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Top prospects on 40-man rosters could lose significant development time if MLB lockout drags on

PEORIA, AZ - MARCH 7: Nick Pratto #88 of the Kansas City Royals bats during the game against the San Diego Padres at Peoria Stadium on March 7, 2021 in Peoria, Arizona. The Royals defeated the Padres 4-3. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
By Maria Torres and Kaitlyn McGrath Feb 18, 2022 14
You’ve heard this already: Major League Baseball is in an owner-imposed lockout. The chances of it ending any time soon are slim to none.

This is the time of year we’re accustomed to seeing images of pitchers and catchers reporting to major-league camps and reading barbs traded between division rivals or thinly veiled references to the time the commissioner called the World Series trophy a hunk of metal. We all miss the drama.

Baseball will be played at Cactus and Grapefruit League facilities this month. Early spring training activity has already begun for many organizations. Other teams kick off minor-league camps next week. By the first full week of March, complexes in Arizona and Florida will be functioning in high gear (though maybe not to their full potential).

Those practices and games just won’t feature many of the players most fans have come to know. And that could pose a problem.

The missing? Players on every organization’s 40-man roster, including rostered top prospects who have little-to-no major-league service time and have a close-to-zero chance of breaking spring training with their major-league teams. Players who achieved a major career milestone at the 40-man roster deadline in November but were also unwittingly embroiled in an inevitable labor dispute two weeks later.

Whether or not those players, many of whom missed an entire season because of the COVID-19 pandemic almost two years ago, are adversely affected by yet another disruption in their development remains to be seen. But we know they’re in an awkward situation either way. All of them have spent their offseasons trying to improve their craft without guidance from the coaches and front-office personnel they need to impress. Most of them are seeing fellow minor leaguers report to camp and get to work. Some might be worrying they will lose out on a chance for a promotion or see their MLB debuts delayed.

The lockout’s lasting impact on the operation of the minor leagues as a whole may be minimal. But we can’t discount the effect it will have on an important group of players.

How has the lockout affected prospects on 40-man rosters so far?
Prospects on the 40-man roster, even ones who haven’t spent a day in the majors, are counting down to the end of the lockout. They don’t know when they can report to team facilities. They don’t know when their spring training will begin. They don’t even know if they will start their minor-league seasons on time.

In the meantime, they’re dealing with the same limitations major leaguers have faced this offseason. They aren’t allowed to step foot on the premises of club facilities or communicate with coaches, training staff members or front-office personnel. They also aren’t allowed to attend any club-organized mini-camps, clinics or training sessions hosted by their teams.

They can train at private facilities and manage their offseason routines on their own — something they might be familiar with because of the canceled 2020 season. Still, the situation is not ideal. And it can be particularly challenging for young players who might rely on feedback or instruction from club staff as they climb up the minor-league ladder.

How will the delay of major-league spring training impact them?
Spring training is typically a time when top prospects make impressions on their organization’s big-league coaching staff. Maybe even raise enough eyebrows to sneak onto the 26-man roster. With no spring training in sight yet — and most likely a condensed version of it when it does get going — those prospects who were hoping to make a mark might have a harder time doing so. If major-league camp is shortened, there might be fewer opportunities to earn playing time in big-league spring games, especially if the priority is giving established major-league players enough reps before the season begins.

Players ticketed for the minor leagues anyway will face the additional challenge of potentially falling weeks behind their non-40-man counterparts who were able to report to minor-league camp on time this month.

Can these players attend minor-league spring training instead?
That would be nice, but unfortunately they can’t. Even 40-man roster players who might be slated to spend their entire 2022 season playing in the minor leagues can’t attend minor-league camp until the lockout is over.

What happens if the lockout is not over when the Triple-A season begins in early April?
Like all protected players, prospects on the 40-man roster will have to stay away from team facilities until the lockout is lifted. So they will likely continue their own programs. Maybe players will set up sandlot games like they did in the early months of the pandemic; that would be a creative way to get higher-stakes reps in.

There will probably be little they can do on their own to catch up to their peers playing in minor-league games, though. Say the lockout ends and major-league spring training is scheduled to begin at the beginning of April with teams given four weeks to prepare for a delayed season opener. Affected prospects probably would spend that month training and ramping up to a full-game workload before reporting to their assigned affiliate. It might be easier for position players who may have managed to face strong pitching in their own live batting practice sessions. But pitchers who couldn’t play in simulated games while shut out might have a harder time making up for the lost month.

Extended spring training will be running in April, so 40-man roster players who are cut from major-league camps could continue their season prep in that setting. Eventually, they would be shipped out to their assignments. Time will tell what happens after that.

What if the lockout ends sometime in March?
Prospects on a 40-man roster may not find themselves too far behind their minor-league peers in that case. The sooner the lockout ends, the fewer regular-season games they’ll have to miss. But they still would need some weeks to catch up. Remember back in 2020, when summer camps lasted roughly three weeks? A rash of injuries affected major-league clubs. Teams will want to avoid putting prospects in harm’s way.

How will minor-league rosters be filled?
An MLB source believes organizations should be well-equipped to fill minor-league rosters with eligible players when seasons begin in April, even without players on the 40-man roster. After all, a relatively small number of players will be affected by the delay.

For example, teams can fill Triple-A spots that might have gone to MLB teams’ non-roster invitees with minor-league free agents who weren’t extended invitations to major-league camp. There is a strong possibility some lower-level prospects will be promoted to a higher level to fill those spots, even if they’re not fully ready. For teams, their goal is to have enough volume to field a full lineup and have decent backups.

If the lockout ends and 40-man prospects return to the fray, expect movement. Some prospects who were prematurely promoted could move back down. Others could have performed well enough to merit keeping their roster spots. Maybe a few wind up where they didn’t expect.

Who are some players impacted by this?
Players across the league are sharing this predicament, though there are unique circumstances that make it especially challenging for some.

Gabriel Moreno is the Blue Jays’ top-ranked prospect and spent last year lighting up Double A, but he missed more than two months of the season after he fractured his thumb. The 22-year-old catcher was expected to start this season in Triple A, where he can get some additional upper-level experience before a possible mid-season MLB debut. But missing the start of the season, paired with the development lost to injury last year, could push that hopeful debut back some.

The Royals’ Nick Pratto and MJ Melendez, both top-100 prospects, had strong 2021 campaigns between Double-A and Triple-A stints. They both have a chance to open some eyes in spring training and perhaps crack the major-league roster. Can they still do so in a condensed spring training format?

Meanwhile, the development of Braves No. 7 prospect Drew Waters was hurt by the canceled minor-league season in 2020. He then struggled last year in his first taste of Triple A. The 23-year-old outfielder could use all the Triple-A reps he can get, but he might be on the outside looking in when the Triple-A season begins April 5.

Yasel Antuna, a top Nationals prospect, is in the midst of changing positions. The former shortstop is being turned into a corner outfielder and is trying to carry some offensive momentum into 2022 after struggling at the plate during the first half of 2021. He was added to the Nationals’ 40-man roster in November 2020, so he still has two minor-league options and the luxury of time others on this list might not. But a likely reason for why he struggled at the start of 2021 was the fact he missed a lot of time between Tommy John surgery in 2018, a leg injury in 2019 and his breakout at the alternate site in 2020. His development likely could benefit from a steady rhythm, something the 22-year-old might not get now for a fifth season in a row.

Then there are players like A’s right-hander Jorge Juan, a hard thrower who made important strides last season before finishing the season on the injured list with a flexor tendon strain. He received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his elbow before the lockout with the hopes that he won’t need Tommy John surgery. Juan, whose fastball ranged from 94-99 mph and curveball sat in the mid-80s, is an unexpected gem who signed for $10,000 almost five years ago. The A’s haven’t been able to monitor his rehab since Dec. 2.

JUPITER, Fla. -- The two sides arrive daily at Roger Dean Stadium and break into camps -- the players huddle in the parking lot for a few minutes, some fielding requests for autographs from fans nearby, as the league sets up inside.

After more than two months of looking past each other, offering proposals and counterproposals that have gone nowhere, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have taken their negotiations to Florida -- where there are signs that talks have started to move in the right direction.

New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and Chicago Cubs center fielder Ian Happ have been among the players in attendance over the first two days, joining Rockies owner Dick Monfort and Padres owner Ron Fowler on the league's side.

But before anyone gets too confident that the MLB season will absolutely start on time -- Opening Day is currently scheduled for March 31 -- the reality is that the sides are still far apart on key core economic issues, and the clock is ticking on the deadline to reach a deal without losing regular-season games for the first time since the 1994-95 player strike. Over the past week, we asked agents and executives not involved in the day-to-day talks what they believe would be a realistic compromise on each of the biggest issues. Here's what they told us.

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Arbitration and pre-arbitration pool

The issue: The union wants to get young players paid more. It has proposed two ways to do so: First, by getting them to arbitration more quickly. Currently, only 22% of players are arbitration-eligible after two years of service time. The union's last proposal was for 75%, and it also included over $100 million in a bonus pool that would award the top players who aren't yet eligible for arbitration. The two sides are far apart here: The league is steadfast on keeping Super 2s at 22% and has agreed to the new pool, but offered just $20 million.

What insiders say: For decades, most players have needed three years to reach arbitration -- it's highly unlikely the owners are going to cave on that issue, one agent opined. But the bonus pool would allow the league to recognize that the best first- or second-year players deserve much more than a "renewal" of their contract with a slight raise. Enacting the bonus pool and raising the amount of funds is a commonsense solution: The money will go to the best players, not just all those who have reached two years of service time. Both owners and players should get behind that, one official said.

In fact, one suggestion was to include the amount of money in the pool within negotiations -- whether it's $30 million, $50 million or $100 million in the first year -- and let the union decide how to split it up. Among the top 30? Top 150? That's up to them. Either way, it's new money into the system: a clear win for the players.
Minimum salaries

The issue: Baseball lags well behind the other sports in minimum salaries. In 2021, it was $570,000. NHL rookies make $750,000 with similar-sized rosters. With the career span of a player less than five years, it's incumbent on the league to raise the minimums, and it's a key priority for the players.

What insiders say: Agents are biased, but they prefer a $1 million minimum. At the very least, the league needs to raise this figure to keep up with the inflow of cash that owners are getting from other CBA additions this year, like expanded playoffs and patches on uniforms. Players entering the league for the first time will be wearing those patches and perhaps participating in the postseason. Their careers might last 10 years or two. Starting them with a number that will raise the average salary of the entire union membership is simply fair -- several executives even acknowledged as much. It shouldn't be a cent below $700,000 -- and perhaps plenty more.
Service-time manipulation and tanking

The issues: According to the players, the cycle of rebuilding teams has gotten out of hand. It takes up to half the league out of the bidding for players every offseason, crushing the demand while the free-agent supply is plentiful.

Teams that clearly aren't going to win in a given season also have no incentive to bring up top prospects and give them a year of service time. Even the contenders tend to hold players down for a few weeks in order to keep them from getting to free agency for an extra season, but the issue is much more prevalent for teams entering a season with no chance of competing.

To help combat tanking, a draft lottery that would keep the worst team in baseball from automatically getting the No. 1 overall pick has been discussed in proposals and seems likely to appear in the new CBA. As part of Tuesday's negotiations, MLB added a fourth team -- up from three in previous discussions.

What insiders say: These issues are where many believe that the players won't make as much progress as they'd like. They've asked for flexibility on how service time is calculated, particularly for players who get accolades or awards. But that'll be hard to get through the owners -- some executives believe the union should accept the league's proposal, which gives out extra draft-pick incentives for keeping top prospects on the big league clubs.

With everything else on the line, there's simply not enough energy to fix the tanking issue in one negotiation -- though a payroll-floor CBT-style tax wouldn't be a bad idea (so far, the league has offered only one along with a significantly-lower CBT ceiling). Small-market teams would never vote for it, though.

The draft lottery is an attempt to disincentivize tanking, but a four-team system isn't enough according to sources on the players' side. The union would like to see an eight-team lottery to prevent a race to the bottom of the standings each season.

There isn't a great, doable avenue to completely avert the tanking cycles without payroll floors and caps. It's why many believe the players need built-in ways to make money, like the pre-arb pool.

Revenue sharing/CBT

The issue: In 2021, the first threshold of competitive balance tax sat at $210 million. The owners' latest proposal offered a slight raise throughout the life of the next agreement, beginning with $214 million and ending at $222 million. The league also wants to increase the financial penalties for teams for going over the tax. The union believes harsher penalties will further de-incentivize teams from spending -- and that the threshold is too low, anyway. It has asked for it to go as high as $245 million in 2022.

The union also wants to see less revenue sharing with the smaller markets -- it sees it as a way for the bigger teams to keep more of their money and spend up to (and beyond) the CBT.

What insiders say: This issue is one of the biggest sticking points in negotiations. It affects big- and small-market teams, along with star players who want to keep as many bidders in the process as they can. The most suggested compromise: The union should drop its request to change the revenue-sharing system, and the league should raise the competitive balance tax in a significant way.
2022 MLB top prospect rankings

Some midmarket teams, like the St. Louis Cardinals, wouldn't be thrilled with a big raise in the CBT -- it'd be harder for them to compete with the richer teams -- but at least their revenue-sharing take would be intact. This move would preserve that cash flow to smaller markets but also enable teams that want to spend on a player -- not a tax -- to do so.

A good starting point for the first threshold in 2022 would be the ending figure from the league's last offer -- $222 million. The league could still offer stiffer penalties than those in the last CBA, but perhaps not as harsh as their current proposals -- and those penalties should come only on the higher thresholds, not the first one.

Revenues are up in baseball, so payrolls should be too. Why tax a team that wants to spend? The league believes competitive balance is at stake -- but no one is telling the small-market teams to have tiny payrolls.

4 Cleveland Guardians prospects make 2022 FanGraphs top 100 list

by Steve DiMatteo2 hours ago

The Cleveland Guardians find themselves with four prospects in FanGraphs’ top 100 list for 2022.

FanGraphs recently unveiled its 2022 list of the top 100 prospects in baseball, and the Cleveland Guardians are well-represented – with a few surprises thrown in as well.

This particular list is compiled based on one’s Future Value, which is the way FanGraphs attempts to distill all of the available scouting information on a particular player using the typical 20-80 rating scale.

Cleveland Guardians Prospects in the FanGraphs Top 100

The Guardians find themselves with four players in the top 100, all with Future Value scores of 50: infielder Brayan Rocchio (ranked #43), pitcher Daniel Espino (#54), outfielder Steven Kwan (#57), and infielder Gabriel Arias (#92).

For reference’s sake, the Guardians had two players in the top 100 in 2019, three in 2020, and six in 2021.

This list is surprising for a couple reasons. For one thing, this only continues to solidify Steven Kwan’s ascent up the ladder in terms of how people view him as a prospect. It’s becoming clear that people around baseball are beginning to see Kwan as a someone who should be able to contribute at the major-league level, potentially as early as 2022.

This list is also surprising in that some notable names were left out of the top 100, including former top prospect Nolan Jones (#101), outfielder George Valera (#103), and second baseman Tyler Freeman (#109). Plenty of people on social media were baffled particularly by the exclusion of Valera on the list, though it should be noted that all three of these players do still carry Future Value grades of 50.

Valera spent his 2021 season between High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron, hitting a combined .260/.405/.505 with 19 home runs, 65 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases. Even at just 21 years old, Valera maintained a 104 wRC+ in Akron and will no doubt start the 2022 season there. Expectations are especially high for Valera among Guardians fans, especially as he occasionally draws comparisons to names like Manny Ramirez.

Even if the highest-ranked player is Rocchio at #43, the Guardians continue to build up a minor-league system full of solid hitters, if not budding superstars – though, of course, no one ever truly knows how that will play out. Cleveland has made it a point to draft and develop hitters who project to hit for a higher average at the major-league level, potentially at the expense of gaudy power numbers.

The system isn’t loaded with high-profile, superstar prospects, but the Guardians will certainly take a crop of guys who can fill out a lineup and make a difference in the majors for years to come.

Cleveland Guardians: Giving up the Seiya Suzuki dream

by Steve DiMatteo1 week ago

There are plenty of teams in the running for outfielder Seiya Suzuki’s services, but it just doesn’t seem like the Guardians are one of them (we realize this may not come as a shock to some of you).

This was always a pretty far-fetched dream, but outfielder Seiya Suzuki really would have been a perfect fit for the Cleveland Guardians.

Alas, it might be time to finally give up the idea that the Guardians will end up signing an outfielder who hit .319/.436/.640 with 38 home runs, 26, doubles, 88 RBIs and a 211 wRC+ this past season, and has maintained a wRC+ over 160 in every season since 2016 to boot.

It’s not that the Guardians couldn’t sign Suzuki, but right now, it looks as though a few other teams have started to emerge as the frontrunners. That includes the Giants and Mariners, along with the Padres, Cubs, and possibly even Marlins.

All that being said, Suzuki hasn’t even been able to come to the United States to meet with teams in person yet due to the lockout; he and his agent have conducted virtual interviews with at least eight organizations, however. So when the lockout ends and Suzuki has 21 days left in his 30-day posting window, he won’t be starting totally from scratch – though the race will certainly be on to sign the slugging Japanese superstar.

There hasn’t been any indication that the Guardians have been one of those teams talking to Suzuki, though anything is possible. And Cleveland really should be one of the teams trying to talk to Suzuki, considering the Guardians could be signing an impact bat for somewhere around $55-$65 million over five years.

Either way, it’s just not likely to happen, which means it’s time to turn our attention back to the outfield trade market, which includes the likes of Bryan Reynolds, Jesse Winker, Cedric Mullins, Austin Meadows, and more.

Tomlin is the only pitcher in major-league history to give up more homers than walks

Did you know that Josh Tomlin is the only pitcher in major-league history to give up more homers than walks. Tomlin has given up a career total of 197 home runs and just 153 walks over the course of twelve seasons (minimum 200 innings pitched)???

Tomlin was still pitching in 2021 with the Atlanta Braves.

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AL CENTRAL

Fix Your Broken Team in One Offseason:

By Daniel R. Epstein OTB

Posted on November 22, 2021

Your favorite baseball team is broken. There is lots of work to do this winter, whether they need a shortstop, more starting pitching, or a front office facelift. If they took the field today, they would be a total disaster. Hell, they probably don’t even have enough players! Don’t despair— here are three reasons why everything will work out just fine (probably).

Your 29 rivals are also broken. They all exist on the spectrum between “moderately flawed” and “Colorado Rockies.”
It’s only November. There’s a cold, dark, expansive offseason ahead of us to suck the joy out of life— possibly including a work stoppage— in which your team’s front office can maneuver, supplement, and revise the roster.
(Most important) Off the Bench knows how to fix everything! With our years of part-time blogging experience, we have the panacea for each of the 30 MLB clubs.
In an act of pure largesse, we have decided to tell each franchise how to fix itself. You’re welcome, MLB.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX

93 wins was the most for the White Sox since the 2005 team that won the World Series. It turns out winning the AL Central is easy when everyone else sucks. Winning playoff games is harder. Those teams usually don’t suck.

What went right:

Carlos Rodón was re-signed as a minor-league free agent following a disastrous 2020, then posted a 2.37 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 12.6 K/9. Luis Robert might be one of the top five players in the sport (health permitting). Yasmani Grandal‘s .240/.420/.520 slash line is just silly. They have three infielders who rake. And the pitching staff is loaded, especially in the bullpen.

What went wrong:

The young core of Eloy Jiménez and Robert combined to play only 123 games. Trading away Nick Madrigal for Craig Kimbrel was a panic move that didn’t pay off. Manager Tony La Russa remains a distraction and a poor fit for a modern dugout. The team succeeded in spite of him due to their deep well of talent.

How to fix them:

This roster playing in the weakest division in baseball should’ve won more games. It’s never too late to fire the manager. Rodón is a free agent and probably won’t sign a non-guaranteed contract again after a fifth-place Cy Young finish. They will need to pony up the cash to retain him. Andrew Vaughn flopped from power-hitting first base prospect to “What if we stuck Eric Hosmer in the outfield?” They need to plug holes at right field and second base.

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS

Even after jettisoning Francisco Lindor and some talented pitchers, Cleveland won 80 games anyway. If the front office had actually tried to compete, they might’ve contended for the playoffs. That would’ve been expensive though. Think of the shareholders!

What went right:

The old name was racist, plain and simple. It doesn’t matter that it’s been in use since 1915 or that most people didn’t realize it was wrong 30 or 50 years ago. Inertia is not a sufficient reason to neglect righting a wrong. Becoming the Guardians was the correct move. Plus the new hat is fire.

What went wrong:

José Ramírez and Franmil Reyes alone do not comprise a lineup. The pitching staff still has a few very good arms, but the team is going downhill faster than James Karinchak’s strikeout rate after the goop crackdown.

How to fix them:

This whole teardown remains unnecessary and irresponsible. As noted in the NL East version of this article, the Nationals just ran out of time with most of their core players. That’s NOT true for Cleveland, as evidenced by the fact that they were still nearly a .500 team in spite of the selloff. Few organizations in baseball develop pitchers better than they do. Sign some position players, extend Ramírez, and make a go of it for at least a few more years. Pulling up requires a new owner though. Fortunately, one could be on the way.

DETROIT TIGERS

There are signs of life in Detroit! 77 wins is a pulse. Let’s charge up the defibrulator panels.

What went right:

While there were no current or future superstars on the 2021 roster, the Tigers have a few building blocks in place. Casey Mize is at least a mid-rotation starter. Akil Baddoo was one of the best Rule V picks in recent memory. He’s their starting center fielder of the future. Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene— the fourth and seventh-best overall propsects according to MLB Pipeline— are on the near horizon.

What went wrong:

Aside from Mize, most of the other pitchers the franchise built around suffered collapses. Tarik Skubal surrendered 35 home runs in 149.1 innings. Matt Manning was extremely hittable and couldn’t strike anyone out. Matthew Boyd and Spencer Turnbull both underwent elbow surgery.

How to fix them:

The Tigers have already started to throw cash around, inking Eduardo Rodriguez to a five-year deal. They’ve indicated they will be very active this offseason, participating in the sweepstakes for one of the superstar free agent shortstops. In other words, they’re on the right track. If they make good on their promises to load up the roster, they should be the clear second-place team in the AL Central with an eye on October, especially if MLB and the MLBPA expand the playoff field in the next collective bargaining agreement.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

The 74-win Royals certainly weren’t good, but they were at least a fun shade of bad.

What went right:

Salvador Perez will not make the Hall of Fame, but he will absolutely be the last Kansas City player to wear #13. 48 home runs and 161 games played by (mostly) a catcher is not something anyone can (or should) repeat. Defensive metrics such as Baseball Prospectus’ CDA hated his glovework, but who cares? We’re having fun! The yin to his yang was shortstop Nicky Lopez, who led the team with a .300 BA and .365 OBP despite just two home runs. His 25 Outs Above Average easily led MLB.

What went wrong:

A lot of players under team control for multiple years simply didn’t hit enough, including Whit Merrifield, Hunter Dozier, Adalberto Mondesi, and Andrew Benintendi. There’s not much room for optimism in the starting rotation either.

How to fix them:

While the front office gets a modicum of credit for paying actual big leaguers to avoid a 100-loss disaster in this brutal AL Central, there doesn’t appear to be much of a five-year plan in place. The impending arrival of Bobby Witt, Jr. will be the main event in 2022. Beyond him, there isn’t enough brewing to propel the club forward anytime soon. They should see what prospects they can get for dominant relievers Scott Barlow and Josh Staumont.

MINNESOTA TWINS

If you’re old enough to remember when the Twins won the AL Central, you’re at least one year old. Finishing in last place behind Kansas City and Detroit was inexplicable.

What went right:



What went wrong:

Two-step instructions for how to be an MLB pitcher: 1) Watch the Twins. 2) Do the opposite. The staff surrendered 239 home runs last season. Byron Buxton, as brilliant as he is, has averaged only 54 games per year over the past four seasons. Former top prospect Alex Kiriloff didn’t hit like he was expected.

How to fix them:

This roster is still salvageable. Jorge Polanco was terrific. So were Josh Donaldson and Mitch Garver (when healthy). Max Kepler and Miguel Sanó are at least serviceable. They have a deep farm system and most of their best prospects should be ready within a year or so. However, as of right now, Roster Resource lists someone named Bailey Ober as their number one starter. They should sign a few legitimate pitchers, then use their prospect pool to trade for a few more.

Agree with the article on the G's except i would add:


Did everyone forget the massive injuries to the starting pitching? Bieber? Come on! Civale too out forever! Plesac out a month.

As a result we had to trot out a bunch of "starters" who were in no way ready. FINALLY at least Quantrill benefited from the experience. But that was in the 2nd half.

Come on, when your ace and 2 other starting pitchers go down for that amount of time it's a disaster ...period.

Don't agree, Joe.

Pitching injuries to starters gave some other guys some valuable experience.

Pitching ain't the problem. Bats are the problem.

Cleveland has an excess of pitching they could package for some bats.

Problem is, I'm not sure they can identify good bats. They sure can't draft any.

No doubt about it guys. Pitching is the name of the game.

But, Cleveland's inability or unwillingness to compete for free agents who can make a difference in the won-loss column has hampered the organization's ability to challenge teams in the American League. Teams in our own division are catching up to us or passing us by as in Chicago's case. We have to do a better job of signing international free agents.

I just read that Edwin Encarnacion was the last free agent we signed and that was back in 2017

I hated to see the White Sox taking advantage of our situation and passing us by.

Giving up on Seiya Suzuki was disappointing to here. In my opinion, he would have been just what the doctor ordered. The pockets just aren't deep enough I guess. But, what's new. This has been a problem here for years. We need a little money ball in Cleveland or......

David Blitzer is rumored to be the favorite choice of Paul Dolan as a minority investor for the Guardians. Hopefully, Dolan can make it happen. Maybe we can make a big splash in the International free agent market, in particularly, Cuba and Japan.

does anyone really care?

UPITER, Fla. -- Talks broke down between MLB and the MLBPA on Tuesday afternoon leading the league to declare it'll make a final offer for a new collective bargaining agreement before a 5 p.m. EST deadline.

"We thought there was a path to a deal last night and that both sides were closing in on the major issues," a league spokesperson said Tuesday afternoon. "They couldn't make us a CBT proposal last night so we agreed to extend the deadline to exhaust every option.

"The MLBPA had a decidedly different tone today and made proposals inconsistent with the prior discussions. We will be making our best offer before the 5 p.m. deadline for the MLBPA that's a fair deal for players and clubs."

A union source disagreed with the optimism expressed by the league after a marathon 16.5-hour bargaining session on Monday. At that time both sides made concessions on several issues but major obstacles to a deal remained.

So, they extended the deadline for canceling regular season games to today at 5 PM EST????

Now theyve started canceling.

Just in case they have spring training some time this spring, or summer. :

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- File this under “if come.” That’s if as in if/when the lockout ends, Terry Francona and the Guardians big league coaching staff will get a look at 13 non-roster invitees including:

Pitchers: RHP Robert Broom, RHP Enyel De Los Santos, RHP Justin Garza, LHP Kirk McCarty, RHP Nick Mikolajchak, RHP Adam Scott and LHP Alex Young.

Catchers: Sandy Leon, Bo Naylor and Mike Rivera.

Outfielders: Will Benson, Oscar Gonzalez and Daniel Johnson.

Garza and Young pitched for Cleveland last year. Garza went 2-1 with a 4.71 ERA in 21 games. He was 1-1 with a 1.52 ERA in 15 games at Class AA Akron and Class AAA Columbus.

Young appeared in 40 games with Cleveland and Arizona. He was a combined 2-6 with a 6.58 ERA.

Broom, a 10th-round pick in 2018, spent the season at Akron. He was 2-3 with a 5.29 ERA in 45 games. Broom struck out 52 and walked 23 in 49 1/3 innings.

McCarty, a seventh-round pick in 2017, went 9-6 with a 5.01 ERA in 24 starts at Columbus. He struck out 104 and walked 44 in 124 innings.

De Los Santos made 33 appearances for the Phillies and Pirates. He went 2-1 with a 6.37 ERA, striking out 49 and walking 18 in 35 1/3 innings.

Mikolajchak, an 11th-round pick in 2018, went 2-5 with eight saves and a 3.18 ERA at Akron. He struck out 57 and walked nine in 39 2/3 innings.

Scott, 6-4 and 230 pounds, went 3-6 with a 4.52 ERA in 15 starts at Columbus. He was Cleveland’s fourth-round pick in 2018.

Leon is back for his second tour with Cleveland. He spent the 2020 season with the Indians before catching with the Marlins last year. Leon hit .183 (37-for-200) with four homers and 14 RBI in 83 games last year. Naylor was Cleveland’s No. 1 pick in 2018. He struggled last season at Akron, hitting .189 (97-for-399), but showed power with 10 homers and 44 RBI.

Rivera hit .194 (31-for-160) with three homers and 23 RBI last year at Akron and Columbus. He was a sixth- round pick in 2017.

Johnson played 81 games with the Indians, hitting .221 (17-for-77) with four homers and five RBI. He hit 14 homers with 39 RBI at Columbus.

Gonzalez showed some of the best power in the organization last year. He hit .293 with 31 homers and 83 RBI. Gonzalez, however, is eligible for the Rule 5 draft. The major league portion of the draft did not take place in December because of the lockout. When the lockout ends, it’s expected that the draft will take place, although there has been rumors that it will be canceled this year.

Benson, also eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, hit .206 (73-for-355) with 17 homers and 51 RBI at Akron and Columbus. He was Cleveland’s No.1 pick in 2016.

Among those 13,
Sandy Leon is the likely backup catcher when/if they break camp
The other catchers are needed to catch all the dozens of pitchers.

Garza was good enough last year to maybe have a big league career and maybe not. Nothing overwhelming
I had hoped that some other team was willing to sign Alex Young who was awful for the then-Indians last summer after being awful for several other teams.
Adam Scott has never quite made the top 30 prospect lists, ditto Robert Broom. And Kirk McCarty All have Garza-level ability to perhaps make a major league roster
RHP Nick Mikolajchak is a hard throwing reliever who probably has the best stuff among the invited pitchers.
de los Santos came in a trade from somewhere

Oscar the G hits homers and had an excellent 2021, he rarely ever walks.
Benson hits for power, has a strong arm, is a good defender, draws lots of walks and can steal bases. However he has trouble keeping his average at or above 200 and strikes out way more than desirable.
Daniel Johnson we have seen.