carrasco or Curry on the roster. Given Stephen Vogt's quote about Lively the other day, his chances seem favorable to make the roster. I'll let the skipper speak for himself:


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"I mean, he gives us length, right?" Vogt said. "He can start, he can long relief and he can come in and throw one inning. So, that versatile role of a long man in the 'pen, slash spot starter, slash starter, kind of whatever we need, he's very valuable because, especially in today's game, you need length in the bullpen and multiple people with length in the bullpen and he provides that opportunity for us."

Hunter Gaddis

Add yet another name to the long relief list. Given how many people are already in this bucket, it'd probably make the most sense for the Guardians to have him stretch out in Triple-A so there's some depth in the Minors in case a big league starter gets hurt.


Cade Smith

Smith remains the dark horse candidate to make the roster. He's young without any Major League experience, but he was excellent for Double-A Akron last year, owning a 2.86 ERA in 17 appearances, but he ran into a little more trouble when he transitioned to Triple-A Columbus. The Guardians know those types of hiccups come with the territory and the 95 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings over the year keep the interest in his stuff high. If he has a strong showing this spring, he could find a way to steal one of the final three roster spots.

Aleman in the running? Probably not

Why Do the Twins and Guardians Approach Offense In Polar Opposite Ways?

By Cody Schoenmann - February 29, 2024

Last season, the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians were opposites offensively. The Twins front office constructed a lineup that prioritizes patience. They laid off pitches outside the zone and swung hard at pitches inside it. Minnesota’s approach led the league in strikeout percentage (26.6%) while manufacturing the most strikeouts by a team in MLB history with 1,654. Joey Gallo (42.8 percent strikeout rate), Michael A. Taylor (33.5 percent strikeout rate), and Matt Wallner (31.5 percent strikeout rate) were the primary contributors to the team’s record-setting strikeout rate.

The league average strikeout rate was 22.7 percent last season. Of the 17 Twins position players who had 150 or more plate appearances last season, all but three had a strikeout percentage higher than the league average. The only players who had a sub-22.7 percent strikeout rate were José Miranda (15.8 percent over 152 plate appearances), Donovan Solano (22.2 percent over 450 plate appearances), and Max Kepler (21.6 percent over 491 plate appearances).

In contrast, the Guardians ranked last in MLB in strikeout rate, punching out 18.7 percent of the time. Of Cleveland’s hitters who had 150 or more plate appearances last season, only four had a strikeout rate higher than the league average. Although the Guardians struck out less, that doesn’t mean they were a better team offensively.

Despite striking out 512 more times than Cleveland last season, the Twins generated a .312 on-base percentage (OBP), ranking 12th in MLB. On the other hand, the Guardians ranked 23rd in baseball despite putting more balls in play. The Twins also ranked seventh in MLB in Weighted On Base Average (wOBA), while the Guardians ranked 27th. Surprisingly, Minnesota generated more offense despite striking out at an alarmingly higher rate. Quality balls put in play were the driving force behind the team’s success.

Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP) is a statistic that measures how often non-home run batted balls fall for hits. Last season, the Twins ranked 10th in MLB with a .304 BABIP, while the contact-skilled Guardians manufactured a .292 BABIP, ranking them 21st. The Guardians could not manufacture hits on balls put in play because most were hits on the ground for easy outs.

Cleveland ranked sixth in MLB in Ground Ball Percentage (GB%), pounding 44 percent of balls hit into the dirt. In contrast, the Twins ranked 27th in MLB in GB%, hitting just 39.8 percent of balls on the ground. Unsurprisingly, the Twins ranked fifth in MLB with a 39.3 percent Fly Ball Percentage (FB%), and the Guardians ranked 28th, hitting just 34.7 percent of balls in the air. The Twins capitalized on putting balls in the air, securing a 15.4 percent home-run-to-fly-ball ratio (second in MLB), while the Guardians ranked last in MLB, hitting a home run on only 8.2 percent of fly balls.

The Twins rank fifth in Isolated Power (ISO), which measures a hitter’s extra bases per at-bat. Unsurprisingly, Cleveland ranked last in MLB, with a well below league average .131 ISO. Minnesota finished tenth as a team in Wins Above Replacement at FanGraphs (fWAR) with 24.8, and the Guardians finished 19th with 15.1, the result of the two teams existing on two immensely different ends of the offensive spectrum. The 2023 Twins reaped the benefits of their high-strikeout, high-power offensive approach, winning the AL Central by nine games over the second-place Detroit Tigers.

Given Cleveland’s lack of offensive results, will the two teams again operate on different ends of the offensive spectrum in 2024?

Although success from both approaches will fluctuate season-to-season, there is reason to suspect Cleveland will sacrifice contact for more power in 2024. During the 2023 trade deadline, the Guardians sent frontline starting pitcher Aaron Civale to the Tampa Bay Rays for left-handed, power-hitting first baseman Kyle Manzardo.

During his time in the Rays and Guardians minor league systems last season, Manzardo, 23, hit 17 home runs in 351 at-bats. Manzardo could begin the season at Triple-A Columbus. Still, FanGraphs’s STEAMER projection system predicts he will hit 14 home runs in 361 plate appearances next season. Though STEAMER projects him to hit less than 15 home runs next season, Manzardo could easily top 20 home runs with extended playing time.

The Guardians poached third base prospect Deyvison De Los Santos this offseason from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Rule 5 Draft. Despite not having the most potent contact tool, De Los Santos has a 70-out-of-80 grade raw power tool on FanGraphs. STEAMER predicts the 20-year-old will hit just seven home runs over 230 plate appearances, assuming he will hit poorly in MLB. Like with Manzardo, if De Los Santos can hit major league pitching, he could top 20 home runs next season.

Cleveland also acquired left-handed hitting outfielder Estevan Florial from the New York Yankees for pitcher Cody Morris. Despite not performing well in various stints with the Yankees from 2020 to 2023, the 26-year-old outfielder has a 60 out of 80 and is projected to hit nine home runs over 310 plate appearances.

Cleveland’s acquisitions of Manzardo, De Los Santos, and Florial indicate the Guardians are prioritizing implementing power into their lineup construction. Although Gallo and Taylor have departed the Twins, the organization will continue to value a high-strikeout, high-power approach at the plate next season. Production is unpredictable from season to season. Still, expect the Twins to stay toward the top of the league in strikeout and home run rate and the Guardians to regress toward the mean.

Cody Schoenmann covers the Twins for Zone Coverage and Twins Daily.

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Did Terry Francona take the fall for the Guardians’ front office? Hey, Hoynsie!

Updated: Mar. 02, 2024, 9:52 a.m.|Published: Mar. 02, 2024, 6:24 a.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Do you have a Guardians question that you’d like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? You can subscribe to Subtext here, text Hoynsie at 216-208-4346 for a two-week free trial or email him at phoynes@cleveland.com.

Hey, Hoynsie: Terry Francona seemed to favor veteran players. Do you think his retirement was in any way influenced by the missteps on Nolan Jones, Yainer Diaz, Junior Caminero and Myles Straw’s contract? Do you think he took the fall for the front office? -- Jim B., Independence.

Hey, Jim: No, I don’t.

Francona knew the Guardians were getting younger. How could he not? But with his strong relationship with executives Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff, I’m sure he was consulted on the trades you mentioned. And it was Francona who kept writing Straw’s name in the lineup.

I think Tito stepped down because he was worn out from the numerous surgeries he went through on an annual basis over the last few years. I also think he wanted to see how the other half lives.

That being said, I would not be surprised if Francona resurfaces as a manager in a couple of years after his body heals. If somebody hands him the keys to a team that is built to win with a fat payroll, it would be hard for him to resist.

Hey, Hoynsie: What do you think about the Guards doing the obvious by moving Steven Kwan to center field? If they make Myles Straw a fourth outfielder, they would still have several options to play left and right field -- Jeff Wells, Eastlake.

Hey, Jeff: Manager Stephen Vogt said recently that Kwan is the Guardians’ left fielder and he’s going to stay there. The front office feels it has enough options to incrementally improve the woeful production it received from center and right field last year.

Hey, Hoynsie: Does David Fry exclusively catching this spring make it more likely for him to start the year at Class AAA? Or will the Guards carry three catchers again? -- Nic, Euclid.

Hey, Nic: Unless there are health concerns, as there were last year when the Guardians opened the year with Mike Zunino, I think they’ll open with Bo Naylor and Austin Hedges behind the plate. Fry’s versatility gives him a chance to make the 26-man roster. But if they want him to be a full-time catcher, he would benefit from going to Columbus and catching every day.

Hey, Hoynsie: I haven’t seen any national baseball writers that give Cleveland any chance of winning the AL Central. Tell me they are the best team in the worst division at least. -- John Kyle, Westfield Center, Ohio.

Hey, John: I can’t do that because I don’t think they are.

Hey, Hoynsie: I read somewhere that Steven Kwan is trying to develop more power. Is that a good idea? He is so good at what he does, I would hate to see him alter his swing for a couple of homers. -- Bill, Tennessee.

Hey, Bill: The Guardians want hitters like Kwan, Will Brennan and Myles Straw to take a few more chances at the plate. They don’t want them to abandon their contact-first approach, but they want them to be more aggressive on certain pitches and counts.

Kwan does a great job leading off, but his batting average and OPS dropped last year. It’s tricky transition for a hitter. We’ll see if it works.

Hey, Hoynsie: Which of the Guardians’ relievers have minor league options and which do not? -- Tom, Columbus.

Hey, Tom: Emmanuel Clase, Tim Herrin, James Karinchak, Eli Morgan, Nick Sandlin, Trevor Stephan and Cade Smith have options. So do swing men Xzavion Curry and Hunter Gaddis. Anthony Gose, Carlos Carrasco, Ben Lively and Tyler Beede are among those who do not have options.

Hey, Hoynsie: Who are some prospects that are benefiting from a new set of eyes this spring? How many new players will be on opening day roster in your opinion. -- Patrick Grijak, Garfield Heights.

Hey, Patrick: I have no idea how many Guardians will make their big league debut on opening day. Some of the players getting fresh looks include Tyler Freeman, Jhonkensy Noel, Jonathan Rodriguez, Juan Brito, Jose Tena, Alexfri Planez and Angel Martinez.

Hey, Hoynsie: Did the Guardians ever consider bringing back Amed Rosario? Seems he could have been a utility guy. He would have been cheaper than Ramon Laureano. --Bob Maskulka, Mayfield Village.

Hey, Bob: No, they didn’t. The reason the Guardians traded Rosario to the Dodgers last year was to create playing time for Gabriel Arias and/or Brayan Rocchio at shortstop.

I like Rosario and he played well his first two years in Cleveland. But his defense fell off at shortstop last year. On this roster Laureano is a better fit because he’s a much better outfielder than Rosario.

Hey, Hoynsie: What’s your eye test so far on Estevan Florial and Deyvision De Los Santos? -- Bud, Arizona.

Hey, Bud: They haven’t done much with the bat in the first seven Cactus League games. In batting practice they’ve shown power. De Los Santos is bouncing between the outfield (a new position for him), first base and third base. Florial, who is out of options, has played center and left field.

De Los Santos, a Rule 5 pick, knows he has a great opportunity, but I’m not sure if Cleveland will carry him through the regular season.

Hey, Hoynsie: During your time in spring training did any one player impress you? Has anyone gotten off to a rough start? -- Jim Harris, Lancaster.

Hey, Jim: Kwan opened the Cactus League season with three straight hits. That’s not shocking, but it was impressive. So was prospect Chase DeLauter’s monster home run against the A’s. It’s too early to jump on anyone for a slow start. The most disappointing thing so far has been the injuries to outfielder George Valera and right-handers James Karinchak and Trevor Stephan. They’ll be playing catch up all year.

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The questions were stupid; it those are the only ones he got, he could have saved himself the trouble of writing it and us the trouble of reading it

I agree. The questions were terrible.

Eight simple rules for filling out Stephen Vogt’s lineup card Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt stands on the field before a spring training baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, in Peoria, Ariz. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
By Zack Meisel
Mar 4, 2024


GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The Cleveland Guardians’ new manager had filled out one lineup card in his life before spring training.

In eighth grade, for a team coached by his buddy’s mom, Stephen Vogt was handed the reins for an end-of-season tournament.

“I led off, obviously,” Vogt recalled.

Vogt is a mere 17 months removed from the end of his playing career. He spent last season as the Seattle Mariners’ bullpen coach. He’s not even the head coach of his daughter’s softball team. No, in Olympia, Wash., he serves as first-base coach and cheerleader, as he demonstrated with an inspired chant at the Guardians complex Saturday morning.

Mighty righty, she’s a mighty righty. Stop. Rewind. It’s hefty lefty time.

This is Vogt’s first job at the helm, his first time in charge of a lineup. Cleveland’s front office analysts have supplied him with statistically fueled tips, and he said cobbling together a daily Cactus League nine has been helpful practice.

We’re a few weeks from knowing the names on the card, but here are principles Vogt will consider as he assembles a starting lineup.
Rule No. 1: It’s all about the starter

Vogt has repeated this spring that his primary objective is to choose the nine hitters who match up best with the opposing starter. That seems rather elementary, but it helps to explain several other stances he holds, especially when it comes to a hitter’s handedness.

“Lineup construction is designed to beat the starter,” he said.
Rule No. 2: Steven Kwan, leadoff hitter

One way Vogt can draw from his experience as a teenage pseudo-manager: opting not to slot himself atop the lineup.

“I can’t hit leadoff, unfortunately,” he said, “but we have a better guy to do that.”

That guy is Kwan, Cleveland’s leadoff hitter since June 2022. He’s an ideal fit for that spot if his on-base percentage returns to the .373 mark he posted in his rookie campaign. Kwan walks as often as he strikes out, he steals bases, he flusters pitchers with his patience and swing decisions, and if he proves to be more of a threat to capitalize on mistakes, Vogt won’t have to think twice about his leadoff options.

“He’s a pain in the back,” Vogt said. “Anybody who can control the strike zone like that and has elite contact and bat-to-ball skills is tough to get out. … I’m really glad we’re on the same side now, because the way he sets the tone for the rest of the lineup is something pretty special.”
Rule No. 3: Don’t read into spring lineups … usually

Kwan’s hitting first every time he’s played this spring is intentional. But consider the players who hit second in the club’s first eight spring contests: Andrés Giménez, Tyler Freeman (three times), Myles Straw, Estevan Florial, Ramón Laureano, José Ramírez.

That doesn’t mean Freeman is the leading contender to bat between Kwan and Ramírez, nor does it mean there’s fierce competition for the No. 2 spot. It’s more a product of Vogt’s trying to get certain hitters more at-bats on a particular day.

“A lot of it is, let’s try to get somebody three at-bats when they’re only playing four innings,” Vogt said. “I wouldn’t read into batting order a whole lot with anybody. It’s more so, who needs to get the most at-bats, who do we want to get off their feet quicker than others, things of that nature.”

Freeman, Florial and Will Brennan have all hit near the top of the order, which is no surprise given the team’s evaluators are closely examining all three this spring. The more looks, the better.
Rule No. 4: José Ramírez has pull

The manager and the perennial All-Star discussed his lineup assignment early in camp. Vogt said he’ll either hit him second or third, and it might vary during the season. Terry Francona planted Ramírez in the No. 3 spot last year until mid-August when he bumped him up one spot. Ramírez said he has no preference.

Rule No. 5: The numbers matter

Vogt won’t be dismissing analytics, but everything’s situational. He noted how the vast majority of left-handed hitters fare better against right-handed pitchers. But he only needs to glance at his second baseman’s splits to find an exception to the rule.

So, within this rule there are several sub-rules.

1. “It’s just leveraging those situations. What do we need right now?”

2. “It’s playing the numbers game. This matchup gives us a better statistical advantage.”

3. “You have to keep in mind how each guy is feeling.”

4. “There’s nothing that’s absolute. There’s nothing infallible. It’s a guessing game. It’s playing the numbers. It’s case by case, person by person. … There’s a lot that gets cooked into those decisions.”

It was much simpler in eighth grade, when Vogt said the process was to “stack the best three or four hitters at the top and then go from there.” Granted, that might be the strategy now, too, if Kwan, Ramírez and Naylor hit at the top.
Rule No. 6: There’s nothing wrong with a platoon

The Guardians could employ a timeshare in right field with Laureano and Brennan. Gabriel Arias had jarring splits against lefties and righties last season. Josh Naylor finally conquered southpaws. These are storylines Vogt will monitor as the season unfolds and players either prove they can handle additional playing time or demonstrate they’re better suited for a part-time role.

“Left-on-left is tough,” Vogt said. “You just don’t see enough (lefties) over the course of time to get used to it. That’s not to say you can’t play your way back into being an everyday player. I do think we make those decisions very quickly sometimes.”

The question is, how can Vogt exploit those matchup advantages? Will it mean Laureano hits high in the order against lefties? If Arias makes the team, will Vogt ease him in against lefties? When Bo Naylor receives a day off, will it come against a lefty starter? Along those lines …
Rule No. 7: It’s OK to stack lefties

Any manager’s dream is a lineup of nine switch hitters. Any manager’s realistic hope is a lineup with balance. In Cleveland, though, a right-handed stick is as rare as a 70-degree day in early March (OK, we might need to workshop that analogy).

Kwan hits lefty. Brennan hits lefty. Giménez hits lefty. Florial hits lefty. Kyle Manzardo hits lefty. Both Naylors hit lefty. (The third Naylor brother does not, by the way.) Ramírez, a switch hitter, helps to break up the parade of lefties, and whoever emerges from the middle infield crowd — Arias (righty), Freeman (righty), Brayan Rocchio (switch), Juan Brito (switch), Angel Martínez (switch) — will do the same. Since Giménez isn’t a liability against lefties, he could slot in anywhere.

That said, splitting up the lefties won’t always be a priority. Giménez, Brennan and the Naylor brothers could all hit in succession in the middle of the lineup against a righty starter.

“There could be nights where we have four or five lefties in a row,” Vogt said. “There could be nights where it’s broken up. We just don’t know. It depends on who we’re facing, how everybody’s feeling, how things have been going.”
Rule No. 8: Consistency is ideal, but not practical

The Guardians used 124 batting orders in 2023, none more than six times. They used 139 in 2022 and 141 in 2021.

“I’d love to have the same nine every single night in the same spots,” Vogt said.

That’s not viable in a world in which managers employ platoons, cycle players through the designated hitter spot and deal with a constant juggling act based on promotions, demotions and injuries.

“You’re using 50 to 60 players a year,” Vogt said, “so it’s constantly changing. You want to take into account all of that information as you’re building your lineup, while also talking to the players about where they feel comfortable.”

So, putting together a lineup is mostly a guessing game. Guess right and you're a genius. Guess wrong and it's the player's fault.

Guess it gives him something to do.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Angel Martínez made one small adjustment this offseason that is making a big difference in his pursuit of the Majors.

After a brief stop in the Dominican Republic to play winter ball with Estrellas Orientales, Martínez, the Guardians' No. 10 prospect per MLB Pipeline, returned to Goodyear to reinvent himself with the coaching staff. They decided to adjust his batting stance by opening it up and elevating his arms higher. The 22-year-old said the new approach allows him to recognize pitches quicker and maximize his power. So far, the change is paying off.

Martínez, the son of former Major League catcher and current Royals Minor League coach Sandy Martínez, is 8-for-14 with two doubles, two homers, and five RBIs in seven Cactus League games. In Sunday’s 5-3 split-squad loss to the Cubs in Mesa, he crushed a double to left-center field that was inches away from being a home run, raising his batting average to .571 and OPS to 1.706.

His play this spring has caught the attention of Guardians manager Stephen Vogt. “Angel is having a good camp,” Vogt said. “His at-bats have been really good. He is playing some good defense and is running the bases well. I've been really impressed with Angel so far. It's been a lot of fun to watch him.”

Martínez needs as many of those performances as possible heading into Opening Day. Gabriel Arias and Bryan Rocchio, a Top 100 prospect per MLB Pipeline, are the frontrunners to fill the shortstop void left after Amed Rosario was traded to the Dodgers at the Trade Deadline last season.

In 2023, the switch-hitting infielder led the Guardians' system with 90 singles and batted .251 with 42 extra-base hits and 79 RBIs in 136 games for Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. He also hit 14 home runs, being named a Guardians 2023 Organization All-Star at third base.

Martínez isn’t the only youngster trying to get on the Major League radar.

Juan Brito, Cleveland’s No. 6 prospect who was acquired for Nolan Jones, had a .811 OPS across three levels in 2023. José Tena, Cleveland's No. 15 prospect, made his debut in '23 after posting a .777 OPS with eight homers and 16 steals across two levels.

Martínez hasn’t received his call to the Majors yet, but he isn’t letting that affect his performance. “I compete for myself,” Martínez said in Spanish. “When I come out to the field, I want to be the best version of myself. Our staff manages the roster decisions, but I control what I can. I’m focusing on getting better so when the team needs me, I’ll be ready.”

Martínez, who signed with the Guardians in 2018, is familiar with what’s expected to play in Cleveland. He’s seen different international prospects graduate from the Guardians' farm system and contribute to the team. Martínez looks up to José Ramírez’s journey as a source of motivation.

“I’m always paying attention to what he is doing,” Martínez said. “To me, he is the best third baseman in the MLB. I love the way he plays baseball. He is never afraid to fail. Sometimes younger players like myself are afraid of failure, but the way he plays is amazing. It’s always great studying him and him being so receptive to giving us advice.” The competition to reach the Majors is fierce, even among those who Martínez considers close friends. Still, he makes sure to remember the big picture.

“We always find a way to have fun,” Martínez said. “If we aren’t having fun, we can’t win a game. We’re doing that here in Spring Training. We have a tremendous group of players here and plenty of leaders to help us. We’re a really good team and we’re going to shock a lot of people this year, especially with Vogt as our manager.

“He’s like one of us,” Martínez continued. “He gives us the confidence that we need as players. We can walk into his office, talk to him, and feel good knowing that Vogt has our back. He played this sport for long and has such a high baseball IQ. I’m glad he is here. In the little time I’ve been around, he has helped me improve.”