How Much Will Cleveland's Waiver Additions Impact the AL Central Race?

By Cody Christie - Twins Daily

32 minutes ago

Cleveland sits in second place in the AL Central with a little over a month left in the season. So, how will their waiver wire additions impact the division race?

On Thursday, the Cleveland Guardians claimed a trio of pitchers, one starter and two relievers, off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels. Right-handed starter Lucas Giolito will join the top of a starting rotation that includes rookie pitchers Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee. Cleveland's bullpen has also struggled at times, so adding RHP Reynaldo Lopez and LHP Matt Moore should provide a boost for the stretch run. With fewer than 30 games left, how much can these players impact Cleveland's chances to repeat as AL Central Champions?

Lucas Giolito, LH SP

Giolito last pitched on Monday for the Angels, so he can jump into the Guardians' rotation over the weekend. He would likely be able to make six starts for Cleveland before the season's end. During the 2023 season, Giolito has posted a 4.45 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP and 9.7 K/9 in 153 2/3 innings. His numbers were even worse after being traded to the Angels, as he allowed 25 earned runs in 32 2/3 innings. He is having a disappointing season and is heading to free agency for the first time.

Potential Value: In his best six-game stretch this season, Giolito accumulated 0.43 WPA while holding batters to a .617 OPS. If he has a great September, he has the potential to provide more than 0.50 WPA.

Reynaldo Lopez, RH RP

Twins fans will be very familiar with Lopez from his time with the White Sox. He is considered a solid set-up man, and his numbers improved following the trade deadline. Before the trade, he posted a 4.29 ERA with a 1.31 WHIP and 11.1 K/9 across 43 appearances with the White Sox. He allowed four earned runs over 13 innings in LA while striking out 19 batters. There is some element of small sample size involved with any reliever, but Cleveland's bullpen has gone through some ups and downs, so he will be a welcomed addition.

Potential Value: Lopez actually provided a -0.10 WPA with the Angels, even though his overall numbers were strong. In his last two appearances, he took a loss and got a blown save. Twins fans can hope that version of Lopez arrives in Cleveland

Matt Moore, LH RP

Matt was a top prospect as a starting pitcher with the Rays but has added years to his career by shifting to a left-handed relief role. In 41 appearances (44 IP), he has posted a 2.66 ERA with a 1.02 WHIP and 10.0 K/9. He has reverse splits this season, with righties posting a .545 OPS and lefties combining for a .924 OPS. The Guardians are 21-25 in one-run games and have a 5-12 record this season when tied after seven innings. Moore and Lopez can change that equation for the stretch run.

Potential Value: Moore had a sub-2.00 ERA in April and May, but his ERA has been over two runs higher since an IL stint in June. Over the last month, he had a slightly below-zero WPA while allowing multiple runs in two of his last four appearances.

Cleveland traded players away at the deadline despite being in striking distance of the Twins. Now, they prevented Minnesota from making any waiver claims despite being multiple games back in the standings. Cleveland's manager, Terry Francona, is in his final month of a Hall of Fame career. The Guardians may be hoping for some late-season magic to surpass the Twins, but these three players are limited in how much value they can provide in a small sample size.

The Guardians improved on Thursday, while the Twins couldn't make any additions because of their waiver position. Cleveland can likely cut into Minnesota's division lead over the next month because of this weird waiver quirk. Next week's three-game series between the two AL Central foes will take on even more meaning, with these three waiver claims possibly playing a vital role.

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Guardians claim 3 pitchers in push to take down Twins in AL Central: ‘We want to try’ Aug 15, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Lucas Giolito (24) in action during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
By Zack Meisel
Aug 31, 2023

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CLEVELAND — Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff won’t need to hold office hours at Progressive Field after their latest round of roster maneuvering. Cleveland’s front office raided the shelves of the Los Angeles Angels — think Menards meets Hobby Lobby — and added the top three pitchers available on the waiver wire in a move that tossed a tablespoon of kerosene onto the flickering American League Central fire.

In this bewildering season, the Guardians dealt away Amed Rosario, Aaron Civale and Josh Bell at the July trade deadline in an effort to prioritize playing time for youngsters, only to feature castoffs Kole Calhoun, Ramón Laureano and Noah Syndergaard throughout August and then add three more veterans to the pile for one final September push.

The Guardians sit five games behind the Twins in the AL Central. FanGraphs’ projection system offers them only a 5.2 percent chance of winning the division. But in claiming Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López and Matt Moore, Cleveland also blocked Minnesota from obtaining any of the Angels’ trio, which Antonetti admitted was a bonus benefit.

Who said the AL Central wasn’t dripping with intrigue?

The Guardians’ initial wheeling and dealing a month ago stoked frustration inside Cleveland’s clubhouse, as the team stood only one game behind Minnesota in the standings at the time. Bell, set to bat fourth against the Astros, was playing cards with teammates two hours before first pitch in the moments leading up to his relocation to Miami. Antonetti and Chernoff flew to Houston the morning after the deadline to ease tensions and explain their approach to the deadline.

Josh Naylor joined Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie on the injured list, Laureano and Calhoun — Cleveland’s red-headed cult hero who can’t stop delivering key hits — helped stabilize the clubhouse and fill in lineup holes, the club tabbed Gabriel Arias and Oscar Gonzalez to receive auditions and Syndergaard brought his nationwide search for his old self to Cleveland. Any hopes of a second straight division title were pinned on an epic collapse by the Twins more so than a surge by the Guardians, whose record plummeted to a season-worst eight games below .500 in recent days.

It was a strange month in a bizarre season, and it ended with the most significant twist yet.

These latest machinations should go over better with the players. At the very least, it’s a risk-free way to add a jolt of energy to the clubhouse and a dash of interest to what appears to be Terry Francona’s final month at the helm, especially as Naylor nears a return to the lineup and the Twins venture to Cleveland for a three-game set beginning Monday.
Matt Moore has been one of the league’s best lefty relievers over the past two seasons. (Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today)

It’s also worth noting the state of the Guardians’ pitching staff. López and Moore bolster a bullpen that ranks fifth in the league in ERA but has steered into every pothole along the way. The Guardians are 5-12 in games that are tied after seven innings and 21-25 in one-run games. Moore, who owns a 2.21 ERA with 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings and a .195 opponents’ average the past two years, arms Francona with another left-handed option. Sam Hentges, the only other southpaw in the pen, has rattled off 14 consecutive scoreless appearances.

Giolito’s presence allows the club to be cautious with rookie starters Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee and Logan Allen. Williams and Bibee have already exceeded their innings totals from last season, and Allen could follow suit as soon as Saturday. Cal Quantrill will return Friday, assuming the rotation spot of Syndergaard, whom the club cut loose last weekend.

Williams exited his start Tuesday after only one inning because of knee soreness, but Antonetti said Thursday, “It looks like we’ve avoided the worst-case (scenario).”

The Guardians have plenty of familiarity with Giolito and López, having faced both for years during their tenures with the White Sox. López’s fastball averages 98.3 mph and is responsible for more than half of his 71 strikeouts (in 55 innings). Giolito’s fastball/changeup combination baffled Cleveland’s lineup for years. He was piecing together a customarily solid campaign with Chicago before his walk and home run rates spiked in six starts with the Angels following a midseason trade.

• Giolito: 4.45 ERA, 165 K, 57 BB in 153 2/3 innings
• López: 3.93 ERA, 71 K, 30 BB in 55 innings
• Moore: 2.66 ERA, 49 K, 12 BB in 44 innings

All three will be free agents at the end of the season.

Cleveland will be on the hook for about $3 million, a source told The Athletic. The club saved more than that in dealing Bell and Civale. To acquire Giolito and López from the White Sox just five weeks ago, the Angels sent Chicago their Nos. 2 and 3 prospects.

“It’s rare,” Antonetti said, “that you have the ability to improve the team during a season, especially with quality players like this, when it doesn’t require trading away good players.”

Players placed on waivers are awarded to the team with the worst record that submitted a claim. The Guardians only submitted a claim on the three pitchers they acquired. The Reds obtained outfielders Harrison Bader and Hunter Renfroe on Thursday via the same system.

“We came off a good road trip,” Antonetti said, following the club’s 4-2 tour through Toronto and Minnesota. “How do we continue to build on that momentum and give ourselves the best chance to compete for the postseason? Whether or not that will be good enough and whether or not we can close the gap that’s in front of us, we don’t know. But we want to try.”

Jim Bowden explaining why George Valera dropped out of his top 50. Still in his top 100.

9. George Valera, OF, Guardians (Triple A )
Age: 22
Bats: L Throws: L
Height: 6-0 Weight: 195
Scouting grades: HIT: 45 PWR: 55 RUN: 50 ARM: 50 FLD: 50

Last year’s ranking: 38

George Valera started the year recovering from surgery on his right hand because of a broken hamate bone. It was the second time he’d suffered an injury to his right hamate bone; in 2018, he had surgery on it but didn’t have it fully removed as he did this time. There is no doubt that the injury and recovery have factored into his “down” year. This season at Triple A, he’s slashed .207/.339/.352 with just seven home runs in 193 at-bats. Last year, he hit 24 home runs and drove in 82 runs between Double A and Triple A. Valera has played all three outfield positions but I think he’ll settle into left field, with Mark Canha of the Brewers perhaps being the best comp for his future potential at this point.

GUARDIANS

Guardians will start newcomer on Monday against Twins in showdown series

Updated: Sep. 01, 2023, 6:58 p.m. |Published: Sep. 01, 2023, 5:36 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes

CLEVELAND, Ohio --

Manager Terry Francona went to bed Wednesday night thinking the Guardians might claim one player off waivers before the Aug. 31 deadline.

“I never in a million years thought we’d get three pitchers,” said Francona.

Well, that’s exactly what the Guardians got as they claimed right-handers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez and left-hander Matt Moore off waivers from the Angels. Lopez and Moore joined the Guardians on Friday and will be in the bullpen for Friday’s series opener against the Rays.

Giolito will join the Guardians on Saturday and start against the Twins on Monday to open what could be the biggest series of the season for the Guards. They trail the first-place Twins in the AL Central by five games with 28 games to play.

Here’s what the rotation looks with the addition of Giolito: Cal Quantrill starts Friday against the Rays followed by Logan Allen on Saturday and Xzavion Curry on Sunday. Giolito will start Monday against the Twin followed by Tanner Bibee on Tuesday and Gavin Williams on Wednesday

Williams lasted one inning in his last start Tuesday against the Twins at Target Field. He tweaked his right knee on the mound and didn’t come out for the second inning of Cleveland’s 4-2 win.

“Gavin came in Thursday and did a lot of work and testing with the trainers,” said Francona. “He’s doing really well. We wanted to give him a five-day cycle between starts. We feel that’s really helpful to our pitchers.”

It’s unclear if the Guardians will stay with a six-man rotation. Rosters expanded to 28 players on Friday, with teams allowed to carry 14 pitchers. They were limited to 13 pitchers during the first five months of the season.

Giolito, 29, spent most of his career with the White Sox. He went 60-58 with a 4.34 ERA in 174 games, including 172 starts, for Chicago.

He was traded to the Angels along with Lopez before the Aug. 1 trade deadline. Giolito went 1-5 with a 6.89 ERA in six starts. In Chicago he went 6-6 with a 3.79 ERA.

Giolito comes to Cleveland with a career record of 8-9 with a 3.73 ERA in 23 games against the Twins. In six career starts at Progressive Field, he’s 3-1 with a 1.67 ERA.

He faced Minnesota twice this season with the White Sox. He allowed one run in 12 innings with 16 strikeouts and four walks. Chicago lost both games, but Giolito was not involved in either decision.

“When his velocity was mid-90s, along with the separation with his changeup, that’s when he was devastating,” said Francona. “We saw too much of him.

“His velocity has kind of backed up, like a lot of guys.”

Giolito went 1-3 with a 4.94 ERA in his last four starts, allowing 16 earned runs in 23 2/3 innings. He struck out 27, walked 11 and allowed a .214 batting average against.

“We appreciate the fact that the guys (front office) are trying to give us some help so we remain relevant in this thing,” said Francona. “We still have an uphill fight, which we know. They’re trying to give us a better chance, which I think everybody appreciates.”

President Chris Antonetti and GM Mike Chernoff had a chance to claim hitters as well as pitchers on waivers. Francona was asked if he would have preferred they added a bat.

“Damn, you can’t get a whole team,” said Francona. “I try to never talk like that. As a manager, when you say, ‘We need this,’ you’re basically saying somebody in that room isn’t good enough. I don’t feel like that.

“I feel whoever we have it’s our job to see how good we can get them to play.”

DH-1B Josh Naylor, who still leads the team in RBI despite missing August with a strained right oblique muscle, will play his third rehab game Friday night at Class AA Akron. He’ll work out with the Guardians on Saturday and a decision will be made if he’s ready to be activated.

“He’s doing really well,” Francona said. “We just want to be fair to him and what he’s been through.”

Guardians roster

Starting pitchers (5)
Logan Allen, Tanner Bibee, Xzavion Curry, Cal Quantrill, Gavin Williams.

Relief pitchers (9)
Emmanuel Clase, Enyel De Los Santos, Sam Hentges (L), James Karinchak, Reynaldo López, Matt Moore (L), Eli Morgan, Nick Sandlin, Trevor Stephan.

Catchers (3)
David Fry, Cam Gallagher, Bo Naylor.

Infielders (6)
Gabriel Arias, Kole Calhoun, Tyler Freeman, Andrés Giménez, José Ramírez, José Tena.

Outfielders (5)
Will Brennan, Oscar Gonzalez, Steven Kwan, Ramón Laureano, Myles Straw.

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Inside MLB’s waiver whirlwind: ‘Nobody really knew or understood what was going on’

There are no carts at San Francisco Golf Club. Golfers walk the 18 holes. They keep their phones stowed in their bag or their locker. And they try their damnedest to avoid the menacing sand traps. So when Matt Moore spotted a course attendant zipping down the fairway on a golf cart, he knew what it meant.
He needed to pause his round — he wound up shooting a 91, thanks to some generous gimmes from teammate Chad Wallach — and make a call to learn the identity of his new team.

For four former members of the Angels, this week has been part-whirlwind, part-circus. On Thursday, Moore, fellow reliever Reynaldo López and starter Lucas Giolito were claimed by the Cleveland Guardians. Outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Harrison Bader, the latter coming from the Yankees, were scooped up by the Cincinnati Reds.

The whirlwind period really began two days prior on Tuesday, when Moore finished shagging fly balls during batting practice and returned to the clubhouse, where Giolito and Renfroe were waiting for him. They asked if Moore saw the news that a quarter of the roster had been placed on waivers. At first, Moore was waiting for a punchline. Once they filled him in, he assumed they had fallen for a fake social media post.

That sparked a scavenger hunt for information about the waivers process. Could any team claim them? (Yes.) What was the likelihood they would be moved? (Pretty high.) Were they all headed to different teams? (No.) Would they be playoff-eligible? (Yes.) When would they know? (1 p.m. ET on Thursday.)

“I don’t know if anybody had really heard of it, honestly,” Renfroe said. “It’s one of those things where it’s not really talked about. It’s never really out in public as far as waivers stuff goes. Nobody really knew or understood what was going on.”

Neither did most of the baseball world. The waivers process has always been an archaic and difficult-to-navigate jumble of rules, most of which changed before the 2019 season. Adding to the confusion was that the Angels were doing something without precedent under the new system: an attempted salary dump timed ahead of Sept.1 so that the teams acquiring players would have them eligible for the playoffs.

Mike Moustakas, a veteran with 13 seasons of big-league experience, offered his Angels teammates some insight into the process, relaying that one team can claim multiple players.

“It was interesting to learn that side of the game,” López said Friday through Cleveland interpreter Agustín Rivero. “Obviously, we didn’t know much of it.”
The group met with Angels manager Phil Nevin and general manager Perry Minasian for an explanation.
“Perry kind of explained it a little bit better for us,” Renfroe said. “Nevin had no idea about it either. It was kind of a weird scenario.”

In August, when the Angels made a furious all-in push to acquire the requisite talent to make the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons, Angels owner Arte Moreno exceeded the $233 million luxury tax threshold. But when the team endured an 8-19 month, Moreno was no longer willing to incur the penalty.

Now, Giolito, one of the players the Angels acquired at the deadline, is in line to pitch in Anaheim next weekend. This time, however, it’ll be in a Guardians uniform as Cleveland makes an aptly timed West Coast swing. López said he’s looking forward to the four-game series partly so he can collect the rest of his belongings.

Waivers are not supposed to be public, but word leaked on Tuesday about every Angels player on waivers. For the next two days, every one of them stepped into the batter’s box and onto the pitching rubber knowing they were likely bound for another club in a matter of hours. Moore said he tossed and turned at night wondering what his future held.

“I just tried to go about my day like normal,” Moore said, “tried to be fun and lighthearted with everybody just to not make it seem like things are weird.”
“I had to play two games knowing that basically you’re probably going to be gone,” Renfroe said. “Tough scenario.”

The Angels flew to San Francisco from Philadelphia on Wednesday evening. They landed at about 10 p.m. PT and a group of 30 or so enjoyed a late dinner at Brazillian steakhouse Fogo de Chao. On Thursday morning, as Moore headed to the links, Renfroe sat at the team hotel and waited for his phone to ring. His bags were in the lobby. He just needed a destination.

Moore halted his round and called Nevin, who told him a pair of his Angels teammates would be joining him. Moore and López took a red-eye to Cleveland, where they landed Friday morning. Giolito was set to arrive Friday evening. Renfroe had a 2:30 p.m. flight out of San Francisco and got to his hotel in Cincinnati around 1 a.m. Roughly eight hours later, he was in the lineup for the Reds in the first game of a doubleheader against the Cubs, starting in right field and batting cleanup.

“It was a crazy week,” López said.

As soon as the Angels’ waiver flooding became common knowledge, the Guardians zeroed in on their three pitching targets. They weren’t alone. The Reds also put in claims on all three Angels pitchers, as well as the outfielders. It would all come down to who held priority in waivers, with the teams with the worst record getting first dibs.

Until a league representative called Guardians officials, following frenzied refreshing of the MLB system, they had no idea whether they would be awarded the claims on any or all three of the pitchers. They thought the Padres might claim someone — they didn’t — and given that the only cost for acquiring a player in this scenario was cash, they couldn’t rule out a surprise team ahead of them in the waiver order joining the action.

Guardians manager Terry Francona arrived at Progressive Field at 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.

“They said, ‘We’ll know at 1:00 who, if any (one), we got,’” Francona said. “By five after, they’re like, ‘We got ‘em all.’”

This system has been in place since 2019, when the league eliminated the August waiver trade period. Teams used to be able to place players on revocable waivers. They could negotiate a trade with the claiming team, or retain the player. One executive noted there used to be hundreds of players on waivers every day in August, since doing so required no commitment toward dealing that player.

How this unfolded, though — especially in such public fashion — is unprecedented.

Five weeks ago, the Angels shipped two of their top prospects to the White Sox for Giolito and López. Now, the Guardians will employ both players, plus Moore, for nearly the same length of time, and all it cost the club was about $3 million.

“I never in a million years thought it would be three guys,” Francona said.

No wonder the Angels never make the playoffs despite big payrolls and Cleveland does more often than not:

Five weeks ago, the Angels shipped two of their top prospects to the White Sox for Giolito and López. Now, the Guardians will employ both players, plus Moore, for nearly the same length of time, and all it cost the club was about $3 million.

CLEVELAND — Two years ago, Tanner Bibee was a soft-tossing college kid dissatisfied with his legacy at Cal State Fullerton.

Prior to Bibee’s arrival on campus, the program had advanced to the NCAA Tournament for 27 consecutive seasons. During Bibee’s tenure, much of it spent as the staff ace, the team didn’t qualify once.
“That really rubbed me the wrong way,” he said.

A lot has changed in those two years. The Titans have restored their postseason identity. Bibee is no longer the right-hander with the pedestrian fastball and indistinguishable slider and curveball. Now, he’s positioned to possibly end another streak, and this one wouldn’t irk him.

No starting pitcher has claimed Rookie of the Year honors in either league since Michael Fulmer burst onto the scene for the Tigers in 2016.

Don’t mention that to Bibee, of course. He isn’t ready to pinch himself during this rookie season, one in which he has surged toward the top of Cleveland’s rotation, the latest top-shelf product concocted in the heavily secured underground bunker that houses the organization’s pitching factory.

Bibee is quick to remind that there’s another month remaining in the regular season. Plenty can happen. After all, this American League rookie race has changed shape a handful of times this year.

But for Bibee to even be in the conversation would have seemed far-fetched two years ago, when the Guardians drafted him in the fifth round, before they helped him make significant gains with his fastball velocity, elevate the quality of his slider and sharpen his changeup.
go-deeper

GO DEEPER

Guardians rising rookie Tanner Bibee on how to set up a perfect third strike

It would have seemed far-fetched five months ago, too, when he opened the season at Triple-A Columbus and appeared more likely to bounce between levels this summer than emerge as the rock of the rotation. He wasn’t even listed as a betting option for Rookie of the Year, per BetMGM.

Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson was the favorite in the spring, and he remains the favorite, partly because Rangers third baseman Josh Jung — an All-Star starter in his first full season — underwent thumb surgery earlier this month. Jung and Henderson have posted similar numbers this season, but Henderson’s availability over the next few weeks could aid his cause. Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas has vaulted himself into the discussion with a torrid second half, too.

Jung might end up joining Detroit’s Kerry Carpenter, Minnesota’s Edouard Julien and Houston’s Yainer Diaz in the “We wish we had seen more of you” category.

Jung: 109 games, .274/.323/.489 slash line, 22 home runs, minus-3 defensive runs saved, 2.6 fWAR
Henderson: 122 games, .252/.331/.478 slash line, 22 home runs, 11 defensive runs saved, 3.2 fWAR
Casas: 119 games, .263/.366/.489 slash line, 21 home runs, minus-3 defensive runs saved, 1.3 fWAR

So, what is Bibee’s path to the hardware?

Only seven starting pitchers have claimed a Rookie of the Year award in the last quarter-century if we don’t count Shohei Ohtani, who pitched 51 2/3 innings while hitting 22 home runs with a .925 OPS in 2018 when he won the award: Fulmer, Jacob deGrom, José Fernández, Jeremy Hellickson, Dontrelle Willis, Jason Jennings and Kerry Wood.

The average rookie season for those seven pitchers: 167 2/3 innings, 155 strikeouts, 3.18 ERA. Bibee’s rookie season to this point: 124 2/3 innings, 125 strikeouts, 3.03 ERA.
SP to win ROTY, last 25 years
2016

Michael Fulmer

Tigers
2014

Jacob deGrom

Mets
2013

José Fernández

Marlins
2011

Jeremy Hellickson

Rays
2003

Dontrelle Willis

Marlins
2002

Jason Jennings

Rockies
1998

Kerry Wood

Cubs

It could boil down to how restrictive the Guardians are with Bibee’s September workload. He has already surpassed his innings total from last season (140 this year, including three Triple-A starts, versus 132 2/3 in 2022). The club hasn’t instituted a specific cap. Instead, they’re monitoring the effectiveness of his stuff during starts and his recovery after them. His average fastball velocity had dipped for two starts before ticking back up for his start against the Twins on Wednesday.

Bibee leads all AL pitchers in fWAR (2.5). He hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in an outing since June 13. In fact, he’s only allowed more than three earned runs in two of his 22 starts.

With a slight increase in September roster size and three off days in the final two weeks of the schedule, the club could find ways to wind him down gradually, rather than simply cutting him off after, say, three more starts.
Rookies with 140 innings, 140 strikeouts
Collin McHugh

2014

Finished fourth in AL ROY voting
Jacob deGrom

2014

Finished first in NL ROY voting
Hyun Jin Ryu

2013

Finished fourth in NL ROY voting
Shelby Miller

2013

Finished third in NL ROY voting
José Fernández

2013

Finished first in NL ROY voting
Brandon Webb

2003

Finished third in NL ROY voting
Roy Oswalt

2001

Finished second in NL ROY voting

One other wrinkle to remember: A rookie who finishes first or second in the voting receives a full year of service time.

Pitchers who have finished second in the Rookie of the Year balloting in the past five years

Spencer Strider, 2022: 131 2/3 innings, 202 strikeouts, 2.67 ERA
Luis Garcia, 2021: 155 1/3 innings, 167 strikeouts, 3.48 ERA
Trevor Rogers, 2021: 133 innings, 157 strikeouts, 2.64 ERA
John Means, 2019: 155 innings, 121 strikeouts, 3.60 ERA
Michael Soroka, 2019: 174 2/3 innings, 142 strikeouts, 2.68 ERA
Shohei Ohtani, 2018: System error

No Cleveland player has won Rookie of the Year since Sandy Alomar Jr. in 1990. No major-league pitcher has won Rookie of the Year since Fulmer in 2016. Bibee has a chance to buck some more trends.

Bibee leads all AL pitchers in fWAR (2.5). He hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in an outing since June 13. In fact, he’s only allowed more than three earned runs in two of his 22 starts.

Not sure what fWAR is but leading all AL pitchers is a good thing.

@ZackMeisel
·
7h
Lucas Giolito will take the roster spot of James Karinchak, who will head back to AAA.

I was away and didn't read much about Karinchak's work while he was back in Cleveland, anyone see the readings on his fastball? any comments on his performance?

I loved the quote below from Tena; did we think the guys on the bench are just sitting there chewing gum and cheering on their teammates?

Tena, a left-handed hitter without a trace of concern for the situation, slapped the first pitch he saw into right field to tie the game and send Naylor to third.
“You could tell he’d been watching the game,” said Francona.

Tena, through intepreter Agustin Rivero, said he’d been studying Devenski from the bench, while researching him on his iPad. “I was doing an anaylsis on the tablet and iPad on what he’d done in the past and what he was doing during the inning,” said Tena. “I was able to see the ball up (in the strike zone).”

The hit may have kept Tena in the big leagues. Before Sunday’s game, the Guardians activated Josh Naylor and optioned Gonzalez to Columbus. It could have easily been Tena.

I think they lost patience with Oscar, again, will he ever learn to lay off pitchers' pitches? Many of his at bats were terrible.

That's been his history for his whole professional career.

His minor league numbers, % of walks taken of total plate appearances

2015 Rookie ball 7%
2016 Rookie ball 6%
2017 Short Season A 2%
2018 Low A 2.5%
2019 High A 3%
2019 AA 3%
2021 AA 5.5%
2021 AAA 3.7%
2022 AAA 4%
2022 Majors 4%
2023 AAA 5.8%
2023 Majors 3%

I took a look at other power hitters in our organization: Bo Naylor walked 18+% of his AAA at bats; J. Noel has walked 9%; Manzardo 14%; Johnathan Rodriguez 9%
Which is why I guess some exec has defined JRod as Oscar with more patience

Let;s wait for who Rodriquez is until he can make the major league team.