Cleveland Sports Forum

civ ollilavad wrote:It's hard to say about Clement and Miller. Ernie is never going to be much of a hitter but he's pretty solid defender at 2nd 3rd and ok at SS; I can' t recall if he's played any first base but with 26 man rosters there could be room for him; I'm thinking of the BlueJays and Brad Zimmer whose role is just defensive replacement in the 8th or 9th and pinch running. For mop-up reliever Sandy Leon has Ernie beat.

Miller is a defensive liability. He seems capable of screwing up some of the most routine plays. He's a super star of the sac fly and sometimes looks like a good hitter but he's been pretty weak for the past month or more: 208/236/258 OPS over his last 30 games which is even worse than his indifferent 2021: 204/243/309

I think the long-term answer is Neither of the Above. Arias, Freeman both hit right handed; Rocchio is a switch hitter. At least one of those and probably all have brighter outlooks than Owen or Enrie.

This is a great post civ!

Five hard truths for the Cleveland Guardians as they enter season’s second half



May 24, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Cleveland Guardians center fielder Myles Straw (7) in action during the game against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
By Zack Meisel
Jul 8, 2022
78

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Guardians are 40-40 as they limp to the midpoint of their 2022 schedule, an unforgiving, doubleheader-filled labyrinth. The first half was marked by late-inning heroics and headbutts, offensive outages and defensive gaffes.

The charitable AL Central might allow Cleveland to hang around throughout the summer, but the second half of this season also will be critical in setting up the club to legitimately contend in 2023. On that note, here are five truths we’ve learned in the first half that will determine the team’s fate in the second half.

1. This team desperately needs José Ramírez, the MVP candidate version
Only Ramírez knows precisely how much his right thumb is hindering him at the plate. And because he won’t pin the blame for his offensive slide on the (maybe) sore, (probably no longer) swollen, (who knows how) painful digit, it’s difficult for anyone to diagnose what’s going on with him in the batter’s box.

The only other explanation is some demonic spirit has invaded Ramírez’s body and sapped him of his hitting ability, because this is not the same hitter who tormented pitchers for the first two months by rarely swinging-and-missing and rarely striking out as he racked up singles and doubles and home runs and walks and threatened long-standing RBI records even though the guys in front of him in the lineup sported woeful on-base percentages.

This new iteration of Ramírez is chasing pitches at an uncharacteristically high rate, regularly swinging-and-missing and making a ton of weak contact (a drinking game revolving around Ramírez popups would leave Guardians fans passed out on their living room floor each night).

Through June 17, Ramírez boasted a .305/.397/.642 slash line. He rested the next two days. Since then, he owns a .215/.268/.323 slash line in 17 games. He has nine strikeouts in his last seven games, which is pretty standard for the average major leaguer but rather alarming for Ramírez. After all, he struck out nine times in April and only six times in May.



Notice how his OPS has tumbled and his strikeout rate has climbed.

Ramírez doesn’t like talking about the thumb, or using it as an excuse or seeing a lineup that omits his name, but he and the team need to figure out the best way to return him to all-world status.

Ramírez's alarming trends
April
39.4%
14.0%
23.3%
10.0%
May
40.2%
8.7%
13.4%
5.7%
June
36.6%
11.9%
19.5%
9.2%
July
21.4%
23.9%
45.0%
30.4%
2. There’s opportunity in the outfield
And that’s why Nolan Jones joined the Guardians in Kansas City before the series this weekend against the Royals, a source told The Athletic on Thursday afternoon. A primary objective this season is for the Guardians to cycle through players who don’t warrant a spot in the team’s plans moving forward and devote playing time to those who might.

The club already decided once that Oscar Mercado isn’t a part of the future. Ernie Clement, a reasonable option for a utility infielder role, shouldn’t be stealing opportunities from other outfield candidates such as Jones, Will Brennan, Oscar Gonzalez or Steven Kwan, no matter the handedness of the pitcher. This team has juggled the “development versus contention” conundrum for the last couple of months, but some of the head-scratching roster and lineup decisions in recent weeks haven’t aided either cause.

The profound depths to which Myles Straw is struggling have created multiple black holes at the bottom of the lineup, too. (We’ll get to the catching situation in a moment.)
Straw’s walk rate, by month:

April: 14.0 percent
May: 13.5 percent
June: 8.7 percent
July: 9.1 percent

Now, Straw’s overall walk rate is sufficient. But pitchers are no longer going to nibble around the strike zone when he’s at the plate. He rarely makes hard contact; he ranks at or near the bottom of the league in hard-hit rate, average exit velocity and expected slugging percentage. If he isn’t drawing walks, he isn’t reaching base. And if he isn’t reaching base, he’s wasting his elite speed (95th percentile sprint speed).

Straw is under team control through 2028, so he’ll have some role, but if he continues to scuffle, his presence should not prevent the team from learning more about Jones, Gonzalez or Brennan. The Guardians have succeeded in identifying Josh Naylor, Andrés Giménez and Kwan as potential long-term lineup members. It’s time to find another outfielder or two they can add to that group.

3. They need help at catcher
It’s understandable if the organization wants Bo Naylor to spend the duration of the season at Triple A. He revamped his approach at the plate over the winter and the overhaul is paying dividends, as he’s been more patient and hit the ball with more authority. The Guardians value catcher defense and the handling of a pitching staff, and it would be no simple task for Naylor to join the big-league club and speed through that crash course (though maybe a September apprenticeship would prove worthwhile, if the team doesn’t care about manipulating his service time). Either way, he figures to factor into the plan for 2023.

That said, the Austin Hedges/Luke Maile/Sandy León triumvirate has been rough. Cleveland’s catchers have compiled a — this is not safe for work — .162/.250/.255 slash line this season.

I’ll give you a moment to collect yourself.

That’s good for a 47 wRC+, or 53 percent below the league average. Only the Cardinals and Astros have received less output from their catchers this season, the Year of the Hapless Hitting Catcher. The league average slash line for catchers in 2022: .222/.292/.364. That’s why Cubs catcher Willson Contreras (.890 OPS) will be so sought-after in a few weeks.

4. The rotation has a high floor, but it’s far from dominant
The starting staff was the team’s Achilles’ heel for the first month of the season, a surprising development for an organization renowned for its perennially elite rotation. Then the group’s resurgence fueled a run to the top of the division standings. Lately, the results have been … somewhere in between. Add it all up and this rotation seems solid but unspectacular. Cal Quantrill, Zach Plesac and Triston McKenzie own ERA+ marks of 100, 102 and 104, respectively (league average is 100). Shane Bieber is slightly better, at 112. There’s nothing wrong with a rotation full of average to slightly above-average pitchers, but if that’s the new status quo, the Guardians need Aaron Civale to rebound.

With all of the trade capital the front office possesses, is this an area to consider upgrading? If the Guardians can acquire a front-end starter this summer or winter, is it a worthwhile investment? Cleveland’s starters rank 19th in the league with a collective 4.20 ERA. This isn’t a reincarnation of a Corey Kluber/Carlos Carrasco/Trevor Bauer/Mike Clevinger rotation. And although Daniel Espino and Gavin Williams are highly regarded, and Logan Allen, Xzavion Curry, Tanner Bibee and a litany of starters at High A and Double A could eventually help, the current quintet might not be in place by the time all of those youngsters are ready to contribute at a high level.

So, the Guardians must determine how to make the rotation more formidable in the near term, and whether that includes an external acquisition, or simply squeezing more out of those already in place.

5. They could use another steady presence in the bullpen
Eli Morgan thriving in a setup role has been a pivotal plotline for the club (and it creates a back-end pairing of relievers, along with Emmanuel Clase, who could not have more different arsenals).

After those two, the state of the bullpen is in flux. But that was to be expected; this is a largely inexperienced cast. Trevor Stephan, Sam Hentges and Enyel De Los Santos might be keepers. If Nick Sandlin can unearth a way to consistently throw strikes, he’s certainly worthy of a spot.

This group could benefit from another proven arm, though, and it’s the one area of the roster that doesn’t have an eventual, obvious solution waiting in the minors.

Thank for the plaudits

Whst do i think those 5 points?

1. Can’t possibly disagree about Jose’s importance
1a. Josh Naylor injuries are unfortunate too. He is looking a possible near all star caliber hitter
2. Is Jones coming up? Good luck. His development has been pretty uneven
2a. I like defense and can accept Straw as at least platoon CF.
3. I don’t object to hedges behind the plate. Defense here even more important than CF
Bo in 23
4. Starters are disappointing. I don’t know the solution
5. Interesting he doesn’t even mske a passing reference to Karinchak. Do we figure his only positive was the sticky stuff? I was hoping for Nick Mickolajcjek but he’s been erratic for the Clippers

When do they start trading infielders? Of course we never know which will succeed
Rocchio did little this season until he caugjt fire 10 days ago
Freeman has been ok off the IL. Arias not really
Tena has been aversge
Carson Tucker a recent 1st rounder has showm nothing
Y Valdez another top pick has shown a little

Karinchak - civ he seems to still have that crazy curve ball but he has trouble commanding it.

So hitters can lay off it and attack fast ball. Which has made him hesitant to throw it since he doesn't command that all that well either.

I don't think there's any question that it's possible the sticky stuff helped him command by increasing grip. That said, it seems to me many pitchers who used it had a full offseason to adjust and have compensated

What I’m hearing about Guardians roster, approach to second half of season – Terry Pluto

Updated: Jul. 09, 2022, 7:59 a.m. | Published: Jul. 09, 2022, 6:19 a.m.

By Terry Pluto, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Scribbles in my notebook as the Guardians move into the second half of the season:

1. When the Guardians promoted Nolan Jones to Cleveland, my first thought was, “Why not Will Brennan?” Both left-handed hitting outfielders are 24 years old. Brennan is a better defender than Jones, whose original position was third base.

2. Brennan is putting together an eye-popping minor league season. Between Class AA and AAA, he’s batting .338 (.916 OPS) with seven homers and 69 RBI in 72 games. Since being moved up to Class AAA Columbus, Brennan is hitting .362 (.944 OPS) with three homers and 30 RBI in 36 games.


3. Jones was injured (ankle/back) in spring training and has played only 23 games this season. To his credit, Jones is hitting .311 (.917 OPS) with three homers and 25 RBI in 108 plate appearances. So he is producing. It’s not as if Cleveland promoted a guy hitting .250 over Brennan.

4. But part of the reason the nod went to Jones is because he’s on the 40-man roster. Brennan is not. Right now, the Guardians are not in the mood to drop players off the 40-man roster. Rather, they want to find out about the guys on the roster. Jones had an excellent debut, going 2-for-3 with an double and an RBI.

5. Brennan was an eighth-round pick in 2019 out of Kansas State. You won’t find his name on any of the top 10 Cleveland prospect lists heading into this season. When 2022 opened, Brennan had a career .279 average (.758 OPS) in 602 at-bats between Class A and AA. He was considered a “nice player,” not a top prospect. But much like Steven Kwan in the minors a year ago, he’s taken off this season.

JOSH NAYLOR
Josh Naylor is better suited to be a DH this season as he continues to recover from a major leg injury in 2021. John Kuntz, cleveland.com


6. Jones was Cleveland’s second-round pick in the 2016 draft. He’s on virtually every top 10 Cleveland prospect list. He batted .238 (.787 OPS) with 13 HR in 99 games at Class AAA in 2021. Add in this season’s 23 games, and he has more Class AAA experience than Brennan. So there is reason to give him the first look. A second season of Class AAA helped Jones.

7. This move began with the abdominal injury to Oscar Gonzalez that probably will keep him out for a few weeks. Jones will take over for Gonzalez in right field. Another 24 year old, Gonzalez was hitting .285 (.746 OPS) with two homers and 14 RBI in 32 games. I’d like to see more of him once he’s healthy. Now, it’s a chance for Jones.


8. The 40-man roster issue is one reason why Bo (brother of Josh) Naylor won’t be called up soon. He is the catcher of the future, as in 2023. Bo Naylor is batting .277 (.914 OPS) with nine homers and 32 RBI between AA and AAA. He’s played only 13 games at Columbus. At 22, the Guardians don’t want to rush him. That’s the main factor behind him staying in the minors – and why it’s doubtful the Guardians will make a trade for a veteran catcher before the August 2 deadline.

9. Don’t look for the Guardians to make any big trades for veteran players. In fact, I hear they will be looking to move Franmil Reyes, who has finally started to hit. Since coming off the disabled list, he is batting .255 (.840 OPS) with 4 HR and 10 RBI in 15 games. The Guardians have talked to the big man about getting into better shape to play the outfield, but that hasn’t transpired. At this stage of his career, the 27-year-old Reyes seems content to be a DH. Overall, he’s batting .212 (.633 OPS) with 8 HR and 24 RBI.

LOVE HIS SPIRIT
Amed Rosario (left, in front of Franmil Reyes) constantly hustles and plays the game with joy. John Kuntz, cleveland.com


10. Josh Naylor is a better bet as a part-time DH/first baseman. He’s made an amazing comeback from a major leg injury in 2021, but still doesn’t move well. He played the outfield early in his career, but that doesn’t seem like a good idea now.

11. Trading Reyes would not only open up DH for Josh Naylor and others, it would allow the Guardians to play Owen Miller regularly at first base. Miller opened the season batting .400 (20-for-50) in April. Since then, he’s a .210 hitter (42-for-200). It’s important for Miller to have a strong second half. This season is a big chance for him to establish himself in the majors.


12. Amed Rosario could be traded at the deadline. Andres Gimenez is the shortstop of the future, a spot Rosario now plays. I like Rosario for his hustle and positive attitude. Since coming to Cleveland in the Francisco Lindor deal, he’s a .279 hitter (.717 OPS). He reminds me of Rajai Davis, who was more valuable to the team than his overall stats. Energy counts for something. I wonder if Rosario could become a “super utility” player in 2023.

13. The second half of the season is critical for James Karinchak and Nick Sandlin. Both were expected to have huge roles in the bullpen. Both have struggled. Karinchak was hurt early in the season. Sandlin lost his control. Both have the physical tools to be effective, they need to show it.

14. Heading into the weekend, the Guardians are 40-41. They are extremely streaky, having lost 13-of-17 games prior to Saturday in Kansas City. Before that, they had won 13-of-16. They are the youngest team in the majors, and that tends to lead to some really up-and-down streaks.

15. What Guardians must avoid is a repeat of the terrible four games lost in Detroit. They played sloppy/uninspired baseball. Yes, the kids will make mistakes, but how they performed in those games was embarrassing. I don’t want to hear about how the team had a lot of doubleheaders. Effort should always be there.

Couple of good articles by Meisel and Pluto about this team at mid-season.

No sitting on their hands. Looking forward to some trades and more roster churning.

I don't agree with this:

"The 40-man roster issue is one reason why Bo (brother of Josh) Naylor won’t be called up soon.
All they'd have to do is DFA Sandy Leon

I do agree with this
At 22, the Guardians don’t want to rush him. That’s the main factor behind him staying in the minors – and why it’s doubtful the Guardians will make a trade for a veteran catcher before the August 2 deadline."

If you put someone on the 40 man roster, you start the arbitration and FA clocks.

seagull wrote:If you put someone on the 40 man roster, you start the arbitration and FA clocks.

Actually their clocks don't start until they are in the major leagues. And they must be on the 40 man to be called up.

However it's late this season and calling them up at this point won't count for a year in the bigs. That's why teams wait until well into the season.

Nolan Jones’ Cleveland Guardians debut finally arrives: ‘My body started shaking’



Cleveland Guardians' Nolan Jones hits an RBI double during the second inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Friday, July 8, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
By Zack Meisel

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Nolan Jones was on the phone with his mom Thursday afternoon as he initiated his pregame routine at Huntington Park. Triple-A Columbus manager Andy Tracy interrupted the conversation and summoned the 24-year-old to his office.

Jones, a natural third baseman, is still learning the intricacies of the outfield, and Tracy informed the former top prospect he was being sent to Double-A Akron to get acquainted with the atypical dimensions of the outfield walls at Canal Park.

Jones admits he wasn’t thrilled with the idea, but he accepted the assignment.

“It seemed weird to me,” he said Friday afternoon. “But when you have a pretty serious meeting, I have to believe it. He had me good for a little bit.”

Tracy quickly revealed the actual reason for the meeting: Instead of working in the Akron outfield, Jones would be roaming the outfield at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.

And he had a flight to catch in three hours.

“My body started shaking,” Jones said.

He called his family; they shed some tears and booked some flights out of Philadelphia. Jones arrived late Thursday evening and picked the brains of teammates a night before his long-awaited big-league debut.

Jones’ parents, three siblings, girlfriend, grandmother, aunt, brother’s fiancée and two best friends from high school all made the trip to watch him bat seventh for the Guardians and start in right field. He promptly ripped an RBI double down the right-field line in his first plate appearance. He finished the night 2-for-3 and was lifted for a pinch runner in the seventh inning.


Nolan Jones smiles after his first big-league hit: a double off Brady Singer. (Jay Biggerstaff / USA Today)
This day seemed inevitable from the outside looking in. A second-round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, Jones had an athletic build and obvious tools, including power, patience and a strong arm. A couple of years into his professional career, his name surfaced on top 100 prospects lists. He was widely viewed as the organization’s top prospect.

Then his progress stalled a bit. It wasn’t all his doing, as the pandemic cost him a 2020 season, which he might have started in Columbus. He wasn’t without faults; he endured profound struggles against left-handed pitchers and piled up strikeouts in bunches. In 2021, he started off especially slow, and when he finally rebounded, an ankle injury cut short his season. That eventually required surgery and preceded a back injury that left him wondering if a big-league promotion would ever materialize.

“There are times when you start doubting yourself,” Jones said, “and that it’s not going to happen and that your dream might not come true.”

Jones credited Cleveland reliever James Karinchak for supplying a desperately needed push as the two rehabbed this spring in Arizona. Jones feared he would need back surgery, that it would derail his career, that his left-handed swing would never recover. Karinchak helped him shake the invasive thoughts and focus on seizing each day.

“He’s crazy,” Jones said, “but he’s the best.”

Coaches and coordinators reminded Jones that no one’s opinion of him, inside the organization, had changed, despite his tumble in the prospect rankings. They assured him that, even at 24, he still possesses a bright future.

“I wouldn’t wish failure upon anybody,” Jones said, “but I think it definitely opens your eyes. … Mentally, it was a tough couple of years for me.”

When Jones returned to the Columbus lineup last month, he started racking up hits. At the time of his promotion, he owned a .311/.417/.500 slash line with a more tolerable strikeout rate (26.9 percent) than he had posted last season (30.0 percent) and a 1.021 OPS against southpaws.


Nolan Jones catches a fly ball during his major-league debut. (Jay Biggerstaff / USA Today)
The Guardians need all the help they can get in the outfield. Cleveland’s outfielders rank 28th in the league with an 84 wRC+ (that’s a collective offensive output 16 percent worse than league average), ahead of only rebuilding doormats Cincinnati and Oakland. The group’s .327 slugging percentage ranks last in the league. So does its total of seven home runs. If the Guardians outfielders tripled that number, they’d soar into a tie for 27th place.

Perhaps Jones will provide somewhat of a remedy, especially with the unit’s only other power threat, Oscar Gonzalez, sidelined with an abdominal injury. In his minor-league career, Jones boasts a .275/.399/.448 slash line in 1,968 plate appearances. Some evaluators believe his profile could translate to 25 or so homers and at least as many doubles over a full big-league season.

When Jones arrived at the team hotel Thursday night, his family was waiting for him in the lobby. Jones said he failed to fall asleep Thursday night, and his legs were shaking all afternoon Friday once he spotted his name in the lineup and the No. 33 uniform hanging in his locker. He received a stockpile of souvenirs from his debut, including the lineup card, the ball from his first hit and the ball he snagged in right field, a line drive by Whit Merrifield that nearly soared over his head.

“It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of,” Jones said.

After the 4-3 loss to the Royals, Jones joined his friends and family members to take in the postgame fireworks show. His mom, Regina, hugged him and told him, “You’re a big leaguer.”

“I was like, ‘Holy crap,'” Jones said. “It’s not even real.”




Zack Meisel
Zack Meisel is a staff 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

Guardians’ All-Star trio, Nolan Jones’ blast, Steven Kwan Q&A: Meisel’s Musings

Jun 24, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez (0) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
By Zack Meisel
Jul 10, 2022
25

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two hours before first pitch Sunday, Guardians players and coaches gathered in the visitors clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium.

Terry Francona, standing in the center of the room, first announced José Ramírez’s selection to the American League All-Star roster. The manager handed the third baseman an official invitation to the midsummer classic, which will take place July 19 at Dodger Stadium.

Francona then confirmed Emmanuel Clase as the club’s second representative. After Francona handed the closer his information packet, he encouraged the team to supply the duo with a round of applause.

Then Francona interrupted the celebration. He was clutching one final invitation. Everyone in the room figured Ramírez and Clase were bound for Los Angeles. But there was one other candidate to address. Francona turned around, walked toward the far corner of the clubhouse and revealed Andrés Giménez as Cleveland’s third All-Star. All three were elected by their peers.

“They erupted for Giménez,” Francona said. “That place went crazy.”

“It really surprised me,” Giménez said a few minutes later in the Guardians’ dugout, where he sat to FaceTime his family to deliver the news. He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he spoke to his mom, wife and baby son.

Cleveland has sent multiple players to six consecutive All-Star games. It’s Ramírez’s fourth honor. It’s the first for Giménez, 23, and Clase, 24.

Giménez said the achievement serves as “validation for all of the work,” after his struggles last season resulted in a demotion to Triple-A Columbus.

Giménez in 2021: 68 games, .218/.282/.351 slash line, five home runs
Giménez in 2022: 71 games, .299/.354/.479 slash line, nine home runs

“I consider myself extremely hopeful,” he said, “but being down there in Triple A makes (a day like this feel) a little more distant.”


Emmanuel Clase, pictured, and Andrés Giménez are first-time All-Stars. (Ken Blaze / USA Today)
Clase has blossomed into one of the sport’s premier closers. He leads the AL with 19 saves and owns a 1.53 ERA, thanks to a cutter that routinely registers triple digits on the radar gun and a 92 mph slider that constantly induces empty swings.

He said he’s looking forward to meeting his fellow All-Stars … “but also being able to get on the mound and strike them out.” Francona told Clase this won’t be his last All-Star nod.

As for Ramírez, the cornerstone of Cleveland’s lineup has had a quiet few weeks at the plate, but still boasts a .290/.371/.581 slash line, with more walks than strikeouts and 13 stolen bases. He ranks third in the AL in fWAR, behind Boston’s Rafael Devers and New York’s Aaron Judge.

“Any chance we get to show him some appreciation,” Francona said, “it feels good.”

Back where it all began
The last time Steven Kwan was in Kansas City, his parents were in town, he was racking up hits and setting records, and fans were marveling at his aversion to whiffing.

A lot has happened since. Kwan was bumped to the bottom of the lineup during a rough May and then shifted into the leadoff spot to replace a struggling Myles Straw.

April: .354/.459/.500
May: .173/.271/.253
June/July: .304/.364/.360

“I’ve been impressed with his whole game,” Francona said, adding he appreciates Kwan’s reserved demeanor and openness to instruction.

Kwan is quick to downplay his productivity. After he notched three hits Saturday, he shrugged, recited one of his go-to lines — “It’s just a game of variance” — and said he was fortunate that “an ass-out little swing” resulted in a double.

Kwan also snagged a hit away from Kansas City’s Whit Merrifield in the first inning Saturday. When Kwan and Merrifield converged at second base later in the game, Merrifield told him, “If you rob one more, we’re gonna have some problems.” Kwan replied: “Hopefully we don’t have to do that.”

Kwan spoke to The Athletic over the weekend about his first half.


Steven Kwan, right, robs Whit Merrifield in the first inning. (Denny Medley / USA Today)
What has stood out about what you’ve learned through the first three months of your big-league career?

I think it’s just been desensitizing the platform of the big leagues. I’m definitely grateful I’m here, but it’s not so much anymore where it’s like, “Oh my God, I’m here. I can’t believe I’m here. I’m sitting next to these guys. I’m playing against these guys.” It’s like, “OK, back at the ballpark, back at the office. Get my routine in. Get my work in.” It’s a little more familiar now, as opposed to before. It was super novel, super new, wide-eyed. It feels more familiar now.

You always said regression would set in at some point, that the law of averages would show up. Not to say you’d ever want to struggle, but did it help to learn how to reset and figure out what it takes to get right?

Absolutely. I think I was tempering myself to, “Yeah, there will be some failure.” I may feel that and once you get there and you’re not as high as you were, then you can analyze and say, “These things were working for me. These things weren’t.” You cut out the things that may have seemed important to you but weren’t. You can get your priorities back in check. It was definitely useful to go through that.

It’s a game of adjustments. You have to make adjustments to (pitchers) and then they make their adjustments and it’s just one game of back-and-forth, just trying to stay wary of that.

How much does that help you exhale and reinforce that you’re big-league caliber?

Everybody has that doubt in their head, where they’re like, “Can I replicate this? Can I make this sustainable?” I was talking to one of the pitchers — there’s really nothing in baseball that says you have to get a hit ever again. You could literally go 0-for the rest of your career and nothing could stop you from doing that. That’s a real possibility. Obviously, that’s super dramatic. But seeing all of those hits get through, helping the team, you definitely get a sigh of relief.

When thoughts like that creep into your mind, how do you reassure yourself?

You acknowledge it, first of all. You don’t think of it and then throw it away. It’s like, “OK, I’m thinking about that because I’m insecure about my position. I’m a rookie. I don’t know how long I’ll be here.” All those thoughts are valid. You shouldn’t invalidate those thoughts. It goes back to the meditation practice: I identify that thought, but I am not that thought. That’s just something that passed through my head.

I know meditation and mental preparation were things you prioritized before you got to the majors. How has your focus on those tenets evolved since?

It’s way more involved. There are just so many more eyes, more people watching. People just care more. And it’s on a higher platform. So I definitely had to step up my practices and be more intentional with that. At the end of the day, it’s still the same game. There’s just a little more noise.

That first week, your parents were here to watch you. A few weeks later, on the West Coast, everyone you know was in attendance. Do things feel more normal now?

Absolutely. I just have my feet under me, have a good foundation. Everything’s not just all over the place. That definitely helps.

Sunken treasure

Nolan Jones went 5-for-10 with a homer and four RBIs in his first series. (Peter Aiken / USA Today)
The baseball Nolan Jones swatted for his first major-league home run was retrieved from the fountains beyond the wall in right-center field at Kauffman Stadium. It was one of a handful of mementos Jones packed in his suitcase before boarding the team flight to Cleveland, where he’ll make his home debut Monday.

Jones’ home run, off a 96 mph fastball from Kansas City’s Jackson Kowar, traveled an estimated 457 feet, the longest homer by a Guardians hitter this season.

1. 457 feet, Nolan Jones, July 9 vs. KC
2. 447 feet, Amed Rosario, June 15 vs. COL
3. 422 feet, José Ramírez, May 28 vs. DET
4. (tie) 421 feet, Josh Naylor, May 9 vs. CWS
421 feet, Andrés Giménez, April 12 vs. CIN

Related: Nolan Jones’ Guardians debut finally arrives

A bullpen in flux
After Clase, which Guardians reliever would you trust most in a tight game?

Maybe Eli Morgan remains your answer, despite his recent troubles. Trevor Stephan and Enyel De Los Santos have had their moments this season, but neither has cemented himself as a steady, late-inning option. Nick Sandlin and James Karinchak were pitching in such situations last season, but Sandlin has struggled to consistently throw strikes and Karinchak has labored through three outings since returning from Triple A.

Sam Hentges logged a 1.44 ERA through his first 24 appearances, but he’s allowed nine runs and 18 base runners over his last 5 2/3 innings. In a tie game in the ninth inning Friday night, Hentges surrendered the decisive two hits that vaulted the Royals to victory.

Entering his appearance in a low-leverage spot Sunday, here’s how his outings broke down:

Opponents vs. Hentges, low leverage: .147 average, .502 OPS
Opponents vs. Hentges, medium leverage: .353 average, .833 OPS
Opponents vs. Hentges, high leverage: .353 average, .977 OPS

Three stats of the day
1. Zack Greinke threw the 50,000th pitch of his career during the Royals’ 5-1 win against the Guardians on Sunday. He’s the 17th pitcher to reach that milestone since pitch-count tracking began in 1988. Cleveland’s five starters — Shane Bieber, Cal Quantrill, Zach Plesac, Triston McKenzie and Aaron Civale — have totaled 30,533 pitches.

The breakdown:

Bieber: 9,399 career pitches
Plesac: 6,294
Quantrill: 6,024
Civale: 4,900
McKenzie: 3,916

2. Cleveland’s rank, among the league’s 30 teams, in wRC+ (a metric measuring total output, with 100 being league average), by position:

Catcher: 29th (46 wRC+)
First base: 20th (101)
Second base: 11th (96)
Shortstop: 11th (99)
Third base: 6th (125)
Left field: 15th (101)
Center field: 30th (65)
Right field: 11th (105)

3. The Guardians are 8-33 when they score three runs or fewer and 33-9 when they score four or more runs.

The Valaika boys: Four MLB draftees and the father who got them there
Zack Meisel
Jul 15, 2022

The four Valaika boys faced a choice after every high school or travel ball game. They could hop in Dad’s Toyota Camry, roll down the windows and relish their performance.

If they airmailed a cutoff man or failed to hustle down the baseline or flailed at a pitch that never flirted with the strike zone? Well, Mom’s white Chevy Suburban never seemed like a more appealing getaway car, offering the boys a chance to hibernate in the third row of seats, away from the wrath of their demanding coach.

Once that coach stepped through the front door of the family home, he morphed back into Dad, barred from lecturing the boys about relay throws or swing decisions. Jeff Valaika directed his sons on the baseball diamond, the soccer field and the basketball court, and nothing irked him more than an incomplete effort or an unforced gaffe.

Jeff took after his brother Phil, nicknamed Uncle Mad Dog, who was a frequent ejectee and clipboard snapper when coaching hoops.

“I try to be… not like that,” said Chris, the oldest of Jeff’s five children. “I’m a little more patient.”

All four Valaika boys were drafted as shortstops, two from UCLA and two from UC Santa-Barbara. All four played at least one season in the minor leagues, with Chris, the trailblazer, spending parts of four seasons in the majors.

When he retired in 2015, Chris was mentally drained, nursing a torn ACL and desperately seeking a career shift. He had no intention of pursuing a coaching career, even though his dad had, for years, forecasted for him a future in such a role. Chris always insisted he had no interest and pointed to the stark contrast in their on-field demeanors.

Chris is now the Cleveland Guardians’ hitting coach. Father knew best.

In 2017, Chris joined Jeff’s hometown Cubs as a minor-league hitting instructor. He belonged in a dugout, in a batting cage, in baseball pants, in that familiar setting his dad taught him to cherish.

Chris couldn’t wait to deliver the news to his dad. Jeff was raised in Stockton, Illinois, a little more than two hours west of Wrigley Field. He and his brothers and nephews played catch in the street in their neighborhood, daydreaming about scaling an ivy-coated fence to haul in a fly ball at their baseball sanctuary. Jeff, of course, idolized Mr. Cub, Hall of Fame infielder Ernie Banks.

All those years, Chris scoffed at his dad’s suggestion that he would thrive as a coach. He finally had the chance to admit the truth.

As much as I fought it, Dad, you were right.

He’s certain Jeff heard him, from his coma, where he has remained for the last seven years.

There’s a room in the Valaika house in Valencia, California, designed to resemble an old-school sports bar, with exposed beams and air conditioning vents. For a Windy City touch, there’s a brick wall reminiscent of the pattern spanning the perimeter of the playing surface at Wrigley.

Jerseys, game programs, awards and ticket stubs line the walls and fill cabinets. A photo of Chris fielding a throw on the infield graces the cover of a purple 2011 Louisville Bats scorecard. A framed collage showcases all four boys manning shortstop at various points at William S. Hart High School. There are mugs and hats and uniforms with UCLA and UCSB logos, and a red St. Louis Cardinals cap to commemorate Matt’s year in the minors with that organization. There’s a framed newspaper article from an April 2006 edition of the Santa Clarita Valley Signal, which dubbed Matt “The Finisher” and named him boys soccer Player of the Year after he established the school goals record.

Shelves overflow with notable baseballs, including one from Chris’ first big-league game, against the Giants in San Francisco, and his first home run, coincidentally, against the Cubs. There’s a boxed cover of a September 2010 front page of the Cincinnati Enquirer, with the bold, red-lettered headline, “Reds Clinch,” after the club vanquished its 15-year playoff hex. In the main photo, Reds players and coaches are forming a dog pile, of which Chris, a rookie at the time, was a part.

And there’s a red sign perched atop an armoire that reads, “Valaikas: Living the Dream.”

The family jokes that the dream rarely included vacations. There were no weeklong escapes to California’s sandy shores or treks to tourist attractions in other areas of the country. There were baseball tournaments. Every weekend.

“The car was constantly in motion,” Pat says.

Ilona isn’t sure how she and Jeff managed it. Baseball season swallowed them whole, but she contends she would travel back in time in a heartbeat to those early mornings as she shuttled around the state to attend one game while monitoring others on her phone. When Chris obtained his driver’s license, he evolved into his brothers’ personal taxi driver.

Ten years separate Chris from Nick, the youngest. In between are Matt, Briana, and Pat. In 2010, Jeff and Ilona would sit in the stands at Nick’s high school game while flipping between Pat’s UCLA game, Matt’s game with the Low-A Batavia Muckdogs and Chris’ game with the Reds. Sometimes, they’d split up, head to different games and text each other updates.

Hey, switch over to the Reds game. Chris is on deck.

Other times, they would sit on the living room couch, with the MLB TV package broadcasting a game on the TV, a minor-league stream playing on an iPad and the radio broadcast of another game blaring from the computer speakers.

“It was like a sports bar in the living room,” Chris says.

The Valaikas routinely field questions from those marveling at the implausibility of all four sons being selected in the MLB Draft. Was this your master plan? Did you train them for a future in baseball? Ilona admits she and Jeff held the kids to lofty standards — their family motto, she says, is “Failure is not an option” — but they never could have expected such a feat.

“Sometimes you see two or three,” Pat says, “but four is pretty special.”

Jeff played basketball at Elmhurst University, an hour outside of Chicago, and he relocated to California to attain his Masters in sports marketing. Ilona filled in one day for a close friend who worked as a scorekeeper in a basketball league that Jeff had joined. They met on the court, went out for pizza after and wound up married with five children, who stress they inherited their athletic genes from their father.

“I am the most unathletic person there is,” Ilona says, laughing.

Still, she raised five kids who prospered in baseball, soccer and ballet. Among the boys, Chris paved the way, a third-round pick, a member of the U.S. National Team, a well-regarded prospect and, ultimately, a big-leaguer. In his first career at-bat, with his family in attendance at the then-named AT&T Park, he lined a first-pitch single to center.

“It showed the other boys that, hey, with hard work, it’s possible,” Ilona says. “Your own brother did it.”


Chris Valaika during his time with the Cubs in 2014. (Charles Rex Arbogast / AP)
A few weeks before Chris traveled to Arizona for spring training with the Cubs in 2015, his final season, Jeff underwent triple bypass surgery and an aortic aneurysm repair. As he recovered, the five children cycled through hospital shifts, ensuring someone was always keeping their parents company.

One night, about a week after the operation, as Ilona and Pat slept in a hospital lounge, Jeff suffered a heart attack and developed a blood clot in his lung, which spread to his brain and forced him into a coma.

Baseball served as Chris’ emotional outlet, even though he struggled to fend off thoughts about his dad as he navigated a summer spent with the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate. Like his siblings, he kept reminding himself: “This is what Dad would want me to do.” And as challenging as that proved, Jeff certainly wouldn’t accept anything less than a full effort.

“He shouldered a lot of the burden when everything first happened, being the oldest,” Ilona says. “He’s rallied. I’m so proud of him.”

Each night, Ilona would sit bedside and listen to the kids’ games, propping up her phone near Jeff’s ear. COVID protocols have limited her to FaceTime calls to keep Jeff apprised of career advancements, baseball transactions and grandchildren milestones. Sometimes, Ilona says, Jeff will wince when she relays certain information.

“I’m like, ‘Well, maybe he does hear me,’” she says. “Hopefully, on some level, he does know what’s going on.”

Since that fateful night in January 2015, Jeff has conquered a litany of health maladies, including organ failures, infections, a left toe amputation and colon cancer. Ilona says doctors are baffled by his resilience, and the prognosis for someone in his state is far from promising. The family has prepared for the worst on numerous occasions.

“We’re like, ‘OK, here we go,’” Ilona says, “and he just keeps rallying back. I just have to keep believing there’s a reason this is all happening. I’m not naive. We’re never going to have the original version of Jeff back. But God’s keeping him alive for a reason.”


Chris Valaika in 2008, when he was in the Reds organization. (Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)
Late in his playing career, Chris started investigating the benefits of data and technology in baseball. He studied the science behind swing mechanics and pored over video. Phone conversations between Chris and Pat, which usually opened with on-field topics before transitioning to family chatter, became flooded with analytical jargon. A few minutes about force plates, and then some dialogue about Pat’s two toddlers.

“Listening to him talk,” Ilona says, “sometimes I’m like, ‘Is this my kid? You really sound like you know what you’re talking about.’”

When he initially attended UCSB, Chris studied anthropology, though he describes his focus a bit differently.

“It was baseball,” he says.

When he returned to the school in 2016, his playing career in the rearview, he switched his major to history to leave the door open for teaching and coaching at the high school or college level. He assisted the coaching staff at UCSB that year, with a roster that included eventual Guardians ace Shane Bieber.

His newfound passion for sports science led to a job with Sparta, a company that specializes in analyzing body movement. Chris traveled to Arizona during spring training in 2017 in an attempt to foster relationships between the company and MLB teams. He had lunch one afternoon with Jason McLeod, a former member of the Cubs’ player development staff, who two weeks later offered him a job in their hitting department.

Chris’ visit to the desert had reminded him of the environment he coveted and how much he missed the daily rigors of a baseball season. He headed to extended spring training to work with Cubs minor-leaguers and after the draft, trekked to Eugene, Oregon, to serve as the short-season hitting coach.

The next season, the Cubs promoted Chris to the role of hitting coach at Triple-A Iowa, where he had played just three years earlier. He spent the following season as a roving instructor, oversaw the club’s alternate site during the pandemic-shortened season and advanced to the big-league coaching staff in 2021. After the Guardians dismissed Ty Van Burkleo last fall, they prioritized a new hitting coach who could spearhead an organization-wide shift in hitting philosophy. The club’s front office decision-makers appreciated the way Chris prioritizes collaboration, a keystone of Cleveland’s operation. The Guardians employ the league’s youngest roster, and many hitters say they’ve found it simple to connect with Chris, especially given the recency of his career.

“He’s done a tremendous job,” Guardians manager Terry Francona says.

Last week, Pat’s 3-year-old daughter told him she “can’t watch Toy Story.” Pat, playing for the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett, Georgia, was puzzled.

“Nana watches your game,” his daughter explained, lamenting the fact that her father’s at-bats took precedence over Woody and Buzz Lightyear’s excursions.

Matt and Nick are no longer playing, but Ilona still tunes in to Pat’s games. She checks the Guardians’ box score each night, her eyes first darting to the number in the team’s hit column.

Ilona texted Chris after Cleveland piled up 23 hits in a lopsided victory against the Royals last Saturday. “We needed that,” replied Chris, the typical hitting coach who never exhales, since some member of the lineup always aches for a reversal of fortunes.

Chris considers himself reserved, a support system for Cleveland’s hitters, not a daunting presence who will stand atop the dugout steps ready to launch into a tirade if a player waves at an errant pitch. He might not coach in the same manner as Jeff, but he’s confident his dad would have relished the chance to follow along — and to know he was right.

“I don’t know what he’s hearing, what he’s doing in there,” Chris says, “but we like to believe he’s hearing us. Hopefully, things turn and he comes out of it and gets to see me do this job. But if not, I know he’s watching.”





Zack Meisel
Zack Meisel is a staff 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

Best Cleveland MLB draft picks of the last 15 years (and the ones they’d like to forget)



Montverde Academy Eagles shortstop Francisco Lindor #12 during a game at Olympia High School in Orlando, Florida; March 7, 2011. (Mike Janes/Four Seam Images via AP Images)
By Zack Meisel
Jul 14, 2022

CLEVELAND – With the MLB Draft set to begin Sunday, let’s review the good, the bad, the surprises and the what-could-have-beens from the last 15 years of Cleveland’s drafts. We’ll examine the picks from the first two rounds each year, plus any late-round bloomers.

Note: We tallied up Baseball-Reference’s version of WAR for each class, including players who ultimately suited up elsewhere.

2021 (WAR: N/A)
Round 1, Pick 23: Gavin Williams, SP
Round 2, Pick 58: Doug Nikhazy, SP
Round 2, Pick 69: Tommy Mace, SP

Best pick: Choose your pitcher. Cleveland took 19 of them with their 21 selections. Williams has front-of-the-rotation potential; in his first professional season, he’s sporting a 1.64 ERA in 14 starts split between High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron, with 91 strikeouts and only 37 hits allowed in 65 2/3 innings. The Athletic’s Keith Law noted Williams was a glaring omission from the Futures Game roster.

2020 (WAR: N/A)
Round 1, Pick 23: Carson Tucker, SS
Round 1, Pick 36: Tanner Burns, SP
Round 2, Pick 56: Logan Allen, SP

Best pick: It’s a bit early to make any sweeping declarations, but Burns and Allen seem destined for a major-league rotation. One National League scout raved about Milan Tolentino, though he questioned whether the fourth-rounder will stick at shortstop.

Tucker, 20, has logged only 89 plate appearances since he joined the organization. He owns a .451 OPS this season at Class-A Lynchburg.

2019 (WAR: N/A)

Daniel Espino shakes hands with commissioner Rob Manfred at the 2019 draft. (Alex Trautwig / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Round 1, Pick 24: Daniel Espino, SP
Round 2, Pick 63: Yordys Valdes, SS

Best pick: Espino surely looks the part with his elite fastball/slider combination — he has struck out 41 percent of the hitters he’s faced as a professional — but don’t overlook outfielder Will Brennan, an eighth-round pick who has done nothing but hit, draw walks and steal bases in 2022.

2018 (WAR: 2.3)
Round 1, Pick 29: Bo Naylor, C
Round 1, Pick 35: Ethan Hankins, SP
Round 1, Pick 41: Lenny Torres, SP
Round 2, Pick 67: Nick Sandlin, RP

Best pick: For now, Steven Kwan seems like a gem of a fifth-rounder, but there’s a lot of potential with this class, including Hankins (who is recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2021), fellow pitcher Cody Morris (seventh round) and possibly the future catching tandem of Naylor and 15th-rounder Bryan Lavastida.

Naylor has reinvented himself at the plate this season with a .924 OPS, nearly as many walks as strikeouts, and an impressive blend of power and speed. Morris, meanwhile, has finally begun a rehab assignment after he was shut down in spring training with an upper back/shoulder strain. He likely would have made his major-league debut by now had he not suffered the injury.

2017 (WAR: 3.8)
Round 2, Pick 64: Quentin Holmes, OF
Round 2, Pick 71: Tyler Freeman, SS

Best pick: Cleveland snagged Spencer Strider in the 35th round but he went to Clemson and is flourishing for the Braves, with 110 strikeouts in 70 innings. They also drafted top Twins prospect Austin Martin, but he didn’t sign, instead attending Vanderbilt before the Blue Jays made him the fifth overall pick in 2020. For now, the best pick from this class might be Eli Morgan in the eighth round or James Karinchak in the ninth, though Freeman could crack Cleveland’s middle-infield picture in the near future. The club forfeited its first-round selection when it signed Edwin Encarnación to a three-year, $60 million deal, then the largest contract in franchise history.

2016 (WAR: 21.2)
Round 1, Pick 14: Will Benson, OF
Round 2, Pick 55: Nolan Jones, 3B
Round 2, Pick 72: Logan Ice, C

Best pick: Jones was the organization’s top prospect for a couple of years, so he has plenty of potential, but he faces an uphill climb to emerge at the top of this group. That’ll happen when a fourth-round pick blossoms into a Cy Young winner and rotation anchor, as Shane Bieber did. And don’t forget about Zach Plesac in the 12th round and Aaron Civale in the third. This is the scouting department’s golden standard, and this list doesn’t include Cal Quantrill, who was San Diego’s first-round choice that summer. Ice topped out at Double-A Akron in 2019, his last professional season.

2015 (WAR: 5.0)
Round 1, Pick 17: Brady Aiken, SP
Round 1, Pick 42: Triston McKenzie, SP
Round 2, Pick 59: Juan Hillman, SP

Best pick: Well, it wasn’t Aiken, who spent the 2016-17 seasons in the system, threw two-thirds of an inning in 2019 and hasn’t pitched since. He was a risky pick, having been the No. 1 overall selection a year earlier by the Astros, but opting not to sign after disagreements over his health and contract. McKenzie is the safe pick here, though the club did grab infielder Nick Madrigal in the 17th round. Madrigal elected to attend Oregon State, where he played with Kwan and before becoming the fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft.

2014 (WAR: 4.3)
Round 1, Pick 21: Bradley Zimmer, OF
Round 1, Pick 31: Justus Sheffield, SP
Round 1, Pick 38: Mike Papi, OF
Round 2, Pick 61: Grant Hockin, SP

Best pick: How about a guy who never actually pitched for Cleveland, but was included in one of the club’s most significant trades of the last 20 years, the deal for Andrew Miller? J.P. Feyereisen, the team’s 16th-round pick in 2014, is on the Rays’ injured list but has yet to allow an earned run in 24 1/3 innings. Sheffield was included in the Miller trade, too. Papi and Hockin never reached the majors.

2013 (WAR: 3.4)
Round 1, Pick 5: Clint Frazier, OF

Best pick: A bunch of picks from this class became trade ammunition. Cleveland flipped Thomas Pannone for Joe Smith in 2017. Frazier (he now goes by Jackson, his middle name) and Ben Heller were in the Miller trade, and because Frazier was the cornerstone of the package, we’ll tab him ahead of … um … Cole Sulser, the team’s 25th-round pick? Sulser owns a 3.86 ERA in 26 appearances with the Marlins this season. Frazier owns a .756 OPS in parts of six seasons with the Yankees and Cubs.

2012 (WAR: 16.2)
Round 1, Pick 15: Tyler Naquin, OF
Round 2, Pick 79: Mitch Brown, RHP

Best pick: Joey Wendle has pieced together a solid career as a versatile infielder for Oakland, Tampa Bay and Miami after Cleveland swapped him for outfielder Brandon Moss, who was jettisoned to St. Louis after an uninspiring first half in 2015. Only four players from this class reached the majors: Wendle, Naquin, Justin Garza and Louis Head. Brown never climbed past Double A.

2011 (WAR: 44.1)
Round 1, Pick 8: Francisco Lindor, SS
Round 2, Pick 67: Dillon Howard, SP

Best pick: Cleveland selected Cody Allen for a second time, this year in the 23rd round, and he became one of the most valuable picks in team history. Allen, who projected as a low-ceiling starter, bloomed into the franchise’s all-time saves leader. Ryan Merritt, who guided the club to a pretty important win in the 2016 ALCS, deserves a mention as a 16th-rounder, too. But it’s hard to deny the significance of the Lindor pick. Cleveland had narrowed their options to Lindor and Javy Báez. They made the right choice.

2010 (WAR: 21.0)
Round 1, Pick 5: Drew Pomeranz, SP
Round 2, Pick 55: LeVon Washington, OF

Best pick: Can we choose Allen, the 16th-rounder, even though he didn’t sign until the next year? Pomeranz leads this class in WAR, but it all came with other teams, as Cleveland dealt him to Colorado — along with Alex White, the first-round pick the previous year — in the Ubaldo Jiménez trade in 2011.

2009 (WAR: 41.6)
Round 1, Pick 15: Alex White, SP
Round 2, Pick 63: Jason Kipnis, 2B

Best pick: Max Muncy, a two-time All-Star with the Dodgers, didn’t sign when Cleveland drafted him in the 41st round, so it has to be Kipnis, who spent nine years with the big-league club and made a pair of All-Star rosters. He was drafted as a center fielder but didn’t play that position until the closing moments of the 2017 and ’18 seasons. White, by the way, made three starts for Cleveland in 2011 before the Jiménez trade, and wound up logging only 149 innings in his major-league career.

2008 (WAR: 25.4)
Round 1, Pick 29: Lonnie Chisenhall, 3B
Round 2, Pick 76: Trey Haley, RHP

Best pick: In the 33rd round, Cleveland selected a catcher named Roberto Pérez out of Florida Gateway College. He worked his way up to the starting catching gig, captured a pair of Gold Gloves and even smacked 24 home runs in 2019. That’s quite the steal. Haley, meanwhile, spent nine years in the minors and two more in independent ball with the Sugar Land Skeeters and the Rockland Boulders but never broke into the majors.

2007 (WAR: -0.4)
Round 1, Pick 13: Beau Mills, 1B

Best pick: Yikes. The leader in WAR (with a whopping 0.2) is Eric Jokisch, a left-handed pitcher taken in the 39th round, who made four appearances for the Cubs in 2014. Cleveland did select pitcher T.J. McFarland in the fourth round, but he’s spent all 10 years of his big-league career with other franchises. Mills reached Triple A in 2011, when he produced a solid season, but after a trying 2012 campaign, he opted to retire.

Guardians: Amed Rosario is on an absolute tear
by Steve DiMatteo52 minutes ago Follow @steve_dimatteo

Guardians shortstop Amed Rosario has been crushing the ball since June, helping to keep Cleveland in the postseason discussion.

When Amed Rosario gets hot at the plate, he gets really hot at the plate.

Right now, he’s in he middle of a particularly scorching stretch dating back to June 1. Over that time – 43 games now – Rosario is hitting .339/.368/.489 with four home runs, ten doubles, four triples and 17 RBIs, raising his wRC+ on the season to 106.

In the past week, he’s taken it even further, hitting .438 in eight games. The 26-year-old now has the highest xBA of his career at .290 and is striking out just 15% of the time, propelling him to what is becoming the best season of his career.

Rosario, 26, really took things up a notch when he was moved to the second spot in the order following a restructuring that initially saw Steven Kwan moved down to ninth. And now with Kwan in the leadoff spot, back to having a fine rookie season himself, the 1-2-3 of Kwan, Rosario and José Ramírez really solidifies the top of Cleveland’s lineup.


All this being said, there are still plenty of fans who wouldn’t mind seeing Rosario traded, possibly as soon as this year at the upcoming trade deadline. It really all comes down to defense – Andrés Giménez is clearly a better shortstop, and the Guardians have simply refused to swap their positions when out in the field together. It’s a baffling strategy to be sure, but not one that should result in just shipping Rosario out of town.

Not to mention the glut of middle infielders in the minor-league system, with guys like Gabriel Arias, Tyler Freeman and soon Brayan Rocchio looking to get their chance.

The fact is, though, that Rosario is controlled through the 2024 season and is, by all accounts, loved by his teammates. More importantly, fans often get caught up in the potential promise of a prospect, neglecting to see what they have right in front of them.

That’s not to say the Guardians need to find a way to get these other guys in Cleveland soon, but it shouldn’t come at the price of simply dumping a guy who seems to be putting it all together at the plate. Finding league-average bats is never a guarantee, and no matter what you think a prospect can do at the major-league level, it’s all ultimately a crapshoot. And even if a prospect does one day become the player everyone expects him to be, that can take years.

So while Rosario’s time in Cleveland may end eventually – assuming a top prospect pushes him out at some point down the road – that shouldn’t be the case anytime soon, especially not at this year’s trade deadline.

it's always useful to have a super utility guy; Amed is obviously more than willing and generally able to play wherever they need him
Perhaps there are some IF prospects who are better offensively and defensively but they will need to prove it.