Cleveland Sports Forum

Guardians need Bobby Bradley; meet Konnor Pilkington – Terry Pluto in Goodyear
Updated: Mar. 31, 2022, 3:48 p.m. | Published: Mar. 31, 2022, 11:30 a.m.
GUARDIANS NEED BOBBY BRADLEY TO CLAIM FIRST BASE

Bobby Bradley has big league power, but those strikeouts. A

ABOUT BOBBY BRADLEY

Bobby Bradley is 25 years old. It feels as if he must be 30, given how long Cleveland baseball fans have been hearing about the power hitter from Gulfport, Mississippi.

Bradley was a third-round pick out of high school by Cleveland in 2014. This is his eighth pro season. He is still in the age range for being a prospect, and power hitters tend to develop later in their careers.

No question, Bradley has power to all fields. He has led three minor leagues in home runs. With Cleveland last season, Bradley belted 16 homers in 74 games.

But Bradley had two seasons in 2021.

1. Before the All-Star break: Batted .240 (.913 OPS) with 10 HR in 119 plate appearances (36 strikeouts).

2. After the All-Star break: Batted .184 (.610 OPS) with six homers in 160 plate appearances (63 strikeouts).

3. The Guardians can live with the pre-All Star Bradley. His power outweighed the strikeouts. The post-All Star Bradley was striking out every 2.5 at bats, and his power diminished. The slump seemed to weigh him down, as he struck out 22 times in his final 44 at-bats of 2021.

Bradley is out of minor-league options. The Guardians don’t have a logical alternative at first base right now. That probably would go to Owen Miller. He’s more of a middle infielder.

Besides, it’s too early to give up on Bradley. If he can hit 30 or more homers and not strike out nearly every two times up, he could be a major asset to this team.

“He’s not swung the bat very well,” admitted Guardians manager Terry Francona. “I don’t know that means he won’t (in the regular season). But he really hasn’t had that many at-bats.”

This spring, Bradley is 3-for-21 (.143) with nine strikeouts and no homers. He has been working on hitting the ball to the opposite field – left and left-center for the lefty-hitting Bradley. Bradley went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts as the Guardians lost 12-1 to the Dodgers Wednesday night.

“The hope is that when we break (for the regular season), guys feels good about themselves,” said Francona. “That’s what we’re shooting for. No exact science to it.”

In his first 20 games of 2021 with Cleveland, Bradley hit eight homers. The only other player in franchise history to hit more than that in the first 20 games of a season is Ken Keltner, who hit 12 in the pennant-winning season of 1948.

A GOOD START

In the spring, the boxscore can be deceiving. If you look at it from Wednesday night, it shows rookie Konnor Pilkington allowing four runs in three innings. You needed to be in Goodyear to have a better idea how the 24-year-old lefty pitched against the Dodgers. It was encouraging.

Making his first spring start in a big-league camp, Pilkington had a strong three innings against the Dodgers on Wednesday night. The lefty allowed only one hit – a homer by A.J. Pollock. Pilkington then gave up three consecutive hits to open the fourth inning and left the game.

He probably tired, because pitchers have not been in camp long due to the labor/management problems that cut short training camp.

Pilkington was acquired from the White Sox in the middle of last summer for Cesar Hernandez. Pitching at the Class AA level for the two organizations, he was 7-6 with a 3.04 ERA. After coming to Akron, he had a 3-2 record with a 2.33 ERA in his last eight starts. He struck out 49 in 39 innings.

The burly 6-foot-3, 235-pound Pilkington looks like he should be a power pitcher. But his fastball is in the low 90s. He changes speeds, works the corners and uses off-speed stuff to set up his fastball.

I really like his long-term potential. He has a lot of poise.

Pilkington was a big-time pitcher at Mississippi State and a third-round pick by the White Sox in 2018. I like college pitchers from big programs. Cleveland has had a lot of success with this type of pitcher.

He’ll probably open the year at Class AAA Columbus. As for Hernandez, he’s now with Washington.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Back in February, when big league baseball players such as Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges were supposed to be packing up and heading to spring training, Austin’s father, Charlie, was preparing for an altogether different kind of trip.

As baseball waited through a 99-day lockout, nothing was going to stop Charlie from making the 30-hour journey to the African nation of Uganda where walks, strikeouts and home runs take a back seat to everyday necessities that we often take for granted, such as the availability of clean, potable water.

Since 2017, Charlie has served as vice president of operations in Uganda for Wells of Life, a nonprofit organization focused on providing safe access to clean water for more than 800 villages with a goal of reaching one million people by the end of 2022.

Not too many big leaguers have fathers who regularly travel to places like Uganda, and Charlie’s work in the developing nation is clearly a source of pride for Austin.

“The main thing that he and my mom raised me in is that we want to be as successful as we can be so that we can give more back and actually make an impact on the world,” Austin said.

Hearing his son speak about global impact is music to Charlie’s ears, and it makes regular journeys to Africa even more meaningful.

“It’s a different kind of spring training,” Charlie said. “The joy we get from providing clean water is amazing, especially when we see the reaction among the villages and communities. I just so love Uganda and its people.”
Wells of Life

Wells of Life provides safe, clean water for villages in rural Uganda. Dan Kitwood,Getty Images

Hope springs eternal

A longtime corporate trainer and executive coach now in semi-retirement, Charlie Hedges hosts his own podcast called The Next Chapter with Charlie. In 2017 he chatted with Nick Jordan, the CEO of Wells of Life. Jordan told Hedges that a single water well in Uganda would serve 1,000 people with safe and clean water.

“By the time he was done stating his case, Austin and I talked and we donated three wells to begin with and added a fourth,” Charlie said.

A donor trip to Africa followed, and by October of that year, Charlie became a trustee on the Wells of Life board. Since 2010, the organization has constructed 802 wells and restored hundreds more. Each well costs about $8,000 to construct, but the peace of mind associated with a safe new water source is priceless.

Women in rural Uganda who are traditionally responsible for fetching water for their families are less at risk of abduction or attack when the well is a few hundred feet away rather than miles down a dangerous road outside their village.

Wells constructed by other nonprofits often fall into disrepair after several years, and Wells of Life has a program to restore many of them to working order. The organization also provides a nine-month program to villages with in-depth training and education on the necessities of sanitation and hygiene.

Knowing that, Austin said, makes tough days on the diamond seem that much more worthwhile. Asking himself the “bigger whys” helps motivate him for the blood, sweat and tears he has poured into the game of baseball for 11 professional seasons.

“It just reminds me of why I’m doing what I’m doing,” Austin said. “This has given me more meaning in my failure, that’s what I do for a living. In baseball we go out and we fail for a living a third of the time. If my failure can bring a good example to the world, then it’s OK. Failing can be great. In failing we can give back and make the world a better place; that’s pretty cool to me.”

Family philosophy

Charlie and other coaches recognized Austin’s mental toughness at an early age, but despite his gregarious and outgoing personality at the ballpark, Charlie says Austin was an introvert growing up.

Guardians

Family showed Guardians catcher Austin Hedges that philanthropy can be an endless ‘well of life’
Updated: Mar. 31, 2022, 4:28 p.m. | Published: Mar. 31, 2022, 1:58 p.m.
Austin Hedges Well #249 - 360 Video
By Joe Noga, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Back in February, when big league baseball players such as Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges were supposed to be packing up and heading to spring training, Austin’s father, Charlie, was preparing for an altogether different kind of trip.

As baseball waited through a 99-day lockout, nothing was going to stop Charlie from making the 30-hour journey to the African nation of Uganda where walks, strikeouts and home runs take a back seat to everyday necessities that we often take for granted, such as the availability of clean, potable water.

Since 2017, Charlie has served as vice president of operations in Uganda for Wells of Life, a nonprofit organization focused on providing safe access to clean water for more than 800 villages with a goal of reaching one million people by the end of 2022.

Not too many big leaguers have fathers who regularly travel to places like Uganda, and Charlie’s work in the developing nation is clearly a source of pride for Austin.

“The main thing that he and my mom raised me in is that we want to be as successful as we can be so that we can give more back and actually make an impact on the world,” Austin said.

Hearing his son speak about global impact is music to Charlie’s ears, and it makes regular journeys to Africa even more meaningful.

“It’s a different kind of spring training,” Charlie said. “The joy we get from providing clean water is amazing, especially when we see the reaction among the villages and communities. I just so love Uganda and its people.”
Wells of Life

Wells of Life provides safe, clean water for villages in rural Uganda. Dan Kitwood,Getty Images

Hope springs eternal

A longtime corporate trainer and executive coach now in semi-retirement, Charlie Hedges hosts his own podcast called The Next Chapter with Charlie. In 2017 he chatted with Nick Jordan, the CEO of Wells of Life. Jordan told Hedges that a single water well in Uganda would serve 1,000 people with safe and clean water.

“By the time he was done stating his case, Austin and I talked and we donated three wells to begin with and added a fourth,” Charlie said.

A donor trip to Africa followed, and by October of that year, Charlie became a trustee on the Wells of Life board. Since 2010, the organization has constructed 802 wells and restored hundreds more. Each well costs about $8,000 to construct, but the peace of mind associated with a safe new water source is priceless.

Women in rural Uganda who are traditionally responsible for fetching water for their families are less at risk of abduction or attack when the well is a few hundred feet away rather than miles down a dangerous road outside their village.

Wells constructed by other nonprofits often fall into disrepair after several years, and Wells of Life has a program to restore many of them to working order. The organization also provides a nine-month program to villages with in-depth training and education on the necessities of sanitation and hygiene.

Knowing that, Austin said, makes tough days on the diamond seem that much more worthwhile. Asking himself the “bigger whys” helps motivate him for the blood, sweat and tears he has poured into the game of baseball for 11 professional seasons.

“It just reminds me of why I’m doing what I’m doing,” Austin said. “This has given me more meaning in my failure, that’s what I do for a living. In baseball we go out and we fail for a living a third of the time. If my failure can bring a good example to the world, then it’s OK. Failing can be great. In failing we can give back and make the world a better place; that’s pretty cool to me.”

Family philosophy

Charlie and other coaches recognized Austin’s mental toughness at an early age, but despite his gregarious and outgoing personality at the ballpark, Charlie says Austin was an introvert growing up.

“You look at Austin and you see an extrovert, a very social person,” Charlie said. “There’s an interior Austin that is very deep and very strong.”

The kid who was adept at blocking fastballs in the dirt and throwing out base stealers grew into a person skilled in philosophical debate, who communicated through his writing with depth and intensity.

“I’m philosophical by nature, and Austin is one of the few people I can talk to,” Charlie said. “We’re talking philosophy and our inner lives more often than baseball.”
Wells of Life

Wells of Life has restored hundreds of working wells in rural Uganda since 2010. Marc Hofer,AFP via Getty Images

Local, national and global impact

Philanthropy is as much a part of Austin’s life as managing a pitching rotation or framing pitches. He said the opportunities his father and mother, Pam, provided for an only child gave him a perspective beyond his own needs.

“In those resources, in that good fortune, the main thing was this is a blessing and in that blessing we’ve got to be able to give back,” Austin said. “How important it is that we’re doing everything for a bigger reason. Not just trying to be successful in my work for myself or for glory on the field.”

In the past Austin has worked with Adam Wainwright’s Big League Impact organization, getting communities involved at the local level. He organized a fantasy football league where fans could join and 100% of the money raised was donated to Operation Homefront to benefit military families in San Diego. He hopes to conduct similar projects to benefit Cleveland charities.

Austin shares his philosophy of giving back with his wife, Maggie, and the two have plenty of post-baseball goals to accomplish one day. Among them is making a trip to Africa, which might be hard to undertake while he’s still active.

“It’s a big trip, and the offseason is very precious,” Hedges said. “But there will be missionary trips. We’re going to Uganda, just to see people and love on some people. We have an obligation in our fortunes in life to make the world a better place.”

Charlie says he admires what’s in Austin’s heart.

“There’s a real value that we as a culture, as individuals can bring to other cultures,” Charlie said. “We can truly make a difference in people’s lives.”

Bryan Lavastida’s path to opening day becomes clear: Guardians takeaways

[NOTE: after going 0-3 yesterday, Lavastida is now a perfect 0 for 10 this spring]

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Catcher Bryan Lavastida could find himself on the Guardians’ opening day roster as backup Luke Maile continues to rehab from a hamstring injury. Cleveland informed non-roster invitee Sandy Leon Thursday that he would not be making the big league club, and Leon elected free agency.

Why it matters: Cleveland added Lavastida to its 40-man roster in November, but probably would prefer to give him another year of seasoning in the minors before testing him at the major-league level. They signed Maile to a $900,000 major-league contract in February to back up starter Austin Hedges.

The big picture: Though he only has seven games under his belt at the Triple-A level, Lavastida is viewed as the most MLB-ready young catcher in Cleveland’s farm system. In three minor-league seasons the 23 year old has a .305 batting average and a .844 OPS with 12 home runs and 109 RBI over 619 at-bats.

What’s next: Lavastida was in the lineup Thursday against Seattle, but manager Terry Francona was not yet ready to say whether or not he has a place on the opening day 28-man roster. “Lava’s in camp,” Francona said. “I just don’t think we’re ready to name that spot yet.”

Sandlin’s volume will be monitored

Right-handed reliever Nick Sandlin’s rookie season ended in August with a shoulder injury, but the 25 year old has shown no ill effects so far in training camp.

The big picture: Sandlin was slated to pitch Thursday against Seattle, but Francona said due to his injury history, the club will monitor the volume of his innings early in the regular season.

Why it matters: Until the injury halted his rookie campaign, Sandlin had reached the point where Francona felt comfortable giving him more innings late when games were on the line.

By the numbers: Sandlin’s sidearm delivery held right-handed hitters to a .192 batting average in 92 plate appearances, but he was even better against left-handers, limiting them to a .146 average in 49 at-bats.

Go deeper: Francona admired Sandlin’s toughness after missing part of the 2019 season with a forearm fracture: “He’s a tough kid, man. Shoot, when he had that broken bone in his arm, he was mad when they wouldn’t let him pitch. So we’ll kind of keep an eye on him.”

Jose Ramirez reportedly breaks off contract talks with Guardians

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 4/1/22

The Cleveland Guardians may be facing the long-term danger of losing another star player.

The Guardians had been in contract extension talks with third baseman Jose Ramirez, but those talks have broken down, according to Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com. The Guardians had set a deadline of April 7 to get a deal done, but negotiations have “bogged down, if not ended.”

Ramirez has quietly developed into a full-fledged star for the Guardians. He hit .266 with 36 home runs in 2021, and finished in the top 10 of AL MVP voting for the fourth time in the last five seasons.

The situation is not desperate, as Ramirez does have a club option for 2023, but uncertainty would loom if the two sides cannot find a deal now. Based on a cryptic tweet sent by Ramirez’s agent, this news is not a total surprise. Ramirez’s camp may feel that the Guardians lowballed the third baseman.

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Ramirez’s camp may feel that the Guardians lowballed the third baseman

Y'a think!

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Why Bryan Lavastida over Sandy Leon matters

Published by Joe Gerberry on April 1, 2022

The title is a little hyperbolic, but with so few roster additions to talk about, we have to take every move the front office and coaching staff make at a higher than normal point of value. Last night, it was reported that Sandy Leon would not be the backup catcher to one Austin Hedges and that he was exercising his opt-out clause so as to find employment elsewhere, and also means that Bryan Lavastida, added to the 40-man roster in November last year, will serve as the backup catcher for the early going. Being a veteran backup, it’s expected that Leon will catch on somewhere, but the move could be important if some or all of the following reasons are true.

Reason numero uno: Luke Maile, one of the two free-agent signings in the shortened offseason, will not be out for long. Maile suffered a left hamstring strain nearly a week ago, and it was announced on March 26th from MLB.com’s Mandy Bell that he is likely to miss three-to-four weeks of time and will start the season on the injured list. The timing of the announcement would put Maile returning near the end of April, but in going with the young catcher Lavastida over a more veteran Leon shows that it might not be that long. With the schedule as it is in the early going, with more days off interspersed so as to ease into the season, Lavastida might only be needed for a game or three before Maile is back.

Reason numero dos: there seems to be a legitimate youth movement in Cleveland. On this week’s episode of the WFNY CornerCast, The Athletic’s Zack Meisel talked about the plans the Guardians seemed to be ready for this offseason. Plan A was trade for a bat, namely Jesse Winker and/or Matt Olson, add in some free agent signings, and contend. Plan B was “play the kids”, meaning give increased playing time to the next level of prospects, see if you can figure out who is going to be sticking around and who might be the chaff amongst the wheat. The move to go with Lavastida over Leon seems to be a sign that Plan B is the move. You can also see it with Amed Rosario’s move to left field as well. While it’s highly unlikely he has played his last game at shortstop, moving Rosario to the outfield at least part-time was to accommodate the prospect bats of Andres Gimenez and Gabriell Arias while also putting the “prove you belong here” titles on Owen Miller, Ernie Clement, and Yu Chang.

It should also be mentioned that Cleveland is in the middle of a roster catastrophe. The 40-man is chock full of players, with little to no room to breathe and allow for growth in the minors. To make Leon the backup catcher, even for a few weeks, would have necessitated a DFA move,1 meaning that someone would be exposed to waivers to have a catcher for three weeks. Sure, there are players that the team can afford to be without,2 but there is some sense in keeping those players as late-inning replacements or trade fodder for cash considerations. So while this is a great moment for Lavastida, and no less important for the organization, there are factors that have nothing to do with him that have made his ascension to the majors, with only seven games in Triple-A Columbus, a necessity.

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om Hanks to throw out first pitch at Guardians’ home opener
The star of “Larry Crowne” is returning to Cleveland

By Blake Ruane Apr 1, 2022, 12:57pm EDT 24 Comments

Actor Tom Hanks will throw out the ceremonial first pitch ahead of the Cleveland Guardians’ home opener against the San Francisco Giants on Friday, April 15 at Progressive Field.

Hanks started his acting career in Cleveland with the Great Lakes Theater Festival, and he lent his voice to the Cleveland Guardians team name announcement video last summer.

It is widely accepted that Tom Hanks’ top five movies are, in order:

1 Catch Me If You Can
2 That Thing You Do!
3 Cast Away
4 A League of Their Own
5 The ‘Burbs

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Mandy Bell the mlb.com Guardians reporter should know what's happening, her take on the roster isn't quite mine:

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Now that we’re under a week away from Opening Day, the Guardians’ Spring Training roster is inching closer to its final target of 28 players. But there still a few key decisions left to make.

We made some educated guesses at the beginning of camp of who would make the Opening Day roster, but some things have already changed in that short period of time.

MLB announced on Thursday that teams will be able to carry 28 players (29 for doubleheaders), up from 26, from Opening Day through May 1. Additionally, there will be no limit on how many pitchers they can carry as part of the expanded 28-man rosters. However, rosters will revert to 26 players with a 13-pitcher maximum on May 2.

Let’s take another look at what the 28-man roster may look like on Thursday in Kansas City.

Catcher (2): Austin Hedges, Bryan Lavastida

What changed? Rather than having Luke Maile on the Opening Day roster, the team will now have to turn to Lavastida, who doesn't yet have any Major League experience. Cleveland signed Maile at the beginning of camp to handle backup duties behind Hedges, but he strained his left hamstring running the bases on March 23 against the Dodgers, and will have to miss the first week or two of the season. While Guardians manager Terry Francona was hesitant to officially name Lavastida the backup catcher, the team doesn’t really have any other options.

First base (1): Bobby Bradley

What changed? Nothing changed here. Bradley will get the first chance to prove himself as an everyday first baseman. When he needs a day off (or is struggling and the club decides to platoon him), Owen Miller will serve as his backup.
Yu Chang's RBI double

Second base (1): Yu Chang

What changed? Instead of keeping the same middle infield duo as last season in Amed Rosario and Andrés Giménez, it seems as though Cleveland is looking to add just a little bit of offensive depth to its lineup by moving Rosario to left field, removing Bradley Zimmer or Oscar Mercado from the lineup and making room for Giménez and Chang to play up the middle.

Third base (1): José Ramírez

What changed? Still no surprises here.
José Ramírez's two-run homer


Shortstop (1): Andrés Giménez

What changed? This is the same situation as second base. Giménez is looking more like the Opening Day shortstop than second baseman, as the club has gotten Rosario more reps in left field. Rosario was scheduled to move back to shortstop on Friday, but is expected to be back in left field a few more times before the end of camp.

Outfield (5): Myles Straw, Josh Naylor, Bradley Zimmer, Oscar Mercado, Amed Rosario

What changed? The only thing that changed was adding Rosario to this mix.

What could still change? The team is still working through whether Naylor (who’s been rehabbing his way back from fractures and ligament tears in his lower right leg for 8 1/2 months) will be able to break camp with the Guardians or if it would be preferable for him to get a handful of games in at Triple-A before joining the big league team. Steven Kwan could easily find his way on the big league roster by next Thursday to provide more outfield depth after drawing plenty of attention this spring.

Designated hitter (1): Franmil Reyes

What changed? Nothing new to report here.

Utility (2): Owen Miller, Ernie Clement

What changed? Sliding Chang to second base frees up a spot for Clement, who could be a super utility player used all around the infield and in the corner outfield spots. The club is looking to try him in a corner at least once before camp breaks to see if he could handle that transition. Assuming he can -- which Francona seems confident he could -- that may give him an edge to earn a roster spot instead of someone like Kwan, based solely on versatility.

Those two will certainly have a tight battle in the final days of camp, though.

she does suggest that maybe something will change in the OF; let's hope so

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Jose Ramirez Rumors: Guardians Contract Extension Talks Have 'Broken Down'

TIM DANIELS

APRIL 2, 2022

Talks between the Cleveland Guardians and All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez about a possible contract extension have reportedly "broken down" ahead of the 2022 MLB season.

"Ramirez's representatives and the Guardians have been talking on and off about an extension. This was an important week in trying to get a deal done, but it appears negotiations have bogged down, if not ended," Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reported Friday.

The three-time Silver Slugger Award winner is set to enter the final guaranteed season of a four-year, $26 million contract. The Guardians hold a $14 million club option for 2023.

Ramirez made his MLB debut with Cleveland in 2013, and he's emerged as one of baseball's most valuable players over the past six years.

He's compiled an .895 OPS with 155 home runs and 134 stolen bases since the start of the 2016 season and ranks third among all MLB hitters in WAR (32.7) over that period, per FanGraphs.

The 29-year-old from Dominican Republic is coming off a 2021 season where he finished sixth in AL MVP voting after tallying 36 homers and 27 steals.

"I would really like to stay," Ramirez told reporters after last season. "But there's no rush. I would really like to stay here the rest of my career. But we have to wait to see what happens. I would love to see what they have to offer."

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SPORTSMLBCLEVELAND GUARDIANS

Tigers, Twins spent to improve in offseason; Guardians signed backup catcher | Jeff Schudel

By JEFF SCHUDEL | jschudel@news-herald.com | The News-Herald

PUBLISHED: April 2, 2022 at 1:47 p.m. | UPDATED: April 2, 2022 at 1:48 p.m.

This is the last weekend before the start of Major League Baseball’s regular season, so now is a good time to examine what the American League Central Division teams did in the offseason.

We’ll start with the Guardians. This won’t take up much space.

The Guardians declined the option on veteran catcher Robero Perez and signed catcher Luke Maile to backup Austin Hedges.

To quote cartoon legend Porky Pig, “That’s all, folks!”

Maile, though, suffered a hamstring injury running from first base to third in a Cactus League game on March 23 and will begin the season on the injured list.

The Guardians informed backup catcher Sandy Leon he would not make the opening day 28-man roster (rosters will be reduced to 26 on May 2). That leaves Bryan Lavastida, who was the catcher for the Guardians’ High-A Lake County Captains for 48 games last year, as Hedges’ backup while Maile heals. Lavastida played seven games with Triple-A Columbus last year.

The Guardians had the second-lowest payroll in the Majors last season at $50,670,534, according to spotrac.com. Only the Orioles had a lower payroll.

The media told the organization had the green light to spend in the 2022 offseason. That didn’t happen, but not for lack of trying, according to team president Chris Antonetti.

“We did have a subset and a target of players — and more often than not, they didn’t end up here,” Antonetti told reporters at spring training in Goodyear, Arizona. “On that level, it can be disappointing, but it doesn’t take away from my excitement with the group we have. And there have been other times when we didn’t have those options to turn to internally and therefore our net was a little bit wider in that we would have taken almost anyone to fill a spot. We don’t feel like we’re at that point.”

The Guardians 2022 payroll — $37,410,000 — ranks 29th, ahead of only the Orioles once again.

Antonetti said he has the financial freedom to be active if the Guardians are in contention at the July 31 trade deadline.

A look at the rest of the AL Central:

• The Chicago Whie Sox won the A.L. Central by 13 games over the second-place Indians in 2021. They lost starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (13-5 in 2021) to the Giants through free agency. Second baseman Cesar Hernandez signed with the Washington Nationals. Relief pitcher Ryan Tepera signed with the Angels.

Chicago’s only offseason addition was signing veteran relief pitcher Kendal Graveman, who had 10 saves with the Mariners last season.

The White Sox are counting on full seasons from two key players sidelined by injuries last season. Center fielder Luis Robert was limited to 68 games in 2021 after missing three months in midseason with a hip flexor. He hit .338 with 13 home runs and 43 RBI.

Left fielder Eloy Jimenez suffered a torn pectoral muscle in a spring training game in 2021. He played in 55 games with the White Sox and homered 10 times with 37 RBI while batting .249.

• The Minnesota Twins finished last in the division last season with a record of 73-89. When it became evident they would not crawl out of the pit they were stuck in from the beginning of the season, they traded starting pitcher Jose Berrios to the Blue Jays.

The Twins got busy after the lockout ended last month. They traded third baseman Josh Donaldson to the Yankees for third baseman Gio Urshela and catcher Gary Sanchez. They acquired starting pitcher Sonny Gray in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds. Minnesota sent right-handed pitcher Chase Petty, the 26th overall pick in the 2021 draft, to the Reds.

Minnesota’s biggest offseason move was one of the biggest in all of baseball. They signed free agent Carlos Carrea, the star shortstop from the Houston Astros, to a three-year contract. Carrea hit .279 with 26 home runs and 92 RBI last season.

Along with trading Donaldson to the Yankees, the Twins traded starting catcher Mitch Garver to the Rangers for infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa and minor-league right-hander Ronny Henriquez.

Starting pitcher Michael Pineda (9-8 last season) signed a one-year free agent contract with the Tigers.

• The Twins’ last place finish in 2021 was a surprise because they won the Central Division in 2019 and 2020. The Detroit Tigers were the opposite. They were an abysmal 47-114 in 2019 and last in the division in 2020 at 25-35. They were third in the division at 77-85 last year.

The Tigers tried to build on 2021 by signing starting pitcher Eduardo Rodríguez from the Red Sox along with Pineda. Rodriguez was 13-8 last season. He led the American League with 34 starts in 2019, when he finished 19-6.

The Tigers showed they are serious about competing for a playoff spot when they signed shortstop Javier Baez to a six-year, $140 million deal. He hit 31 homers and drove in 87 runs with the Cubs and Mets last season, but he also led the Majors by striking out 184 times.

Detroit traded infield prospect Nick Quintana to the Reds for veteran catcher Tucker Barnhart. Barnhart, who played eight seasons for the Reds before being traded, is best known for the way he handles a pitching staff and plays defensively, but he is no slouch at the plate. He hit .247 last season with seven homers and 48 RBI in 116 games.

The Tigers strengthened their bullpen by signing left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin from the A’s to a two-year contract.

Starting pitcher Matthew Boyd, who played seven years with the Tigers, signed a one-year deal with the Giants. Boyd had flexor tendon surgery last September and is starting the season on the Giants’ 60-day injured list. He is projected to pitch again in June.

• The Kansas City Royals were almost as quiet as the Guardians. They signed 38-year-old Zack Grienke to a one-year, $13 million contract. Grienke, selected by the Royals with the ninth overall pick in the 2002 draft, was 11-6 with the Astros last season. He also pitched for the Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Brewers and Angels in his career. He has a career record of 219-132.

The Royals traded starting pitcher Mike Minor to the Reds for left-handed relief pitcher Amir Garrett. Garrett appeared in 63 games with the Reds last season. He was 0-4 and had 10 saves to go with a 6.03 ERA.

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Bryan Lavastida is part of the future — and, for now, the present — at catcher for the Cleveland Guardians



Mar 25, 2022; Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Bryan Lavastida (81) in the dugout between in the inning during a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

By Zack Meisel 5h ago 3
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Bryan Lavastida has only been crouching behind the plate for three and a half years, but he has a tattoo of a catcher’s mask on his right wrist, the leading image of a sleeve of designs that creeps up his throwing arm.

“I fell in love with the position,” Lavastida told The Athletic, “so I decided, what better way to acknowledge that?”

When Lavastida first learned he would be shifting from the left side of the infield to catcher, he bid farewell to his long hair. He knew he had a steep learning curve ahead of him. He would need to learn his pitchers’ tendencies, how to frame their fastballs, when runners might test his pop time, how to keep hitters guessing. So he figured he’d knock out some of the easy adjustments right away, such as shaving his head so his hair wouldn’t get caught in his mask.

“I knew this was either going to make or break my career,” he said. “I just dove in.”

Lavastida has excelled at the plate at every level, with a career .305/.397/.448 slash line across parts of three minor-league seasons. Defensively, he admits he’s been a work in progress, but he credits his supporting cast for helping him make significant strides in the last year.

He has studied Austin Hedges’ every move this spring. Hedges constantly explains to him what he thinks during certain moments in each game, and why he makes the decisions he makes. Lavastida has also learned from catching coordinator Luke Carlin and longtime Cleveland catcher Sandy Alomar Jr.

With Luke Maile set to start the season on the injured list, Lavastida will stand along the third-base line in Kansas City for Opening Day introductions on Thursday, his first official day as a big-leaguer.

“I’m getting goosebumps about it right now,” he said, standing in front of his locker, one of the few not cleared out on the side of the Guardians’ clubhouse typically reserved for those with limited or no major-league experience. “It’ll be a dream come true.”

His parents plan to make the trip from Miami.

This isn’t expected to be a lengthy stay on Cleveland’s roster. Lavastida is keeping the backup catcher spot warm for Maile. But, really, Maile and Hedges are keeping one of the team’s long-term catching spots warm for Lavastida. He’s expected to return to Triple A when Maile recovers from a hamstring strain at some point in April. Had Maile been slated to miss significant time, the club likely would have found a way to clear a 40-man roster spot for veteran Sandy León and sent Lavastida directly to Columbus.

Lavastida has appeared in only seven games at Triple A.

“This can actually help Lava and hopefully help his development,” Terry Francona said. “But then he’ll need to get to Triple A and play.”

This spring, Lavastida has caught most of the big-league pitching staff, either in side sessions or during Cactus League games. He partnered with some of the club’s starters during the latter stages of the lockout. He has twice teamed with Aaron Civale and said the second occasion “was a lot closer to where I want to be than the first.” Lavastida has marveled at how, when Cleveland’s starting pitchers miss their spots, they don’t miss by much.

Now, he’ll catch those pitchers in games that count. It’s a quick rise, especially considering the pandemic wiped out his 2020 season, and considering this team has long placed emphasis on catcher defense and pitch-calling, even at the expense of deriving offense out of the position.

Cleveland selected Lavastida in the 15th round from Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Fla., in 2018. Those in the organization thought Lavastida’s arm slot and strength would fit behind the plate, and they thought his instincts would help him adapt quickly.

Last year, he finally started receiving praise from coaches and coordinators on his defense. He climbed from High-A Lake County to Double-A Akron, and then to Triple-A Columbus. When he arrived at his last stop, just two hours south of Progressive Field, it started to sink in. It didn’t hurt that he boasted a high batting average and on-base percentage, racked up a bunch of doubles and stolen bases and registered healthy walk and strikeout rates.

“I’ve always been iffy about my defense,” he said. “The offense, it’s always been there. When I heard (praise) about my defense, it clicked for me. I’m starting to become a whole player now.”

And for a handy reminder, all he has to do is glance at his wrist.

“Catching has been on my mind for almost four years,” he said. “It’s going to be on my mind for the rest of my life.”

The Guardians’ Opening Day roster, rookies and contract talks with José Ramírez and Emmanuel Clase: Meisel’s Musings


By Zack Meisel 5h ago 55
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Cleveland’s clubhouse manager asked rookie catcher Bryan Lavastida to select a uniform number a few days ago. He figured Lavastida didn’t want to stick with the No. 81 assigned to him this spring.

“Is this real?” Lavastida asked. Tony Amato said yes. Lavastida later received the official word from Terry Francona.

Lavastida likes the No. 1, but that belongs to Amed Rosario, so he instead chose 10. He left the clubhouse and called his parents. When he delivered the news, they were silent. He could tell they were tearing up.

“It was just surreal,” he said. “I’m the first baseball player in my family. We never even thought there was a chance at the big leagues when I was a kid.”

Steven Kwan, meanwhile, was summoned to Francona’s office, where the manager decided to have some fun. First, Francona, in a serious tone, apologized for waiting so long into camp to make a decision, and expressed his appreciation for Kwan showing patience.

“I’m like, ‘I’m getting cut, that sucks,’” Kwan said.

Then, Francona reversed course. Kwan had made the team.

“That was just a rollercoaster of emotions,” Kwan said, “but that was pretty fun.”

And as for Konnor Pilkington, the third player lacking major-league experience to break camp with the club: He sat down in Francona’s office, learned he made the roster, and, well…

“I instantly started sweating,” Pilkington said.

Francona asked who he planned to call first (his dad) and then explained his expected multi-inning bullpen role. Pilkington has yet to pitch at Triple A. He admitted at the start of spring that he didn’t think he’d be in this position.

Here are some thoughts on the roster and contract talks ahead of Opening Day.

1. We’ll know, once and for all, the end result of the José Ramírez contract extension negotiations by the middle of the week. Ramírez was disappointed by the team’s initial offer last week, and that the team conveyed a hardline stance when his camp countered, sources said, especially since he has expressed his preference to remain in Cleveland. It shouldn’t be impossible for the two sides to find middle ground, no matter the posturing taking place, if they’re as motivated as they claim to be. There’s time for another conversation in the next couple days, but there will need to be a change in the tenor of the negotiations.

2. An extension for a young, inexperienced reliever — or any reliever, for that matter — is a new tactic for the organization. The Emmanuel Clase deal, a five-year, $20 million arrangement, makes sense for both sides, though. Cleveland typically allows its top relievers to proceed through their arbitration years before the club severs ties. Relievers often have short shelf lives, and when they rack up saves, they can become expensive.

Chris Perez attained a $7.3 million salary in his final year with the club in 2013, the year his arm started to fall apart and he lost his grip on the closer role. He had one more year of arbitration eligibility remaining, but the team cut him loose. Cody Allen earned $7.35 million and $10.6 million in his final two years with Cleveland.

Clase will only earn eight figures if he’s still flinging 101-mph cutters and 94-mph sliders in 2027. He had five years of team control remaining, but this both sticks some immediate cash in his pocket and arms the team with some cost certainty. And if he’s still productive in five years, even if the Guardians don’t feel comfortable exercising his $10 million option, some other team will gladly trade for him.

3. When Myles Straw was cemented as the club’s center fielder last summer, Bradley Zimmer’s value to the club immediately plunged. I was surprised the front office even tendered him a contract over the offseason, given the club’s 40-man roster constraints. Zimmer offers some usefulness if he’s playing center field, a premium position. But his profile — a good glove, speed and the once-in-a-blue-moon cirrus-scraping home run — doesn’t really fit on this team, especially with Oscar Mercado capable of backing up in center. Even Kwan can spell Straw if need be.

When it comes to corner outfield at-bats, granting Kwan playing time would be much more beneficial than allowing time to Zimmer, who is 29 and owns a .658 OPS over parts of five major-league seasons. Kwan has demonstrated an elite contact ability and eye, and it’s critical for the club to learn how those skills translate to the major-league level.

Kwan has yet to strike out in 30 plate appearances this spring. He’s batting .429 (12-for-28). He did say that in his meeting with Francona, the manager told him he wouldn’t be playing every day. Perhaps if he capitalizes on his early opportunities, he’ll survive the roster crunch when Josh Naylor returns from the injured list and the roster shrinks from 28 players to 26. For now, Zimmer, Mercado, Kwan and Rosario will cover the corner outfield spots.

Related: Why Kwan is a hitter to remember for 2022

4. Kwan’s first college game took place at a tournament in Surprise, Ariz., against Ball State and a starting pitcher named Zach Plesac. Kwan recognized the surname, as Plesac’s uncle, Dan, pitched in the big leagues for 18 years. Kwan struck out twice, missed a sign, failed to execute a bunt and misplayed a ball in the outfield.

“I crumbled,” he said.

That season, he batted .215 with a .569 OPS. That Oregon State team included three fellow big-leaguers: infielder Nick Madrigal, outfielder Trevor Larnach and pitcher Drew Rasmussen.

“I was terrible,” he said, “probably the worst ballplayer on the field at that point. Not good mentally, not good physically.”

He reworked his swing with the program’s player development staff. And he spoke to a sports psychologist about meditation, visualization and affirmations.

“I just did not believe in myself,” Kwan said. “I was unbelievably insecure. I had huge impostor syndrome. I just didn’t think I belonged there at all.”

Fast forward six years, and Kwan got to place the call to inform his parents that he was bound for Kansas City as a member of the Guardians’ Opening Day roster. He would have called his dad, but “he can’t hear his ringtone,” Kwan said. So, he called his mom. Both parents were in the car together.

“My mom screamed very deafeningly,” Kwan said. “It was a really cool experience.”

5. Cleveland will start Shane Bieber, Plesac, Cal Quantrill and Aaron Civale, in that order, against the Royals in the opening series. Triston McKenzie is expected to pitch in relief in one of those games as the club deploys some sort of piggybacking strategy until the starters are stretched out.

Bieber will become the 13th pitcher in team history to make three consecutive Opening Day starts. The others: Corey Kluber, Justin Masterson, CC Sabathia, Bartolo Colon, Dennis Martinez, Gaylord Perry, Bob Feller, Stan Coveleski, Mel Harder, George Uhle, Willie Mitchell and Addie Joss.

Cleveland Guardians season preview 2022: Players to watch, and the key storylines that will shape the year



GOODYEAR, AZ - MARCH 22: Triston McKenzie #24 of the Cleveland Guardians poses for a photo during the Cleveland Guardians Photo Day at Goodyear Ballpark on Tuesday, March 22, 2022 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
By Zack Meisel Apr 5, 2022 61
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The organization has undergone a series of seismic shifts: a new name, a new ballpark lease, rumblings of an eventual ownership change. And yet, when the Guardians take the field in Kansas City on Thursday, there will be a familiar face on the mound and, for better or worse, a familiar cast of hitters trotting to home plate.

A new season is upon us, and for Cleveland, it’s expected to be another one marked by change. OK, so maybe no one told the front office that point. Eventually, though, this roster will undergo a transformation, as young players are replaced by younger players and the stockpile of shortstops is thinned a bit via trade. There’s new signage spread throughout Progressive Field, which will begin a facelift this fall.

But first, another season, the club’s 74th since winning the World Series in 1948. Here’s a rundown of who and what to watch.

A hitter to watch: Josh Naylor
Naylor was listed in this spot last year, too, and then, in a gruesome sequence at Target Field in late June, his leg twisted in ways no leg should ever twist. Last week, in his first at-bat in a non-minor-league game in nine months, he ripped a double to left-center.

This is a critical year for Naylor. It would behoove the Guardians if he developed into a middle-of-the-order hitter. He has amassed a full year’s worth of plate appearances, spread out over parts of three major-league seasons. The returns aren’t overly encouraging: a .250/.306/.389 slash line.

A player’s minor-league numbers don’t always translate at the top level, but Naylor’s big-league output doesn’t seem to match his hitting profile. He needs to rediscover his old tools: a lot of contact, adept strike zone awareness, patience. Naylor’s chase rate last season sat about 25 percent higher than league average. There’s plenty of power in his frame. Maybe a new hitting coach will help him unlock that potential.

FanGraphs’ ZiPS projection system forecasts a .258/.317/.425 slash line and a 101 wRC+ (1 percent better offensive production than a league-average hitter). The club needs more output from someone in line to play right field and first base. FanGraphs’ Steamer projection system is much more bullish: a .273/.336/.472 slash line and a 119 wRC+.

Naylor will start the season with what’s expected to be a short injured list stint to help him knock off any remaining rust after recovering from surgery to repair his leg. Then, it’s up to him to prove he can be a fixture in Cleveland’s lineup.

Josh Naylor's BB/K rates
Double A
10.7 percent
14.0 percent
Triple A
11.1 percent
11.9 percent
Majors
7.0 percent
19.2 percent
A pitcher to watch: Triston McKenzie
He’s 24, the baby of the rotation, with 153 big-league innings in the bank. We’ve witnessed flashes of brilliance. We’ve witnessed growing pains. He has flirted with a perfect game. He has failed to escape the first inning.

He admitted last summer he finally felt he belonged in the big leagues, and started throwing with more conviction. He said he feels more comfortable this spring, his third in major-league camp, and opposing hitters would likely confirm, as the 30 of them he has faced have accounted for only three hits. McKenzie was hitting 96 mph in his outing on Friday night.

Musical chairs
Yu Chang can play anywhere on the infield and figures to see time at first and second base. The same goes for Owen Miller. Andrés Giménez could man second base or shortstop. Amed Rosario could split his time between shortstop and left field.

Do you enjoy platoons? Then do I have the team for you!

It’s a safe bet that José Ramírez will occupy third base, Myles Straw will patrol center field and Austin Hedges will crouch behind the plate on most nights. After that, all bets are off. There are infinite ways manager Terry Francona can dole out defensive assignments, depending on who’s excelling at the plate and the handedness of the opposing pitcher.

Bobby Bradley, Giménez and Rosario at first, second and short against righties? Miller, Chang and Rosario at first, second and short against lefties? Or, Rosario to left and another middle infielder — don’t forget about Ernie Clement, or, eventually, Gabriel Arias, and maybe Richie Palacios and, down the line, Tyler Freeman — into the mix? There are enough arrangements to make your head spin.

Forget about trying to guess how the lineup will perform. It’s complicated enough trying to guess the lineup.

Run, don’t walk
This team will be uber-aggressive on the bases. They ranked third in the majors in stolen bases last season, and first (by a decent margin) in success rate. They ranked sixth in extra-base-taken percentage (advancing from first to third on a single, for instance). And that’s all with only two months of Straw atop the order.

Stolen base statistics, 2021

Myles Straw: 13 for 14
Amed Rosario: 13 for 13
Andrés Giménez: 11 for 11
José Ramírez: 27 for 31
Bradley Zimmer: 15 for 18
Oscar Mercado: 7 for 8

Obviously, Bradley and Hedges and Franmil Reyes aren’t going to run amok, but the club (and first-base coach/stolen base whisperer Sandy Alomar Jr.) will aim to capitalize with their more nimble players. Watch for Palacios if he gets a chance, too. He swiped 20 bases in 23 attempts in 103 games in the minors last year.

What you see in April will differ in August (or even May)
The composition of the pitching staff and relievers’ roles will drastically change as the season unfolds. The club will lean on multi-inning relievers — Eli Morgan, Sam Hentges, Logan Allen and Konnor Pilkington (the last three all being lefties to pair with the team’s all-right-handed rotation) — to cover for the starters until they’re fully stretched out. McKenzie is expected to pitch in relief for at least the opening series at Kauffman Stadium, too.

Zimmer, Mercado, Chang and Bradley are all out of minor-league options. They’ll have the shortest leashes this season.

There could be plenty of roster turnover as summer arrives. At some point, Arias, Palacios, Steven Kwan, Nolan Jones and others need regular opportunities.

Is this the next great Cleveland rotation?
There’s a wide range of potential outcomes with all five Guardians starting pitchers. Shane Bieber might be the safest bet to perform at a high level, but he’s also coming off a season in which he missed several months with shoulder trouble. Which version of Zach Plesac will turn up on the mound? Is Cal Quantrill’s second half, in which he posted a 1.94 ERA, repeatable? Can McKenzie avoid the pitfalls that plagued him for much of last season? Can Aaron Civale avoid barrages of home runs?

We’ve witnessed stretches of each of the five pitching like a front-line starter. We haven’t seen all five healthy and pitching in the rotation at the same time. If that happens, what’s the ceiling for this group? How many questions — all rhetorical until we see the group in action — can one writer ask in a single section?

José watch
If Ramírez and the Guardians can’t strike an agreement on a contract extension, Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins will probably exhaust the phone batteries of their former front office colleagues. Other teams would pounce, too. Ramírez would be the most popular name on the trade market this summer, unless Cleveland somehow soars toward the top of the standings. The pressure to deal him would escalate; he would hold more value for a contending club that could plug him into its lineup for two playoff runs, rather than just one year of control, as Cleveland found out with the Francisco Lindor trade.

Easy breathing in the ninth (now, as for the sixth, seventh and eighth…)
Could Emmanuel Clase somehow be … better? He was nearly flawless over the final 10 weeks of last season. Once he started to mix in more sliders, hitters couldn’t just anticipate his 100-mph cutter (though, even if guessing correctly, they rarely inflicted damage against that pitch).

As for Clase’s supporting cast, well, it’s not exactly an experienced, polished bunch. Anthony Gose has the pure stuff other pitchers dream of, but with only six big-league outings to his name, he’ll need to prove he can consistently throw strikes. Nick Sandlin worked his way into the late-inning picture last summer before his shoulder started barking. James Karinchak, on the heels of a Jekyll-and-Hyde campaign, will start the season on the injured list.