Do People Really Think A New Guards’ Owner Would Replace The Front Office?

Whenever people are critical of the Dolan ownership of the Cleveland Guardians (and we are among that group), one of the retorts from the Dolan supporters is they leave the front office do their job without interference.

The secondary theory is if a new owner that was willing to spend more cash were to buy the Guardians, they would get rid of Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff, despite the way they produce winning seasons on a shoestring budget.

Talk about living in your own fears.

If anything, wouldn’t the new owners want to see what kind of magic Antonetti and Chernoff could perform if they had an extra $30-$40 million to spend? Because we would. That’s only logical.

Baseball’s new villain, the Los Angeles Dodgers are a great example to look at, $350 million payroll notwithstanding.

When the Dodgers hired Andrew Friedman as president of baseball operations following the 2014 season, they did so based on the job Friedman had done in his tenure as vice president of baseball operations with small market Tampa Bay.

Friedman took over the Rays following the 2005 season, and took the downtrodden franchise to its first playoff appearance in 2008, as they made it all the way to the World Series.

He also was in charge as Tampa made the post-season in 2010, 2011, and 2013.

The Dodgers felt like if Friedman has this kind of success guiding a team with a small revenue stream, imagine what he could do with all of the money a team in a huge market has.

Now no one can be sure, but we would bet when the Dolans’ sell the team to minority owner David Blitzer (or someone else, who knows?), the new person holding the purse strings would take notice of the job Antonetti and Chernoff have done and would think (we think correctly) they could do more with more money to spend.

Especially if Blitzer takes over because he’s seen the results first-hand.

And that would be seven playoff appearances in the last 12 years, including going to the seventh game of the World Series in 2016. That team ranked 17th in the majors in payroll.

Cleveland got as high as 11th in players’ salaries in 2019, a season in which the Indians went 93-69, missing the playoffs after three consecutive playoff appearances.

When they missed, the payrolls were sliced, dropping to 20th in ’20, 27th in ’21 and ’22, the latter season being a division title team, 29th in ’23 (following a division winner, a forebearer to this off-season) and last season.

NOTE: Payroll numbers are from baseballreference.com

We know the Guardians’ owners have justifications for reducing the cash spent on players, but frankly, we don’t believe them. We believe the money is there.

Some of the reasons for supporting an owner that doesn’t spend or better yet, doesn’t seem to have an overwhelming desire to win a title, are crazy. We have said before that the Dolans seem to be nice people, and we are sure it makes it difficult to be critical, especially by media members.

We also understand the goal of owning any business is making a profit but also think winning and making a profit aren’t mutually exclusive.

In fact, if the Guardians won the World Series, the owners would make even more cash.

But giving them support because you think they will fire people who are very good at their jobs seems silly. Come up with a better reason.

After A Great Season, Guards’ Ownership Cuts Spending

Regular readers of this site can figure out our age by when we started following sports in northeast Ohio. The starting point for us was 1965, and we recently were thinking about our relationship with the Cleveland baseball team in that period.

From 1965-1990, the Indians were poorly financed and poorly run. The ownership and front office wanted to win, but they had no money, forcing management to trade many young players because they couldn’t afford them.

Think about players like Chris Chambliss and Graig Nettles, who became mainstays of a couple Yankee World Championship clubs. They had Dennis Eckersley, Buddy Bell, and Julio Franco who were all either great (Eck is in the Hall of Fame) or very good, but were traded for prospects or the dreaded “we’ll get three average players for one real good one” move.

From 1991-2001 were the halcyon days. Jacobs Field opened in 1994, and attendance was at a franchise peak for a sustained time. The Indians were well run, well financed, and ownership was motivated to break the at the time 40-year drought between post-season appearances.

Cleveland was in the top ten (some years top five) in payroll. Big name free agents signed here, first veterans like Eddie Murray, Dennis Martinez, and Orel Hershiser, and later coveted ones like Jack McDowell, Kenny Lofton, and Roberto Alomar.

And then we have from 2002 to the present. There is no question the team is well run. The front office, especially with Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff is charge does a solid job. Financially, in spite of the constant whining and moaning about the lack of money, they are solid, the biggest difference between now and the previous two eras is this ownership doesn’t seem to have an overwhelming desire to win.

One of our tried-and-true theories is the everyone likes to win. Who wouldn’t? It’s fun. However, there is a huge difference between liking to win and hating to lose. Our favorite athletes are the one who will do anything to avoid a loss.

As owners, the Dolans are the former, they like to win. However, we don’t think they are obsessed with ending the franchise’s World Series drought, which has now reached 76 years.

This comes up again because of a report that the Guardians payroll being reduced from the beginning of the 2024 season, after a season where the team won a playoff series and got to the AL Championship Series, baseball’s Final Four, if you will.

Also, attendance was up. After years of the ownership saying they would spend when the fans showed up (that’s not the way it works in business by the way), slightly over 222,000 folks went to Progressive Field in ’24, the 6th highest increase in the majors.

And they are spending less on players.

This is not to suggest the Guardians can spend like the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, and a few other big market teams. But reducing the payroll after a wildly successful season is a slap in the face to the fans.

It’s not like this Guards’ roster doesn’t have holes. Impartial observers see problems with both the everyday lineup and the starting rotation.

Even the staunchest defender the Guardians’ owners should be appalled by this development. We’ve already heard the excuse about the television broadcast deal, but it should not stop them from trying to get to another World Series.

We don’t know what will happen during the ’25 baseball season, and we have been a fan of this baseball team for 60 years. We want them to win. We’ve said it before, but wishing and hoping isn’t a plan. Get the payroll to the level of other teams of this size market, like Milwaukee or Kansas City.

Do something to make another team have the longest span since winning a World Series.

Time Is Running Short To Improve The Guardians

The calendar has turned to 2025 and the holidays (and winter meetings) has passed, so we think it is appropriate to ask exactly what is going on at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.

Besides the construction on Progressive Field.

We understand spring training hasn’t started yet, and a big move could occur tomorrow, but as of right now, it doesn’t seem like the Cleveland Guardians are building on their success of last season.

This is a team that went to the American League Championship Series. They won 92 games and beat Detroit in the Division Series. But honestly, we don’t think anyone could say the Guardians are a better squad than the one that was eliminated in five games by the Yankees.

Although we understood the major moves made by Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff, the truth is the Guardians who were 7th in the AL in runs scored in ’24 traded their third best hitter in Josh Naylor for some magic beans.

And they moved their Gold Glove second baseman in Andres Gimenez, but in that deal, they did get a much-needed starting pitcher in Luis Ortiz

They did sign veteran Carlos Santana for a third go round with the franchise, but his numbers from the last three seasons suggest he should be a platoon player, with the bulk of his production coming from the right side of the plate.

According to the messages being put out there by the front office, the Guardians view him as an everyday player, and we wonder how quickly a sub 700 OPS vs. righties in the lineup each game will get old. Perhaps as old as Santana, who will be 39 next season.

Even with the deal with Pittsburgh for Ortiz, who should be in the rotation to open the season, the rotation is filled with question marks outside of Tanner Bibee.

Gavin Williams has the look of a top of the rotation pitcher, but he has 32 big league starts and 4.06 ERA. Ben Lively was solid last season but has the profile of a journeyman.

And the organization cannot have any true idea what they have in Triston McKenzie, who battled elbow issues in ’23 and control issues in ’24.

Of the everyday players, there is the incomparable Jose Ramirez at 3B, Steven Kwan in LF, and ????? Lane Thomas should hold down another outfield spot, but he’s kind of a platoon player, great vs. lefties, so-so vs. RHP.

Kyle Manzardo and his 145 big league at bats should be a regular. Brayan Rocchio has a great post-season but had a 614 OPS in the regular season. And at 2B and RF, we are sure this will be a spring training competition.

Right now, the biggest strength of the roster is also the most volatile, the bullpen. We believe it’s a reach to think Hunter Gaddis, Cade Smith, and Tim Herrin will all perform on the same level next year.

Once again, the ownership isn’t investing in the team. We understand the situation about the local broadcast revenue, and we know the Dolan family cannot spend like the Dodgers and the Yankees, but they have the cash. They simply choose not to put it toward the ballclub.

We sometimes feel that the Guardians’ ownership doesn’t deserve the great fans they have because they do nothing to build excitement. Heck, they even cancelled the winter meet and greet with the players this off-season.

Yes, there is still time, but it is under 50 days until spring training starts. On paper, the Guardians are a team full of more questions than answers.

Looking At Second Base in ’25 For Guardians

With the winter meetings now history and the Cleveland Guardians making two trades, which both came out of nowhere, we can take a look at how the team shapes up, although there is still plenty of time to make moves with spring training not starting for two months.

Friday, team president Chris Antonetti named four candidates to play second base in place of Andres Gimenez: Gabriel Arias, Tyler Freeman, Daniel Schneemann, and rookie Juan Brito.

We said the other day that Brito should get the first shot. Why? It’s kind of weird to say this, but partially because we haven’t seen him in the big leagues.

Arias will be 25 next season and has 563 plate appearances with the Guardians. He has a 624 OPS in those at bats, and a strikeout to walk ratio of 182:42 and a 32.3% K rate. He has pop when he hits the ball, and that mesmerizes certain fans, but he simply hasn’t been very productive.

Freeman will be 26 and has the most big league at bats out of the quartet with 637 plate appearances and a 632 OPS. His strikeout to walk ratio is 94:42. He was the regular CF in April and May and was doing an acceptable job, but had a slump in June and after Schneemann was called up, lost playing time.

He has an 802 OPS in AAA, which is a pretty good pedigree.

The left-handed hitting Schneemann got off to a great start in AAA last year and carried it over to the big club, hitting .263 in June with a .362 on base average. After the All-Star Game, he hit .202 with a 555 OPS. The organization loved his versatility, but our opinion was the coaching staff loved him a little more than he deserved. He will be 28 this coming season.

Brito is a 23-year-old switch hitter who came over from Colorado for Nolan Jones. He has a career OPS in the minors of 834, including 807 last year in Columbus when he hit .256 with 88 walks and 61 extra base hits.

The Guardians hit more home runs last year than in 2023, but the number of doubles went way down. Brito had 40 doubles for the Clippers last year.

He doesn’t have a great reputation with the glove, and the organization started playing him at 1B, 3B, and RF last season, but as we say many times, get the lead and you can put a glove in the game, either Arias or Freeman, because we don’t think too much of Schneemann’s glove.

Also, have to think Angel Martinez is also in the mix, but his 635 OPS might suggest he needs more time in AAA, as he only has 169 plate appearances and will only be 23-years-old.

Despite getting Luis Ortiz, the Guardians still need starting pitching. Yes, they kept Shane Bieber, but he likely won’t be ready until the second half of the season.

We wonder what the cost would be for a guy like Lance Lynn (7-4, 3.84 ERA, 109 Ks in 117 IP for St. Louis) or a Jose Quintana (10-10, 3.75 ERA in 170 IP for the Mets) would cost.

Both guys would soak up some much-needed innings for Steven Vogt.

And yes, we would still consider Hunter Gaddis for a move back to the rotation. He’s more valuable getting 15-18 outs than three.

Antonetti did say the team has some money to spend with the trade of Gimenez. We still believe the Guardians should increase the payroll from last year anyway, but the reason for the deal was to get out from what was looking to be a bad contract in a couple of years.

Let’s hope that wasn’t media speak by the organization.

If Browns Learn Anything, It Should Be The Current Structure Doesn’t Work

That the Cleveland Browns are 3-9 this season is bad enough for a fan, what might be even more frustrating is that there doesn’t seem to be a singular person to blame.

Owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam talk about a “collaborative” effort in running the Browns. Apparently, the decision makers would be the owners, we think their son-in-law, J. W. Johnson is in the group, along with GM Andrew Berry, Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta, and coach Kevin Stefanski.

Is this a good way to run a football operation or any sports franchise? We would think it isn’t.

We are sure there are many people who are asked for input with both the Guardians and Cavaliers’ organizations, but we know who the final decision is made by. For the baseball team, it is team president Chris Antonetti and GM Mike Chernoff. And with the Cavs, it is president of basketball operations Koby Altman.

If things aren’t going well, they are the people fans and media alike can point the finger at. And at least in the Guardians’ case, when the team isn’t playing well or questions need to be answered, Antonetti faces the media and provides answers.

And although Altman doesn’t conduct a lot of pressers, everyone in the basketball world understands he and GM Mike Gansey are making the basketball decisions.

In both of these cases, we are sure the ownership is aware of what is going on and gives the final okay, but as owners, that’s the way it should be.

With the Cavaliers, it wasn’t always that way. Dan Gilbert went through coaches and general managers on what seemed to be every other year basis, but since his health issues, the basketball operations are more front and center.

This odd structure for the Browns leads to a lot of questions, particularly earlier this season, when there were questions (and rightly so) about who made the decision to trade for Deshaun Watson and why was he continuing to play?

We still don’t know, and that’s a problem for people wanting a fall guy. Let’s face it, whoever was the person in the organization thumping the loudest for the former Texans’ QB should be fired. It was that bad of a mistake.

Instead, Stefanski has to answer questions as to whether or not he, the coach of the team, can make a decision to bench the player. And although Stefanski says he can, we think even his critics know he’s a smart man, and surely, he cannot think Watson was the best option if the Browns wanted to win.

If you want a laugh, type “bad quotes about committees” into your search browser. There are tons of comments from smart people about how the worst way to make a decision is to form a committee to discuss them.

The best thing the Haslams can learn from the Watson situation is they need to have someone in charge of football operations and let that man make the football decisions, including having the coach and GM report to him.

When John Dorsey supposedly in charge here, the head coach at the time, Hue Jackson, supposedly reported to the owner.

All that does is encourage an “it’s not my fault, it’s his fault” scenario.

The Browns need someone to answer the big picture football related questions. And too often, that role falls in Stefanski’s lap, because he’s the only guy who talks to the media (he tries not to say anything) regularly.

The collaboration method hasn’t worked. Hire someone with a vast knowledge of the game and let all football people report to him. And have his voice and only his voice tell ownership what needs to be done.

The wise man knows what he doesn’t know. And a committee didn’t come up with that quote.

Guards Biggest Needs: Starting Pitching (Duh) And???

The Major League Baseball trading deadline is Tuesday afternoon and there is a lot of speculation on what the Cleveland Guardians will do before then.

Of course, there are the callous fans who think they will do nothing, it will be status quo for the front office, after all, the Guardians have the best record in the American League and one of the best records in baseball with the current group of players.

But we know the other competitors for post-season spots will make moves to get better, so president Chris Antonetti and GM Mike Chernoff have to seek to make the roster better in order to “keep up with the Joneses”.

In terms of WAR (wins over the replacement), the Guardians chief need is no surprise, it’s starting pitching. A few years ago, Cleveland had a rotation of Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, Mike Clevinger, and Shane Bieber, and with that, you knew they had a chance to win every night.

Those guys were that good.

These days, you can only have confidence when Tanner Bibee and the surprising Ben Lively take the hill. Gavin Williams is still working his way back from an elbow issue, and his last few starts have been hit or miss. Hopefully, that improves going forward.

Carlos Carrasco was a nice story coming out of spring training, but he’s allowed 106 hits in 95 innings and has an ERA of 5.68. Pitching five innings and giving up three runs is not a good outing.

And the fifth spot is a revolving door right now.

We hear a lot of talk about upgrading at SS, and surprisingly, the other positions where the Guardians are getting the worst production are catcher and right field, not shortstop.

We doubt catcher is considered an area of need by the organization and we agree with that. Now that David Fry’s elbow is allowing him to play the position, we think the Guardians are satisfied with him, Bo Naylor and Austin Hedges, although with Fry back, the latter’s at bats can be few and farther between.

Perhaps that’s where Angel Martinez and Jhonkensy Noel should be getting their at bats? Will Brennan has received the bulk of the playing time there, but he provides neither power (.379 slugging percentage) or the ability to get on base (.291 on base percentage) walking just 16 times in 247 plate appearances.

That’s a bad combination particularly for someone who plays a corner outfield spot.

We agree that it would be nice if Brayan Rocchio hit more. But he is the best defensive shortstop option on the squad, and we have always said you need seven solid bats in your lineup to have a good offense.

Anyone else the team plays at short now that Gabriel Arias was sent down seems to have issues with the glove. And if your pitching staff, particularly the starters, are struggling, you have to put solid defenders behind them.

Actually, the best way the offense can be helped would be for their best hitters to start producing again. If Steven Kwan, Jose Ramirez, and Josh Naylor started swinging the bats again at their career norms, that would go a long way in straightening out the offense.

30 Years Of Pretty Darn Good Baseball In Cleveland

Readers of this site should be familiar with the fact that our first sports memories occurred in 1965. Yes, we missed the Browns’ title. But the first 30 years of baseball remembrances were filled with mediocrity.

From ’65 to 1993, the most games won by the then-Indians was the 87 victories they achieved in that first season. Just a few years later, in 1968, they came in third in the American League with 86 wins.

Those seasons were followed by what can best be described as crap. There were four seasons where the Tribe finished over .500, and they were barely over the break-even mark with a high of 84 wins in 1986.

The reason for the trip down memory lane was the Mark Shapiro-led Toronto Blue Jays’ visit to Cleveland last weekend, and we realized that since 1994 and the opening of Progressive Field, the Indians/Guardians have largely been contenders for a playoff spot or have played in the post-season.

Starting in 1995 (because ’94 was strike shortened), Cleveland has made the playoffs 13 times and have been under the .500 mark just 10 times.

The reason for the Shapiro connection was the only real “down period” since 1994 occurred when he was running the show here.

That’s kind of unfair because he took over when the teams that opened the new ballpark were aging and he had to do a rebuild, and it was pointed out to us that it was a real fear the franchise would go through another 20-30 year drought, but after three sub .500 seasons from 2002-2004, the Indians were contenders in ’05 and won the division and made it to the AL Championship Series in 2007.

The success couldn’t be sustained and from 2008 until Terry Francona took the helm in 2013, Cleveland broke even the first season and won 80 games in 2011. Otherwise, there were three 90-loss seasons.

Since 2013 though, under the leadership of Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff, the Indians/Guardians have been contenders pretty much every single season, winning 92 games in Francona’s first season, and just two losing seasons, one of them an 80-82 campaign in 2021.

In our early years as a baseball fan, the annual baseball magazines would always have a composite World Series’ results standings and Cleveland was always at two wins and one loss. Three appearances, none from 1954 to 1995.

Since then, Cleveland has doubled that total. Unfortunately, the win column has remained the same as all fans of the team are painfully aware. However, if we revert back to our thoughts in 1984, it would have been a dream to see that franchise in one Fall Classic, let alone three of them.

Based on the Guardians’ great start this year, it looks like another playoff spot will happen in 2024, although we take nothing for granted until the magic number is zero.

However, since 1995, the longest stretch for Cleveland baseball without a post-season appearance is five years (2002-2006 and 2008-2012). That’s a far cry from the 41-year absence we dealt with in our youth.

And when you think about it, should all of the city’s professional sports teams aim for that kind of consistency?

Can Guards Upgrade The Offense More?

The Cleveland Guardians finished 12th in the American League in runs scored a year ago, and so far this season have improved that department greatly.

Over a quarter of the 2024 season has been played, and right now, the Guards are second in the AL in runs.

A year ago, they ranked 12th team OPS, 10th in on base percentage and 14th (second to last) in slugging percentage. To date in ’24, they are 5th in OPS, 6th in on base average, and 7th in slugging percentage.

They famously hit the fewest home runs in the league a year ago, and currently are 6th in the AL.

Everything is much improved.

Could it be improved even more? We hope the improvement doesn’t cause president Chris Antonetti and GM Mike Chernoff to think the offense couldn’t get better, because with the Guardians’ pitching staff, which ranks 4th in the league in ERA, and particularly the bullpen, which has been dominant, it could raise Steven Vogt’s team even more.

And it is pretty clear where Cleveland can get more production is in the outfield, where two of the most struggling players play.

They made maybe the first move yesterday calling up Johnathan Rodriguez from Columbus and designating Ramon Laureano for assignment.

Rodriguez was hitting well at AAA with an 838 OPS (.276 batting average) with a 25.4% K rate at Columbus, hitting 7 homers and drawing 29 walks. He’s a right-handed hitter.

Rodriguez could be a possible upgrade to the outfield offense.

We say possible because as hot as Kyle Manzardo was in the minors this season, he has gone just 5 for 31 with the big club since his promotion with 10 strikeouts in 33 plate appearances. (NOTE: He struck out in his first five big league at bats).

Laureano really struggled to contribute. He was signed in the off-season because he had a decent track record hitting lefties but had a 518 OPS (.177 batting average with one home run).

And over the last month, he is just 2 for 25 with 15 strikeouts in 27 plate appearances. He is a good outfielder with a great arm and the ability to play CF, but it was getting difficult for the organization to find him at bats.

The other outfielder having a tough go is Estevan Florial.

Florial has contributed some huge hits this season, a pinch-hit homer against the Yankees and a three-run blast to tie up a game in Houston, but other than those moments, he has struggled mightily.

He has fanned in 40 of his 103 plate appearances, a whopping 38.8% rate. He has a 596 OPS vs. right-handers (to his credit, he is 4 for 11 vs. southpaws), and over the last month, he is batting just .153 with 26 whiffs in 64 times at the dish (40.6%).

The best left-handed bat in the state capital is Daniel Schneemann, an infielder who has started getting playing time in LF and RF. Should we read into that?

He has come out of nowhere the last two seasons (he batted .205 at Akron in 2022) and this season is hitting .310 with a 1041 OPS. He’s belted 8 round trippers and has walked a team high 35 times.

Schneemann also provides more versatility because he can play both infield and outfield.

Is the organization thinking they can improve the offense more? We know they are always looking for ways to improve the ballclub. The first move has been made, is another one to follow?

Non Money Moves Made Or Not Made By Guardians

We have talked about this a lot since the calendar turned to 2024, but it has been a very, very quiet off-season for the Cleveland Guardians. Outside of a few transactions around the time a team had to offer arbitration to its players, it seems like the construction around Progressive Field has closed the front office too.

We aren’t going to get into the financial stuff here, we have been well informed on the whole broadcast revenue with Bally Sports and how the Guardians have claimed it prevented them for spending this winter.

However, there are things we would have liked the organization to do this off-season which would not have caused a financial burden. Here are some things we wish they’d have taken care of:

Ease The Middle Infield Glut. If you have five shortstops do you have one? Once the exhibition games start, new skipper Steven Vogt will have to decide who will get the majority of the playing time in the middle infield, particularly at short.

We say that because the Guards seem loathe to move Andres Gimenez, who played 400 games in the minor leagues at shortstop to that spot in the big leagues. So, the primary candidates are Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio, with Tyler Freeman and Jose Tena on the outside.

They gave Arias a full shot at the job a year ago after Amed Rosario was traded, and he had a 643 OPS in the second half, batting .227. Rocchio had an outstanding winter league season, and frankly, we have felt he was regarded as the heir apparent to the spot by the organization.

We would give Rocchio the spot to start and see if the winter league carries over. The back up plan for us would be moving Gimenez to SS and seeing if Freeman can hit like he did in the minors with regular at bats.

Catching Reserve. Last season, the Guardians employed Cam Gallagher as the backup catcher all year, first behind Mike Zunino and then Bo Naylor. He received 143 at bats and hit .125 (322 OPS).

We dare you to find anyone worse with a bat in their hand. Early in the off-season, they claimed Christian Bethancourt from Tampa. He hit .225 but banged 11 homers and had a 635 OPS. Not Babe Ruth production but better than what Gallagher provided.

But then they let Bethancourt go and re-signed veteran Austin Hedges for a second go round with the Guards. Hedges is an excellent defensive catcher, but he can’t hit.

In 199 games with Cleveland, he has a .169 batting average and 502 OPS. We get he is a great clubhouse presence, but he can’t hit.

Have we mentioned the Guardians need hitting?

Find A Taker For Straw. Vogt and Chris Antonetti have both talked about giving the Guardians’ young outfielders an opportunity this year, but that may prove difficult because Myles Straw is still on the roster.

The problem for the Guards is Straw still has two years on his deal, worth an estimated $13.8 million. A second problem is as we said before, the Guardians need offense and Straw has been one of baseball’s worst hitters over the last two seasons.

We get that no one wants to take that contract unless it is included in a bigger deal, as many proposed in possible trades involving Shane Bieber. But the Guardians usual move is to play Straw because they owe him the cash. That’s the real problem.

And based on the Guardians’ history, if he is on the roster, they will feel obligated to put him in the lineup.

What Is Plan B To Help Guardians Score Runs?

The first clue came at Guardians’ Fest when owner Paul Dolan said the reason for not signing any free agent outfielders is they wanted to give the young players in the farm system a chance.

Then in the past few days, manager Steven Vogt and president Chris Antonetti mentioned the same thing.

To us, this is a pretty risky plan especially if the organization has designs on making the playoffs. Remember, this shouldn’t be a “rebuild”, they won the division title just two years ago with the youngest roster in the sport.

It is universally known that the Guardians have a problem scoring runs, ranking 12th in the American League a year ago. We believe to have a solid major league lineup, a team needs to have six, maybe even seven solid bats in the batting order.

In our opinion, right now, the Guards have four: Jose Ramirez of course, Josh Naylor, Steven Kwan, and Andres Gimenez. Bo Naylor showed promise a year ago, but he has less than 250 big league at bats, and can’t be counted as of yet.

And we are pressing the definition of “solid” with Kwan (710 OPS) and Gimenez (712 OPS), each would be the 6th or 7th best hitters on very good hitting teams.

The front office could have signed a veteran free agent to a one-year contract (there are no such things as bad one-year deals) to add a proven stick to the order. Players like J.D. Martinez (career 874 OPS) and Tommy Pham (786 OPS) are still on the market.

Cleveland acquired Estevan Florial from New York over the winter and he had a big year in AAA last season and was a former top 100 prospect. George Valera has also been on this list, but he’s never been in the big leagues and has battled injuries the last two seasons.

Otherwise, the candidates the team is depending aren’t on the list of the top prospects in the game, nor are they on the Guardians’ top 10 list, at least among the outfielders.

So, our question is this: What is Plan B if none of the young players the brass is talking about come through in 2024?

In 2022, Will Brennan slashed 371/479/850 in the minor leagues, at both the AA and AAA levels. Last year, in the big leagues, Brennan had a 655 OPS, with both the on base and pop he showed in the minors in ’22 having disappeared.

This isn’t to say Brennan is a bust, for right now, we simply will call it growing pains, but the fact remains he didn’t provide much offense for the Guardians last season.

In three seasons at AAA, Florial has slashed 358/490/848, similar numbers to Brennan. And although he has only 134 plate appearances in the big leagues, he has a 609 OPS, striking out 41 times.

Another hopeful is Johnathan Rodriguez, who in 47 games at Columbus last season was outstanding 376/560/936. With 476 plate appearances in AA, his numbers are 334/497/831. Solid, but not overwhelming.

Jhonkensy Noel, a minor league slugger, is also in the mix, but in a full season at Columbus last year put up these numbers: 303/420/723.

Kyle Manzardo is a Guardians’ top 10 prospect, and it seems like the organization wants him to start in AAA. Perhaps, it’s because he’s not already on the 40-man roster. In AAA last season, he had an 802 OPS.

And no, we don’t consider a player with a 676 OPS a year ago to be a solid bat. We are talking about Ramon Laureano, claimed on waivers from Oakland last season in August. His last season with an OPS over 750 was 2021.

Could things fall into place and Brennan bounces back, Bo Naylor continues to hit like he did in the second half last season, and Brayan Rocchio hits like he has in winter ball? Of course, and if that happens, the offensive woes could be solved.

We like having a backup plan, though. Of course, that costs money. Hence the problem for the front office.