Cleveland Guardians roster projection 1.0: Infield, outfield and bullpen spots up for grabs



Mar 20, 2022; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians infielder Yu Chang (2) reacts after hitting a home run in the second inning against the Oakland Athletics during spring training at Hohokam Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

By Zack Meisel 3h ago 41
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — MLB officials conferenced with each team over Zoom last week to discuss various rule changes and protocols. In those meetings, the officials said they would soon relay to clubs whether rosters will expand for the first few weeks of the regular season.

Because of the compressed spring schedule, pitchers won’t be built up to their typical Opening Day levels, so managers, pitching coaches and front office executives have been crossing their fingers that the customary 26-man roster balloons to 28, 29 or 30 in April.

Cleveland’s roster is far from set, with competitions ongoing for multiple infield, outfield and bullpen spots. And, really, as it pertains to this roster puzzle, the dog ate a few pieces, someone knocked over a glass of water onto a few others, and somehow a few pieces from a different puzzle found their way into the box.

With the Cactus League slate underway, it’s a prudent time to examine how the Guardians’ roster and those battles are shaping up. For now, we’ll use a 26-man roster.

Catchers (2): Austin Hedges, Luke Maile

Others on the 40-man: Bryan Lavastida
Others in big-league camp: Bo Naylor, Mike Rivera

Sandy León is the first line of defense should Hedges or Maile suffer an injury. David Fry, acquired from the Brewers for J.C. Mejía, could be worth monitoring as well. This is an offensively limited group that’s holding down the fort until Lavastida and Naylor are ready.

Infielders (6): José Ramírez, Amed Rosario, Andrés Giménez, Yu Chang, Bobby Bradley, Owen Miller

Others on the 40-man: Gabriel Arias, Tyler Freeman, Brayan Rocchio, Jhonkensy Noel, Jose Tena, Ernie Clement

What does it say when the spot with the most stability is the guy whose name surfaces in a new trade rumor every nanosecond? The other positions all feature plenty of competition, but it seems as though Rosario will man shortstop at least part of the time and either Giménez or Chang will occupy second base. There certainly could be platooning and shuffling as well.

Bradley is out of options, which gives him the inside track for the first base job, the same wrinkle that landed Jake Bauers the gig over Bradley last spring. But Miller, Chang, Josh Naylor and perhaps even Nolan Jones could eventually vie for playing time at that position.

Outfielders (5): Myles Straw, Bradley Zimmer, Oscar Mercado, Franmil Reyes, Steven Kwan

Others on the 40-man: Josh Naylor, Richie Palacios, Nolan Jones, George Valera
Others in big-league camp: Will Benson, Oscar Gonzalez, Daniel Johnson

If Naylor isn’t ready for Opening Day — Naylor, Jones and Freeman are not yet available for games as they recover from their respective season-ending surgeries — that would open up a roster spot for someone with no major-league experience. And although Cleveland isn’t completely averse to rookies breaking camp on the big-league roster, examples such as Tyler Naquin and Yandy Díaz are exceptions to the rule. Plus, it’s a shorter spring training, so it’s more difficult for inexperienced players to convince evaluators they deserve an opportunity.

Rosario might play some left field. Reyes might play some right field. That could carve into playing time for Mercado and Zimmer, who seemingly have a cat-like supply of lives.

Kwan’s the pick, for now, for the vacant spot. Many in the organization have fawned over his contact ability, and he can play all three outfield spots.

This is still the most glaring spot the club could address via trade (or free agency, though the remaining options are limited).

Starting pitchers (5): Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, Cal Quantrill, Zach Plesac, Triston McKenzie

Others on the 40-man: Eli Morgan, Konnor Pilkington, Tobias Myers
Others in big-league camp: Adam Scott, Tanner Tully, Kirk McCarty

The coaching staff is still working out how to arrange the rotation in the early portion of the regular season, but these are Cleveland’s five horses for the 162-game marathon. Morgan would seem like the next man up, with a bounty of other options, including Myers, Pilkington, Cody Morris, Logan S. Allen, Adam Scott and, eventually, perhaps Logan T. Allen and Peyton Battenfield. That’s a significant upgrade over 2021, when the club’s lack of depth — a byproduct of the pandemic eliminating the 2020 minor-league campaign — derailed the season.

Relievers (8): Emmanuel Clase, James Karinchak, Nick Sandlin, Anthony Gose, Trevor Stephan, Sam Hentges, Logan Allen, Cody Morris

Others on the 40-man: N/A
Others in big-league camp: Ian Gibaut, Jake Jewell, Nick Mikolajchak, Alex Young, Justin Garza, Robert Broom, Enyel De Los Santos

There are technically only six relievers on the 40-man roster, so the Guardians will have to dip into their starting pitching reserves to fill out the rest of the bullpen, but that jibes with their need for multi-inning options. Myers could join this group in the early going, especially if rosters are expanded. It’s surprising they haven’t added any major league-caliber veterans, as even manager Terry Francona and pitching coach Carl Willis have said that the club could use more experience and leadership in that realm of the roster.

Read more: A note for each of the 55 players in Guardians big-league camp

Pretty bad looking projected roster, isn't it? Zimmer again. Allen again. yikes

civ - as presently constructed 3 things would have to happen for this team to be interesting in my view:

1. Most importantly the rotation stay healthy this year. Or at least close.

2. The one guy I REALLY want to see get an extended chance is Kwan. So if he becomes a good steady hitter (think Brantley type) then it is a BIG help.

3. Yu Chang - if he can match how he ended up hitting last year that's another bat with pop

Those would be excellent outcomes and i agree with your suggestions that Chang and Kwan get significant opportunities
Sounds like a pivot to Asia

Here’s what’s going on in Goodyear with Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac, Gabriel Arias and Bryan Shaw: Meisel’s Musings



Mar 23, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Shane Bieber against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
By Zack Meisel 5h ago 30

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Four years ago, Shane Bieber was the second-youngest player to appear in a game for Cleveland. He would have claimed the title of clubhouse youngster had Francisco Mejía not snuck onto the field for four plate appearances.

Now, he scans the clubhouse at the team’s complex and notices hordes of players barely of legal drinking age. There’s Jose Tena, who turned 21 this week, teasing Jhonkensy Noel, who’s still 20, on one side of the room. There’s Brayan Rocchio, who turned 21 in January, packing his equipment bag before boarding the bus to Glendale for his start at shortstop. There’s 21-year-old George Valera, lying down in front of his locker for what appears to be an uncomfortable morning rest.

Prospects occupy a row of lockers during big-league camp every year. But this spring, the batch of young players, many without major-league experience, is larger.

And so what does that make Bieber?

“A 26-year-old old man,” he said.

There are a few players on the Guardians’ roster with more years on this planet and more years in this league, but Bieber is the most experienced member of a starting rotation expected to anchor MLB’s youngest team.

“Pitching can do a lot of things for a ball club,” he said Wednesday, after his first Cactus League outing. “Everybody knows that. We know that. As long as we stay healthy and aggressive and do what we can do … I think we could surprise some people.”

Here’s a look at what’s going on in Goodyear.

1. Bieber felt “a little bit stuck” on the mound Wednesday, meaning his delivery wasn’t as efficient and explosive as he would prefer. He noticed it. Pitching coach Carl Willis noticed it.

He said he feels healthy “and can throw a ton of pitches.” That isn’t going to happen. This was the first of what will likely be only three spring appearances for Bieber, thanks to the compressed, lockout-influenced schedule. He exited in the second inning Wednesday. The coaching staff is aiming for the starters to be stretched out to about 65 pitches by Opening Day.

2. Last week, Zach Plesac revealed his three personal goals for 2022: “I want to make every start. I want to be an All-Star. I want to win a Gold Glove.”

If he can replicate his performance from 2020, those might be attainable. But does his true ability mirror his numbers from that shortened season, or from last year?

Plesac in 2020: 2.28 ERA, 55 1/3 innings, .191/.218/.347 opponent slash line

Plesac in 2021: 4.67 ERA, 142 2/3 innings, .248/.299/.437 opponent slash line

Which Plesac is the real Plesac?

He noted that his ERA last season didn’t meet his standards. He said his goal for 2022 is “to keep it (in the) low threes, under three.” He suggested if we assess his eight best starts from last year, they would have “blown those numbers in 2020 out of the (water),” which is a fair point. He submitted a handful of strong starts last season, including his near no-hitter in Seattle in early May. He also failed to complete six innings in about half of his starts, and his strikeout rate plummeted.

He recorded more than seven strikeouts in only one outing.

One great year, one not-so-great year. One great start, one not-so-great start. It seems pretty simple, then.

“It’s really just going to come down to consistency,” Plesac said.

3. Assuming he passes his physical, Bryan Shaw will rejoin Cleveland’s bullpen, according to multiple sources, and serve as a veteran presence that Willis and manager Terry Francona have voiced was sorely needed. Shaw led the league with 81 appearances last season, the fourth time in his six seasons with Cleveland that he has outpaced his peers. He posted a 3.49 ERA, though a peek under the hood reveals some cause for concern.



Shaw threw his cutter over and over and over and over last season. For the first two months, he stymied hitters. After that, well, they picked up on his strategy. His average velocity dipped as the season unfolded, and opponents’ exit velocity spiked.

Hitters vs. Shaw's cutter in 2021
April
0.000
0.000
84.7 mph
May
0.050
0.100
85.1 mph
June
0.281
0.375
90.3 mph
July
0.340
0.489
89.7 mph
August
0.293
0.415
89.6 mph
September
0.255
0.426
90.4 mph
But his swing-and-miss percentage didn’t drop drastically. And he did log 77 1/3 innings after totaling just six in 2020 and then recalibrating his mechanics.

4. Gabriel Arias did everything in his power to grab the attention of the team’s evaluators last spring. This spring, he’s doing everything he can to actually force his way into the Opening Day infield mix.

Amed Rosario will start somewhere (either shortstop or left field), but there’s room for someone to crash the party. Andrés Giménez, Yu Chang and Owen Miller are all in consideration for regular playing time. Arias, who turned 22 last month, is the youngest of the bunch, but he proved last year he can handle Triple-A pitching.

“Last spring,” Francona said, “he probably had the, statistically and with your eyes, best camp of anybody. He just raked last spring. His ability to drive the ball to the opposite field is, in this age of hitting, really welcome, because you just don’t see that as much as maybe you used to.”

Right on cue, Arias smacked an opposite-field single off Clayton Kershaw on Wednesday afternoon.

“Some guys, when they hit it,” Francona said, “it has a little different sound. He’s one of those guys.”


Zack Meisel is a writer for The Athletic covering the Cleveland Guardians. Zack was named the 2021 Ohio Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. He has been on the beat since 2011 and is the author of four books, including "Cleveland Rocked," the tale of the 1995 team. Follow Zack on Twitter @ZackMeisel.

State of the Cleveland Guardians: Offseason inactivity, payroll, minority owner and José Ramírez



Mar 20, 2022; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians infielder Jose Ramirez (11) prepares for his at bat against the Oakland Athletics during spring training at Hohokam Stadium.

By Zack Meisel and Jason Lloyd

We’re less than two weeks from Opening Day and a question continues to stick in my mind: When was the last time some good news filtered out of 2401 Ontario Street? The Guardians are bringing back Bryan Shaw and his scraggly beard, but I’m not sure that qualifies as the sort of development that has fans eagerly anticipating the upcoming 162-game slate.

This offseason, complicated by the lockout and ultimately squeezed into a few frantic days at the start of spring training, has been a flop. The Guardians’ payroll did not increase over last year’s figure, despite insistence from higher-ups in the organization that it would. And those higher-ups maintain that money did not stand in the way of going after their acquisition targets; they simply failed to execute a deal and preferred not to use resources on players who weren’t deemed substantial upgrades. Hence, no Joc Pederson or Tommy Pham once they struck out on Matt Olson and Jesse Winker.

So, here the Guardians stand, with the youngest roster in the league, a seemingly unenthused fan base and the clock ticking toward some sort of José Ramírez deadline. They have a solid foundation of young talent, but a murky path forward.

Jason Lloyd: We’ve now had two players — Pederson and Chicago’s Dallas Keuchel — point out the Guardians’ low payroll in recent days. That’s never a great look. And the fact the Guardians’ payroll is barely half the sticker price of the Royals — THE ROYALS — is cause for concern.

But no one is going to throw money around just to throw money around. I get the idea that if a player isn’t a significant upgrade, then they aren’t interested in pursuing him. They have enough of their guys to evaluate without a middling veteran (Eddie Rosario last year, for example) cluttering the field.

The only way to find out if Bobby Bradley can play every day is to play him. Nolan Jones needs to be in the majors this year at some point. Josh Naylor needs at-bats. It’s perfectly logical.

Where they lose me is on guys like Luke Voit, whom the Yankees traded to the Padres for a decent-but-not-headlining prospect. Voit has fought injuries the last couple of years and is a little old (31) to just be starting the arbitration process. But can anyone dispute he’s not a massive upgrade over any first baseman on Cleveland’s roster?

Zack Meisel: Even if we adjust the popular diction from “spending money” to simply “improving the team,” this offseason has accomplished next to nothing. (Granted, it’s hard to just ignore a payroll this low.) The front office planned to veer in one direction — trade for someone like Olson, sign some pitching help and accelerate the plan to contend — or the direct opposite — miss out on their targets and instead play the kids. They’re against signing what might be a slight upgrade to add one, maybe two, projected wins if it would delay their evaluation of someone like Steven Kwan or Richie Palacios. Had they nabbed a higher-profile player via trade or free agency, that stance would have changed.

Anyway, it benefits Keuchel and his team for Cleveland not to spend, and even he felt the need to chime in about their stagnancy. This is an extremely risk-averse organization in terms of finances. Over the years, they have demonstrated they’ll occasionally make a trade in which they cough up prospects for a proven commodity (Andrew Miller) when they’re in contention. But when it comes to finances, the ghosts of Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn — and even Edwin Encarnación, to an extent — continue to haunt owner Paul Dolan’s mind. The problem is, this is also an organization that has cornered itself into needing to take some risks. That’ll happen when you stockpile shortstop prospects and struggle to develop outfielders.

José Ramírez is another example. The Guardians are either going to need to pay him — they’re planning to discuss terms with his camp in the coming days, according to sources — or trade him. The risk there is he doesn’t live up to his salary in four or five years, though that risk would probably fall on to David Blitzer’s checkbook. The risk of trading him? Well, let’s see: Further alienating a growingly apathetic fan base, accumulating even more prospects they don’t have room for on the roster, and conducting this same song and dance with Shane Bieber in a year.

If they strike a long-term agreement with Ramírez, then they at least will have a foundation in place (along with the rotation) as they evaluate all of these young middle infielders and attempt to assemble a formidable lineup.

Lloyd: Getting something done with Ramírez would take some of the fire out of the torches and pitchforks. I’m not as confident they’re going to come to terms on an extension with Bieber.

A lot has gone against this franchise in the last couple of years that was out of their control. Cleveland held on to Francisco Lindor for an extra year to make another run at contention, then the pandemic destroyed the 2020 season. Had they somehow known COVID-19 was about to infect the world, they would’ve traded Lindor sooner and for a much heartier bounty.

Similarly, they made the unorthodox move of crow-barring 11 minor leaguers on to their 40-man roster last fall to avoid losing them in the Rule 5 draft. Then MLB, to the surprise of everyone, chose not to hold a Rule 5 draft after it ended the lockout. Baseball never gave teams any indication that was even a possibility. Had the Guardians known there would be no Rule 5 draft, they wouldn’t have been so proactive in adding guys like slugger Jhonkensy Noel, who hasn’t played above Class A but is already about to start burning through options.

You and I have been writing for a year that the 40-man roster crunch was coming and the team was going to have to start bundling some of these players and making moves. It still hasn’t happened, and now the Guardians are running out of time. There is no flexibility on the 40-man roster, which perhaps is part of what has led to this stagnant offseason. There’s nowhere to put anyone without taking somebody off. The Guardians feel like they can get by like this for now, but if there aren’t any major trades within the next six to 12 months, they’re really going to start feeling the pinch of all the roster moves they thought they had to make in November.

Meisel: They won’t trade Ramírez right now. For as much as they resist the urge to entertain fan sentiment when considering transactions, they know dealing him while introducing a rebrand would be catastrophic, and they don’t have the roster flexibility to accommodate another batch of prospects. But anything is fair game in July if the team isn’t in contention.

As it pertains to a possible extension for Ramírez, the circumstances are different than they were for past candidates. The team has stripped its payroll to the studs. And it has a bit of leverage with Ramírez being locked into a couple of bargain-priced years. (Ramírez will make $12 million this year and Cleveland holds a $14 million club option for 2023.). The Guardians won’t offer him anything in the neighborhood of, say, what Lindor received from the Mets (10 years, $341 million), but they probably won’t have to. There could be some middle ground. Finding it would go a long way toward creating some structure, from a roster and financial standpoint, as this team attempts to build back up. And it never hurts to build goodwill with the fan base, especially the way the last few weeks — and months … and years — have unfolded.

There’s one other storyline we should mention: the new minority owner. Nothing on that front is finalized, but several sources have relayed that there’s no reason to think Blitzer won’t be on board at some point soon. They have stressed, however, not to expect Blitzer’s arrival to coincide with a record-setting payroll.

Lloyd: I’ve heard from people in the organization that the new collective bargaining agreement did little to close the gap between big-market and small-market spenders, and if anything it’s going to only widen the already massive gap. We might be seeing signs of that already, although the Twins getting Carlos Correa was a nice surprise for small-market teams (not so much for the division rival Guardians) and the Rays finishing second for Freddie Freeman was fairly surprising.

Ultimately, if the Guardians are winning and hanging around in contending for the postseason, all this talk about the payroll will dissipate. But it’s starting to feel like this will be a developmental year as the Guardians cycle through their many young hitters to see who can stick and who can’t, before really throwing open their contention window again in 2023. I’m just not sure how that aligns with the free agency clocks for Bieber and Ramírez.

José Ramírez a key player in the game/Photo courtesy

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Major League Baseball

Cleveland Guardians: New Name, New Challenges

Saturday 26 | 1:02 p.m.

Meridian Drafting

The "Forest City" franchise begins this new season with a new name and in search of new challenges that will take it to the glory days of Major League Baseball. The Indians are left behind and these new Guardians want to make a new start in history.

The new name was presented at the end of last season by the team's owner, Paul Dolan, who indicated that the new name reflects the city and its people. The name was chosen from 1,200 potential ballots.

"We wanted a name that strongly represents the pride, resilience and loyalty of Clevelanders. 'Guardians' reflects those attributes that define us , " Dolan said.

The Guardians is the fifth name in franchise history, after the Blues (1901), Bronchos (1902), Naps (1903-1914), and Indians (1915-2021).

Those led by Terry Francona , did not make much of a stir in the market and continue to rely entirely on last year's squad.

Names have been added on the pitching staff such as Bryan Shaw who reached an agreement with the franchise for the coming season.

The experienced Manager is clear that he must improve his team's defense to get into the fight for the pennant of his division.

Last season the team was second in the Central Division with 80 games won and 82 lost.


Despite missing last season due to health problems, Terry Francona is the record holder most wins in the franchise, so he knows what winning is and wants to take these Guardians to the top.

The Guardians share the Central Division of the America League with the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins.

Cleveland has the Venezuelan Andrés Giménez, The one from Barquisimeto made his debut in the "Big Tent" in 2020 in a New York Mets uniform and then moved to Cleveland to defend the infield.

The Venezuelan has seen action in several of the Spring Training games where he has been seen playing at shortstop and at second base.

The most outstanding name on the Cleveland team is without a doubt that of José Ramírez. The Dominican slugger continues to be the owner of third base and the star of the new "Forest City" team.

"Enriquito" last season had 147 hits, 32 doubles, 5 triples and 36 home runs, becoming a key player in the team's offense.

A few days before the season starts, the team's manager has not repeated the same line up in Spring Training games, so it is clear that he is looking for the right formula to reach Opening Day.

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Stars have 24 players on 40 MLB rosters

The roster includes injured shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres.

by DiarioDigitalRD March 23, 2022 in Baseball , Sports

SAN PEDRO DE MACORÍS.-

The Stars have 24 players distributed among the rosters or payrolls of 40 players on Major League teams, in training this spring.

The list includes injured shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres, according to a report from the club's baseball operations department, which is headed by Felix Peguero.

Among the offensive players on that type of payroll are, along with Tatis Jr.: Robinson Canó (Mets), Miguel Sanó (Minnesota), Amed Rosario (Cleveland), Raimel Tapia (Colorado), Francisco Mejía (Tampa), Lewin Díaz (Miami), Jeremy Peña (Houston), Elehuris Montero (Colorado), Cristian Pache (Oakland), Micker Adolfo (White Sox), George Valera (Cleveland), José Tena (Cleveland).

In the group, the players in the draft are 8: Tatis Jr. (SS), Canó (2B), Sanó (1B/3B), Rosario (SS/CF), Díaz (1B), Peña (SS), Montero (3B /1B) and Tena (SS). The only receiver is Mejía. The outfielders are 4: Tapia (LF), Pache (CF), Adolfo (RF), Valera (RF).

Pitchers include starters (3): Edward Cabrera (Miami), Ronny Garcia (Detroit), Edwin Uceta (Arizona). Also the relievers (8): Emmanuel Clase, Yensy Díaz (Mets), Phillips Valdez (Boston), Joel Payamps (Kansas City), Luis García (San Diego), Domingo Acevedo (Oakland), Randy Rodríguez (San Francisco) and the only lefty of the group, Yoan Aybar (Colorado).

San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, left, of South Korea, guards second against the Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez trying to steal second base during the first inning on Tuesday, March 22, 2022 in Goodyear, Arizona. ( APROSS D. FRANKLIN )

BIG LEAGUES

FOLLOW TOPIC +

The Cleveland Indians are now the Guardians

Cleveland is in the process of rebuilding

Rojas - Twitter

Santo Domingo - Tue. 26, 2022 | 01:00 pm | 4 min read

In case you forgot, the Cleveland Indians are no more. On July 23, 2021, the Indians officially became Guardians. The organization decided to make the change because it seeks to become one more instrument for social justice in Cleveland. The Cleveland team has been called the Indians since 1915, so the change has not been well received by a large part of the fans.

Well, the Guardians should contend for the AL Central title in 2022 despite their streak of eight consecutive winning seasons that came to an end in 2021 when they came in second place with a record of 80-82.

"“A team is where a kid can prove himself. A gang is where a coward goes to hide”"
Mickey Mantle
Cooperstown Immortal

To back up that optimism, Guardians manager Terry Francona needs to get the starting pitching rotation back to health. Last year, Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac, the top three starters, missed much of the season on the disabled list. While Bieber, Civale and Plesac were incapacitated, new arms were emerging. That's a good thing, but the biggest question about the Guardians in 2022 is their offense. It was woeful last year, and going into the lockout, nothing had been done to improve it other than exercising José Ramírez 's $12 million option for 2022. With such little firepower, it's hard to see the Guardians recover their status as postseason contenders this year.

One pitcher to watch is rookie closer Emmanuel Clase, a native of Rio San Juan, who threw 471 of his 1,057 pitches over 100 mph last season. Class finished the season with the fastest average four-seamer (100.7 mph) and fastest average cutoff fastball (100.2 mph) according to baseballsavant.com.

projected lineup:

CF Myles Straw (R)
SS Amed Rosario (D)
3B Jose Ramirez (A)
DH Franmil Reyes (D)
1B Bobby Bradley (Z)
LF Oscar Mercado (R)
RF Bradley Zimmer (Z)
C Austin Hedges (D)
2B Gabriel Arias (R)

A DAY LIKE TODAY :

In 1947, Cleveland Indians manager Lou Boudreau ordered SS John “Jackie” Price to release two six-foot snakes onto the San Diego train. Later, Price did the same thing on the Los Angeles train. One of the cars was full of women who attended the American Bowling Congress and protested upset by the prank. Indians owner William "Bill" Veeck reacted furiously, ruling that Price's days on the team were numbered and he was dropped from the team in 1947.

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GOODYEAR, Arizona -- Josh Naylor is making progress.

On Thursday, he went 1-for-4 and played right field for four innings in a Class AAA game against the Reds. On Saturday, he went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in four more innings in another Triple-A game against Cincinnati.

Tuesday there’s a chance Naylor could graduate to Cactus League play when the Guardians play the Dodgers at Goodyear Ballpark.

Until Thursday, Naylor had not played in a game since breaking his right leg and ankle in a collision in right field on June 27 against the Twins at Target Field.“It felt awesome,” said Naylor on Saturday before his second game. “My leg felt good. We had Logan Allen -- the minor league version -- pitching for us. I guess he doesn’t get hit. I didn’t know that.

“I had one play. I think he had two balls put in play in four or five innings. He was great. I’ve never met him personally, but he’s a phenomenal pitcher. I didn’t get much work in because he was striking everyone out.”

Naylor said just stepping on the field was a “humbling experience.”

“It was awesome to get back out there and do it again,” said Naylor. “It felt really real and I felt really controlled, which was the most important part.”

Naylor said he ran “a good amount” during his four innings in right field.

“I had the one play in the outfield,” he said. “My first at-bat I had a single. On the rest of the at-bats, I just ran hard out of the box. The swing felt great. My legs felt great. It was awesome.

“The day after was fine. Recovery was fine. Everything felt really good and I feel even better today. It’s a more controlled environment. They just want to get me ready for the big-league side. I’ll probably play there early in the week and we’ll take it from there.”

Manager Terry Francona said Saturday that the reports on Naylor “were all good.” He said he could play with the big league club on Tuesday depending on how his recovery went from Saturday’s game.

Francona credited Naylor with working hard in his recovery.

“He actually had the same doctor that did my foot (last year),” said Francona. “So I knew he was in good hands. I knew had a challenging winter ahead of him. He didn’t back down and he looks terrific.

“Every time I’d go see the doctor, I didn’t ask him how I was doing, I asked how Naylor was doing. He always said, ‘He gets after it.’ He was really pleased how he was attacking everything.”

Now the question is will Naylor be ready for the season opener on April 7?“The best way to say that is that we haven’t ruled it out,” said Chris Antonetti, president of baseball operations. “We want to make sure we’re doing what’s in Josh’s long-term interest and not just rushing to meet the artificial deadline of opening day.”

Antonetti said eventually the Guardians will use Naylor in right field and first base, but right now they’re moving cautiously.

Naylor was hitting .253 (59-for-233) with seven homers and 21 RBI when he was injured last year.

21 RBI in 253 AB? Wow that was awful.

By Terry Pluto, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Opening day for the Guardians is less than two weeks away. Here’s what I’m hearing from spring training:

1. Things like this are subject to change. A veteran looking for work could show up late in camp to help Cleveland’s outfield. But for now, I hear the plan is to go with young players – especially given how some of them have performed this spring.

2. Last week, I wrote about the possibility of Amed Rosario playing a lot of left field. He’s not done that much in spring training, but it’s still something the Guardians are considering. They are very excited about their young middle infielders.

3. There’s a good chance Yu Chang can be the opening day second baseman. He’s pounding the ball in spring training (.465, 2 HR). Chang seemed to find his confidence after the 2021 All-Star break, hitting .271 (.857 OPS) with 7 HR in 132 plate appearances. It feels as if he’s been around since Tris Speaker played in Cleveland, but he’s 26. His time is now.

4. Young shortstops Gabriel Arias (batting .583) and Andres Gimenez (batting .417) have been impressive. Arias skipped over Class AA last season, batting .284 (.802 OPS) with 29 doubles and 13 HR with 55 RBI in 115 games Class AAA Columbus. He turned 22 on Feb. 27. MLB.com rates Arias the No. 3 prospect in the Cleveland system – George Valera and Daniel Espino are the top two.

5. Gimenez was Cleveland’s opening day shortstop a year ago at the age of 22. He had a rough time at the plate, hitting only .218 (.633 OPS). But at Class AAA Columbus, Gimenez was a .287 hitter (.844 OPS) with 10 HR and 31 RBI in 51 games.

6. Gimenez came to Cleveland along with Rosario in the Francisco Lindor deal with the Mets. Arias was part of the massive 2021 trade with San Diego. Cleveland sent Mike Clevinger and Greg Allen to the Padres for Cal Quantrill, Austin Hedges, Josh Naylor, Owen Miller, Joey Cantillo and Arias. Clevinger is coming back from his second Tommy John elbow surgery. Quantrill is in the Guards’ starting rotation, Hedges is the starting catchers and the others are legitimate prospects. Miller is hitting .438 this spring.

7. The Guardians would love Bradley Zimmer to have a big spring. So far, he’s struck out 10 times in 16 at-bats, batting .133. He’s 29 and out of minor league options. I’ve heard one of two rookie outfielders will make the team – Richie Palacios or Steven Kwan. The Guardians believe both are close to being big league ready.

8. The Guardians could do something like Chang at second with either Gimenez or Arias at short. My guess is they’d open with Gimenez because he has some big league experience. They’d send Arias back to Class AAA. Ernie Clement (having a hot spring, batting .565) could be the utility infielder.
josh naylor

Josh Naylor's season ended last June with a broken right leg is making a strong recovery and starting to play in spring games.

9. I keep hearing how the Guardians “want to give young players a chance.” They made huge trades with veterans to bring in prospects the last few years. They believe this is the time to see if they have a new wave of viable big leaguers coming. Josh Naylor is ahead of schedule recovering from his fractured leg last year. He may not open in Cleveland, but could be in the outfield soon. He is starting to play in some spring games.

10. So the outfield could have Myles Straw (CF), Rosario (LF) and Kwan or Palacios in RF. Naylor could be there soon. Oscar Mercado is having a better spring than Zimmer. I sense he is now rated ahead of Zimmer. Both are out of minor league options. The Guards’ top minor league prospect according to MLB.com is an outfielder – thank heavens! That’s George Valera, who batted .260 (.910 OPS) with 19 HR between Class A and AA last season at the age of 20. But he is not ready for Cleveland now.

11. Bobby Bradley also is out of minor league options. He is set to start at first base, but this could be a career-changing year for him. He either takes hold of the job, or he could end up out of the team’s plans by the end of 2022. He has tremendous power and the Guardians don’t want to give up on him too soon.

12. The Guardians are shopping for more veteran pitchers. They brought back Bryan Shaw (6-7, 3.49 ERA), who led the American League with 81 appearances for Cleveland last season. They want more veteran relievers to join the back end of the bullpen of Emmanuel Clase and James Karinchak. Eli Morgan, Trevor Stephan and Anthony Gose can help in relief.

13. Interesting comment from MLB.com’s Jim Callis, who writes extensively about the minors: “Daniel Espino has more upside than any Cleveland mound prospect since CC Sabathia and could force his way to the big leagues.”

14. I doubt the 21-year-old Espino will open the season in Cleveland. He split last year between two Class A teams – Lake County and Lynchburg – and was 3-8 with a 3.73 ERA. He needs more experience. Espino throws 100 mph with a sharp breaking ball. He struck out 152 in 91 innings last season. He is rated the No. 51 prospect in the minors by MLB.com.

15. I know Guardians fans want to talk more about payroll, not spending, etc. I’m headed to Goodyear on Tuesday for a week, and I’ll deal with that topic as I talk to the team’s executives in Arizona.

The Guardians would love Bradley Zimmer to have a big spring. So far, he’s struck out 10 times in 16 at-bats, batting .133. He’s 29 and out of minor league options. I’ve heard one of two rookie outfielders will make the team – Richie Palacios or Steven Kwan. The Guardians believe both are close to being big league ready.

The Guardians are insane if they think suddenly at age 29 Zimmer will learn how to hit. In fact if he had a big spring it would be nothing but a false dawn. Stinking it up as he is makes it easy to DFA him to make room for anyone that need to add to the roster.

As for who might be the rookie in the OF: Palacios was returned to the minor leagues yesterday. Kwan was ahead of him anyway

Cleveland Guardians roster projection 2.0: They have a mess on their hands


GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The Guardians have a headache.

They have minimal 40-man roster flexibility, the result of fielding a largely unproven collection of players, including 11 prospects they protected in anticipation of a Rule 5 draft that never took place.

It’s expected teams will be afforded a 28-man roster, without limitations on the number of pitchers, until May 1. There are a lot of potholes on Cleveland’s path to assembling this puzzle, though. The Guardians can’t sever ties with the prospects on the 40-man; they would get scooped up by another team. And injuries have already complicated the situation because there isn’t room on the 40-man to add newcomers.

With that in mind, let’s examine how the Opening Day roster is shaping up.

Catchers (2): Austin Hedges, Sandy León

Others on the 40-man: Bryan Lavastida
Others on the injured list: Luke Maile
Others in camp: Mike Rivera

What was, last week, the simplest area of the roster, quickly devolved into a hassle for the front office when Maile suffered a hamstring injury. He’s expected to miss a few weeks, and the Guardians appear to have two options to replace him. They could lean on Lavastida, who has played a grand total of seven games at Triple A. That option might make more sense if Maile’s stint on the sideline doesn’t linger too far into the regular season and they need Lavastida to give Hedges a breather only once or twice. Otherwise, they might need to find a way to add León to the 40-man roster.

Infielders (7): José Ramírez, Amed Rosario, Andrés Giménez, Owen Miller, Yu Chang, Bobby Bradley, Ernie Clement

Others on the 40-man: Gabriel Arias, Brayan Rocchio, Jose Tena, Jhonkensy Noel, Tyler Freeman, Nolan Jones

There aren’t enough middle infield at-bats to divvy up among Rosario, Giménez, Miller, Chang and Clement, especially not if the club wants to fairly assess each player. And that’s without including Arias, who has sprayed the ball all over the field for the second consecutive spring. He figures to be the toughest omission; if he doesn’t break camp with the big-league club, he’ll be among the first to get a promotion.

Clement can play anywhere, even left field. Manager Terry Francona has hesitated to voice his evaluation of other players’ camps because of the small sample, but he had no problem over the weekend raving about Clement’s Cactus League hitting clinic.

Miller and Chang can play some first base, with one of them perhaps platooning with Bradley. Rosario is expected to explore left field in the next couple of days. It’s far from a perfect setup, and the Guardians surely won’t carry seven infielders all season, but at the moment, they have a limited number of pitchers on the 40-man roster, so this seems like a possible arrangement.

Outfielders (5): Myles Straw, Bradley Zimmer, Oscar Mercado, Franmil Reyes, Steven Kwan

Others on the 40-man: Josh Naylor, Richie Palacios, George Valera
Others in camp: Daniel Johnson, Oscar Gonzalez, Will Benson

A lot hinges on whether Naylor is ready for Opening Day. Team president Chris Antonetti said Sunday that the club has “not ruled it out.” Naylor is expected to make his Cactus League debut Tuesday. If he claims a roster spot, that could come at the expense of Clement or Kwan.

Zimmer and Mercado are out of options (but not lives, it seems), so they appear destined to land early season opportunities, unless the front office deals one of them — for a minimal return to another team desperate for an outfielder — to clear a roster spot. It would behoove the club to offer ample time to Kwan and Palacios and other lesser-known-but-at-least-moderately-promising entities this season. Palacios was one of six players sent to minor-league camp Sunday, along with Rocchio, Tena, Valera, Kirk McCarty and Bo Naylor.

For now, we’ll guess Josh Naylor begins the season on the 10-day position player injured list, just to shake off some rust in Triple-A games before he makes a swift return to Francona’s lineup in mid-April.

Starting pitchers (5): Shane Bieber, Cal Quantrill, Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac, Triston McKenzie

Others on the 40-man: Konnor Pilkington
Others on the 60-day injured list: Cody Morris, Carlos Vargas
Others in camp: Adam Scott

These are the unquestioned five, but the Guardians might not deploy a five-man rotation to start the season, especially at the outset, with a pair of off days before the home opener. McKenzie has been piggybacking with Plesac so far this spring.

Relievers (9): Emmanuel Clase, Nick Sandlin, Anthony Gose, Bryan Shaw, Trevor Stephan, Sam Hentges, Logan S. Allen, Eli Morgan, Tobias Myers

Others on the injured list: James Karinchak
Others in camp: Robert Broom, Enyel De Los Santos, Justin Garza, Ian Gibaut, Jake Jewell, Nick Mikolajchak, Alex Young

The bullpen might not be receiving a lot of attention, but it’s a bit of a mess. Clase is the anchor at the back, but an army of question marks stand in front of him. Karinchak is expected to start the season on the injured list. Gose has only six big-league appearances to his name. Sandlin, coming off a shoulder injury and a shortened spring, might not be ready for a heavy workload in the early going; he’ll finally pitch in a minor-league game Monday.

With starters likely limited to 65 pitches or so the first turn through the rotation, the bullpen will prove pivotal. Stephan, Allen, Hentges, Morgan and Myers figure to occupy multi-inning and/or piggyback roles. It’s possible Francona and pitching coach Carl Willis insist the club carry 10 relievers in April to protect against overuse, but to add someone like Garza or Young, or another veteran free agent, the team would have to cut ties with someone on the 40-man roster.

cancelling the Rule 5 draft really screwed the Guardians. IF they had KNOWN it wouldn't be held they would have kept Noel and Tena and perhaps others on minor league rosters. They could have added some ready for the majors but not very good AAA types to the roster.
and also could have avoided using up options on the 20 year olds. MLB ought to remedy the option issue but doubt they will.