Cleveland Sports Forum

Andrew Miller was Clint Frazier.

I would like to see Rosario stay with the dians until next year.

I agree, he along with Kwan make a fine 1 - 2 combo, and with Straw batting 9th, the bottom part of the lineup turning over to the top seems much better. Now if only Hedges.........

I agree too on the effectiveness of Kwan - Rosario - JRam. Now if only....

Cleveland Guardians trade rumors: 1B Josh Bell remains a great option
by Steve DiMatteo1 hour ago Follow @steve_dimatteo

The Cleveland Guardians figure to be active in some way at this year’s trade deadline, and barring a complete collapse over the next week, they do still figure to be right in the thick of the races for the AL Wild Card and Central division.

Though the Guardians likely are looking for younger players with multiple years of control – like, say, that superstar outfielder in Washington – Nationals first baseman Josh Bell would be a great fit in Cleveland. The 29-year-old is having a career year, hitting .302/.388/.492 with 13 home runs, 22 doubles, and 51 RBIs to go along with 47 walks to just 55 strikeouts and a 153 OPS+. His Statcast percentiles will make you salivate, and his plate discipline would fit right into Cleveland’s lineup; the Guardians would certainly welcome the power, too.

What Would It Take to Trade for the Guardians to Trade for Josh Bell?
Signed to a one-year, $10 million deal, Washington is looking to recoup that by acquiring a few prospects, like any rebuilding team would. Given that he’s only signed through this season, the prospect haul might not initially seem so daunting.

However, there are no shortage of teams interested in Bell’s services – the Brewers, Astros, and Mets have all already been linked to him – so the asking price might start to get a little steep if multiple teams stay in the bidding. But the Guardians do have plenty of prospect firepower that would allow them to get a deal done.

That being said, Bell is only on that one-year deal, and there’s no guarantee he’d be willing to re-sign with Cleveland; there’s a good chance he could get a pretty decent 3-4 year deal with the season he’s having, and it’s doubtful the Guardians would want to commit that much time and money to him.


But in the short term, the right-handed Bell would be a perfect complement to Josh Naylor at first base, and would allow the Guardians to no longer have to play Owen Miller – who has been struggling both offensively and defensively – at first. Cleveland would also be able to make Bell their designated hitter at times, giving them more flexibility in terms of what to ultimately do with Franmil Reyes, who is hitting just .215 with nine home runs and 102 strikeouts in 242 at-bats this season.

Making a run at the division with a middle of the lineup that features José Ramírez , Josh Naylor, Josh Bell, and Andrés Giménez? That’s not too shabby at all.

Since Bell is only on a one year deal.....that is very unlikely.

agree

Guardians: The price is (finally) right for Bryan Reynolds

Proposed deal: Acquire OF Bryan Reynolds and RHP David Bednar from Pirates for RHP Daniel Espino (Guardians' No. 1 prospect), INF Tyler Freeman (No. 6), RHP Xzavion Curry (No. 20), OF Will Brennan (No. 28) and OF Oscar Gonzalez

After years of wearing out Ben Cherington's phone, this is the year Chris Antonetti dips into the Guardians' pool of prospects to nab Reynolds.

An All-Star in 2021, Reynolds is batting .257 with 15 home runs and 32 RBIs in 84 games this year -- stats good enough for an OPS+ and WRC+ of 124. The switch-hitting Reynolds would serve as protection for José Ramírez at the top of the Guardians’ lineup while also providing Terry Francona with the versatility to construct a solid top of the lineup against both left- and right-handed pitching.

A center fielder by trade, Reynolds, who has been worth -5 Outs Above Average this year, would probably slot into a corner outfield spot, with Myles Straw in center field and Steven Kwan occupying the other corner.


In his two seasons with the Pirates, Bednar has put together a 2.54 ERA over 106 1/3 innings and earned his first All-Star game nod earlier this year. He'd be a boon for a Guardians bullpen that’s largely comprised of unproven arms. Reynolds and Bednar aren't scheduled to reach free agency until 2026 and 2027, respectively.

In return, Pittsburgh would get two of Cleveland’s Top 10 prospects. Espino boasts a 100 mph fastball, mystifying slider, a plus curveball and has all the makings of an ace. Freeman's contact-heavy approach would fit perfectly at second base for Pittsburgh.

Additionally, Brennan has enough experience in Triple-A to immediately fill Pittsburgh’s Reynolds-sized hole in center, while Curry’s plus fastball and high arm slot could allow him to become an impact reliever sooner rather than later. While Gonzalez didn’t come into the season as one of Cleveland’s top prospects, the rookie outfielder has impressed, hitting .285 with a 111 OPS+ in 32 games before going on the injured list due to an abdominal strain earlier this month.

Unlike many of these type articles and speculations, this one is at least realistic.

We really have to keep in mind the Guards NEED to deal off that 40 man glut. Reynolds and Bednar are legit young stars. And under team control as well as young.

What I’m hearing about the Guardians’ approach to the trade deadline – Terry Pluto
Updated: Jul. 28, 2022, 5:37 a.m.|Published: Jul. 28, 2022, 5:36 a.m.
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By Terry Pluto, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The MLB trade deadline is Aug. 2. In the past, the Guardians made deals as the deadline loomed. I expect them to do it again. The questions is, what kind of trades make sense?

Here’s what I’m hearing:

1. The Guardians entered the season with the plan to play prospects and stay in contention. Manager Terry Francona once called that “threading the needle.” While the Guardians are chasing first place Minnesota and in contention in the Central Division, there are no plans to make a big deal just for 2022.


2. If a major trade is made, it will be for a player with several years of team control. One possibility could be Oakland catcher Sean Murphy. I know Cleveland really likes him. The organization views catcher as a defense-first position, and Murphy was a Gold Glove winner in 2021.

3. Murphy is hitting .244 (.747 OPS) with 11 HR and 24 doubles. Those are big time offensive numbers for a catcher in 2022. The Wright State product is 27. He won’t be a free agent until 2026, with three more years of arbitration. It would take a freighter full of prospects to get him. But in the past, the front office has been willing to make those bold moves for a player in his prime with several years left under team control.

4. The Guardians have Bo (brother of Josh) Naylor as their top catching prospect. At 22, Bo Naylor has looked like a first-round pick, which he was for Cleveland in 2018. Between Class AA and AAA, Naylor is batting .283 (.944 OPS) with 10 HR and 36 RBI. He also is a good defensive catcher.


5. If the Guardians do deal for Murphy, Bo Naylor probably won’t be a part of it. Oakland has a top catching prospect in Class AAA named Shea Langeliers. With Murphy and Naylor, the catching position could be set for years. The hard part for Cleveland and other teams seeking Murphy is Oakland can wait until the offseason to trade him – because he’s under team control until 2026.

6. Remember Bryan Lavastida, who made the team out of spring training as a backup catcher due to an injury to Luke Maile? He’s having a miserable season in the minors, batting .215 (.675 OPS) with four homers between Class AAA and AA. He is at Class AA Akron.

A BIG SURPRISE FOR THE GUARDIANS
Steven Kwan leads the team with a .370 on base percentage and has taken over the leadoff spot.
7. As the trading deadline looms, remember the big plan is working for Cleveland. The Guardians are finding players. Andres Gimenez has turned into an All-Star second baseman. Steven Kwan is having an impressive rookie year, having taken over in left field and as the leadoff hitter. Josh Naylor has made an amazing comeback from a career-threatening leg injury in 2021.


8. Let’s look deeper at Kwan’s season. He leads the team in on-base percentage (.370). Jose Ramirez is next at .367. Along with batting .295 (.750 OPS), Kwan has walked more times (33) than he’s struck out (30). Kwan and CF Myles Straw are two reasons Cleveland’s outfield defense went from ranking No. 24 in 2021 to No. 5 this season, according to Fangraphs. They also have received decent defense in right field from Oscar Gonzalez and Nolan Jones.

9. You hear rumors about Pittsburgh outfielder Bryan Reynolds to Cleveland. I wonder if the Guardians would pay a high price for him. They want to see more of Gonzalez and Jones in the outfield. My theory is Jones will be moved to first base next spring.

10. In the minors, outfielders Will Brennan and Will Benson are knocking on Cleveland’s door. Benson recently played his first pro game at first base in Columbus. A 2016 first-round pick, the 24-year-old Benson struggled most of his minor-league career. That has changed this season as he’s hitting .274 (.937 OPS) with 17 HR and 44 RBI in Class AAA. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Benson is 16-for-19 in stolen bases.


A GREAT FIT
Amed Rosario (R) congratulates Jose Ramirez after hitting a three-run homer. Rosario and Ramirez set the standard for playing hard on the Guardians.
11. As for Brennan, all he does is hit. Between Class AA and AAA, Brennan is batting .328 (.874 OPS) with 79 RBI in 84 games, including eight homers. The 24-year-old is a career .303 hitter (.789 OPS) in the minors.

12. The collection of Jones, Gonzalez, Brennan and Benson are competing for jobs. Straw has a lock on center field. After a miserable start to the season as he entered July batting .195, this month Straw is batting .263. He is a career .250 hitter in 1,097 MLB at-bats. He is an elite defensive outfielder.

13. I was told the Guardians view Amed Rosario as “a good major-league player and a great cultural fit on our team.” Along with Jose Ramirez, Rosario is a veteran who sets the standard for hustle and a positive attitude. It’s one of the reasons the Guardians are praised for their hustle.

14. Since coming to the Guardians in the Francisco Lindor deal, Rosario is a .287 hitter (.735 OPS). He ranks average defensively at short this season. I love his attitude, and how he was willing to try the outfield. Rosario will be a free agent after the 2023 season. These is no rush or reason to trade him right now. As for Franmil Reyes, they’d love to trade him. Not much interest so far.


15. Finally, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the Guardians have Shane Bieber available, but it will be for “an exorbitant price.” No doubt, that is true. It’s also true of almost any player on the team except Ramirez, who has a no-trade clause. It’s possible Bieber could be traded, but that is far more likely in the off-season. He won’t be a free agent until after the 2024 season.

Benson recently played his first pro game at first base in Columbus.

I was waiting for either Benson or Brennan to get some time at 1st base.
I am eager to see him in Cleveland, so see what he can do. Benson has AT EVERY LEVEL struggled when first promoted and then up his game in his second season [although never to the degree he has this year].
Gonzalez will replace Call whenever he is ready so there's no room for the two B's.
Does the roster increase a little in September? To 28?

BA Article on 40 man roster crunch concerns and how teams deal with them

Creative Teams Can Use Trade Deadline To Answer 40-Man Questions

After referencing the Yankees dealing prospects for Benitendi, he gets on to he team with the biggest challenge

The team facing the most dire roster crunch this winter is Cleveland, which added a host of talented prospects to its 40-man roster last season in order to protect them from selection in the Rule 5, which was ultimately canceled as a casualty of the lockout.

Because Cleveland’s system is so flush with talented, upper-level prospects, there is a sizable group waiting in the wings, too. Eight more members of the team’s Top 30 need Rule 5 protection this coming offseason, including catcher Bo Naylor, infielders Gabriel Rodriguez and Angel Martinez, emergent outfielder Will Brennan and pitchers Hunter Gaddis, Joey Cantillo, Xzavion Curry and Ethan Hankins.

And that doesn’t include outfielders Will Benson and Micah Pries, pitchers Trey Benton, Lenny Torres and infielder Dayan Frias.

Overall, that’s 21 total prospects who either currently occupy space on Cleveland’s 40-man roster or will need to be protected this offseason.

Cleveland’s predicament is the starkest example, but there are plenty of clubs facing similar prospect pile-ups that need to be alleviated in the coming months. Keep that in mind when considering teams’ moves in the coming days and then after the season before 40-man rosters have to be set in advance of the Rule 5 draft.

Maybe they should eliminate the rule 5 draft altogether.

What was the reason for eliminating it this season?

it was scheduled a few days after the lockout began and by the time they resumed operations I guess they had too many other things to deal with
signing free agents, among many other things, they figured no one really cared except for Cleveland which had loaded with guys we know aren't ready for the majors but could have been selected in the draft.

the purpose is to keep some teams from hoarding all the good young talent in the minors and both leveling the playing good so big money clubs like Cleveland don't have an advantage and probably more importantly to give players who are stuck in their team's farm system to get a shot with a team that needs their skills, like Trevor Stephan came to Cleveland and Anthony Santander left

So, it's in the Player's interest to hold this draft? Gives them a chance to move to another team even if they don't want to move?
Can't see why the owners would want it.

So, who made the decision? Owners or players?

well, you are right that a player could find himself drafted by a team he's not interested in; but the theory is that now gets a new chance and because o the rule 5 works he will get a major league opportunity with the new team [or go back to he original team].
I assume the players union is in favor of continuing it, but their concern for minorleaguers is kind of minimal.