When evaluating the plan, the front office of the Cleveland Guardians come up with going into a season where they had coming off a season where they went to the AL Championship Series a year ago, it is easy to see some of the flaws of what they hoped would happen.
However, there are other things that are simply bad luck.
As we have said before, we understood the trade of Andres Gimenez, who will start making $23 million per season in 2027, and offensively, he simply doesn’t merit that kind of salary. So, the Guards’ front office took the opportunity to deal the Gold Glove winner, ultimately getting pitcher Luis Ortiz and some prospects.
Gimenez hasn’t improved with a bat in his hand, in fact, he’s gotten worse, going from a below average 638 OPS last season to an even worse 599 mark in 2025.
We knew the Guardians knew they would not be able to reach a long-term deal with Josh Naylor, so they moved him as well, getting starter Slade Cecconi in return. He is actually having a better offensive season than a year ago, and no doubt could’ve helped the team’s struggling attack
The problem was who they decided on to replace Naylor. Thinking a 39-year-old Carlos Santana could provide an impact bat was an overreach from the brass.
Part of the problem is bad luck too. Certainly, no one could have foreseen the suspensions of Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase. That wasn’t bad luck for the two players, but it was for the organization.
We are talking about the injuries to players the front office probably anticipated helping the big-league club in 2025. We are talking about Juan Brito, Chase DeLauter, and to a lesser extent, Travis Bazzana.
Brito looks like the kind of hitter the Guardians need desperately in that he gets on base. Last year in AAA, he drew 88 walks and had a .365 on base percentage in addition to hitting 21 homers and knocking in 84 runs.
He’s primarily a second baseman, but has played first, third, and the corner outfield spots. But he’s battling injuries all year and had surgery on his hamstring this past week. He played in just 24 games with Columbus, hitting .256, but with a .357 OBP.
And we have written ad nauseum about the Guards needing guys who can get on base.
DeLauter has dealt with foot injuries since being drafted in the first round in 2022, but this year, had surgery right after spring training to repair a core muscle and then broke his hamate bone in July. He played in just 34 games in AAA.
He looked poised to be promoted when the bone broke after the big-league all-star break, hitting .278 with an 859 OPS, including an .383 OBP.
He is being sent to the Arizona Fall League again, having already played there for 35 games and compiling a 939 OPS in that league.
Bazzana, the first overall pick in last year’s draft has had problems with his oblique, and thus has played in 77 games between Akron and Columbus, hitting .245 but with a .389 OBP and an 813 OPS.
He would have been an option for a September call up had he been healthy all year.
If all three are healthy next year, they should all get chances in Cleveland, and in the case of Brito and DeLauter, a solid chance to break camp with the big league club.
That said, that should NOT be the front office’s plan heading into 2026. You can’t pin your hopes on rookies if you consider yourself a playoff team.
But it was bad luck for the players and the organization.
Cleveland Sports Perspective 