The Cleveland Guardians are a mess

The Cleveland Guardians are a mess

welcome everybody to the latest edition of the ultimate Cleveland Guardian show and ultimately the Guardians are playing like crap they lose three straight in Seattle five out of six since we were last with you zack uh do you have any faith that this team is going to turn it around anytime soon why don’t you hit the intro music Bull it’s the ultimate Cleveland Guardian show it’s not a good sign that you were unable to answer that question um obviously this team playing terrible baseball folks throw your comments in the chat and we will get to it i already noticed it because usually we’re on at 9 so some people thought we were going to be on at 9:00 uh and I already see uh 1980s rules put a message up at nine about 30 minutes ago said “These guys have to mentally prepare to discuss the misery which is our team.” Yeah it it’s it’s ugly right now Zach they are a 500 ball club uh for the first time since they were nine and nine I believe that was really exactly two months ago I want to say give or take um but uh it’s hard to say anything good this team they just got you know they they scored five runs in Seattle it was ugly so your question to lead the show I could sit here and say I still think Bo Naylor is going to be a good major league player and I think there are brighter days ahead for Kyle Manardo and etc etc but what evidence do we have that it’s going to matter this season right um they don’t seem to be in a rush to call up prospects who maybe could help maybe not but it’s probably worth finding out isn’t it and Chase Delotter and CJ Cay um Juan Burrito is getting healthier and he’s one guy that I know I’d like to see but when they’ll actually make that move I have no idea and the main thing is that I don’t think any of this is that surprising like you look at the names in the lineup what are your expectations for this group as a whole anyway they’re fortunate that Jose Ramirez has been playing out of his mind yeah otherwise you take a below average lineup and it would look even worse somehow so um no I I I think the worst part about this season for the Guardians is that it’s mid June we’re just summer’s just getting started right and there’s something special about when a baseball team is good and baseball is omnipresent it’s every single night and there’s something to be said about firing up the grill going in your backyard cooking dinner you’ve got Tom Hamilton playing and when the team is good like that’s that’s part of the fabric of your summer it’s it’s exhilarating and when a team is not because it’s summer because there’s so much to do it’s so easy to tune out and when they play a brand of baseball like this team is playing where it’s so boring and they it’s just the same thing oh Gabriel Aras is hitting fifth again and they had four hits and they lost uh it’s pretty easy to become apathetic and I think that’s where a lot of people are and so you know it’s it’s June 16th today and there’s Browns talk is always going to dominate right but like Shadur Sanders is going to be the number one topic a lot sooner than just the start of training camp which is the normal way of doing things it’s it’s going to be earlier because this team has done the opposite of capturing the attention of the city not to mention in about two weeks you’ll have all the trade rumors involved well not I mean it could you know technically it can’t happen for about another two weeks but you know there’s gonna be a lot of trade rumors with the Cavs late June early July to maybe bridge the gap to football and we don’t want that to happen you love baseball you cover this team you know how much I love baseball you know there’s not that many uh media members in this town that that have a passion for baseball which is why you mostly get crappy baseball coverage in this town and the thing is with the Guardians you I mean you hit on all your points there um and and here’s you talk about apathy Jared Guzik music and and the people that are in the chat for our show are people that are these these are all diehard baseball fans you know you’re not you know watching this show every week and like unless you’re a diehard baseball fan because we’re baseball nerds and we get into the minutia and and pe if people like that they’re they’re dieards he know the sport and Jarrett’s like you know I’ve yet to go to a guard’s game and for the first time I don’t regret it and I can’t blame him i I I don’t blame you for not wanting to go i mean I love being at the ballpark there is something just fun even if your team’s not playing great it’s just a fun being at the ballpark and the stadium’s beautiful and there’s a lot of good food choices and usually the weather’s good but I can’t blame people for what are we what do you hang your hat on right now you know you got a lineup that stinks you’ve got a pitching starting rotation that’s you know okay it’s fine even if you want to say it’s good but there there’s not like there’s no pole schemes that you’re like at least I can go watch him and then who Jose yeah fine that’s that’s it but at this point like yes you have Jose but I’m specifically with a pitcher like one pitcher like I want to see this guy pitch every five days at least if you’re a Pirates fan you have that like they stink and they’re much worse organization than the Guardians but at least for the moment you know I wouldn’t mind going to the ballpark every 5 days and watching Paul Ski pitch colobby Allard and his 195 Pra no no and nobody goes to the to the ballpark to see a relief pitchers even if they’re good and it’s just everything about this team is blah it really is except for Jose except for Jose you’re right that’s that’s it we love Jose uh he took maybe the biggest discount in the history of base history of sports to stay with this team and they’re doing they’re they’re really it feels like I know they’re I know they are trying in their own way but it feels like they’re not it feels like they’re not trying to take advantage of what he did for them they’re not whether they’re trying or not it’s been a failure and it’s not like this failure is new i think that’s the frustrating thing for fans is that look this guy is a gift from the heavens i mean you’ve had him he’s been in the major leagues since he was 20 right he got called up in 2013 September right before his 21st birthday and he’s under contract until he turns 36 like you’re going to get this Hall of Fame player for basically the entirety of his career yep and you’re going to get him always at a super cheap price that’s correct that doesn’t happen it especially doesn’t happen in a small market so uh to like what a gift you need to do everything you possibly can to capitalize on that i think at times they’ve done a better job than on others but I think for the most part and especially for the last five six years they failed at it especially since he signed this last contract and guess what i know he’s having an incredible season he’s defying father time he’s showing no signs of slowing down he will eventually oh yeah and you know what’s going to happen as that happens he’s going to get more expensive his contract his salary goes up year by year so if you haven’t been taking advantage of him when he’s been severely underpaid like he’s given you all this surplus value and you haven’t capitalized on that what’s going to happen when he’s making 25 million a year yeah but you know what he’s not producing as much and you know what though like you think about that the most expensive year of his contract is the last year 2028 where he’s making 25 million that’s still an insane bargain it is crazy but this team wouldn’t Yeah this team didn’t build around him when he was making 17 yeah or when he was making 10 like it’s it’s so I just I don’t know i This is not I don’t want to take victory laps for the team stinking or the offense not being able to produce right but like I think every fan in our chat would say who didn’t see this coming this is Look at the names you’ve trotted out there in the lineup i mean Carlos Santana is doing a heck of a job for a 39year-old first baseman and he’s slightly above average it’s It’s I’m giving him credit because he’s 39 not because he’s been incredible and no 39-year-old first baseman should be forced to hit fourth and carrier lineup it’s just But this is what they’ve resorted to and so like I look at Kyle Manardo who has cooled off considerably over the last month or six weeks and that’s going to happen it’s his first full season in the majors but you didn’t build in any margin for error and so when he’s struggling and um Angel Martinez is struggling and Gabriel Arias has crashed to earth and Bone Naylor shows flashes every once in a while but can’t put anything together consistently like you left yourself in this position and it’s the least surprising thing that I’ve ever seen i mean it’s it’s and it’s too bad like this was avoidable yeah if you look at Jose Ramirez’s average annual value now remember there’s great there’s some great players that are young who you know are pre-arbitration they’re not they’re not going to make this kind of money when he did that too though keep in mind he signed a 5year $24 million extension after 2016 his his breakout season right so that was absurdly cheap too oh yeah you see that you see that a lot though like the Braves have a number of guys Akuna Azy Alab who sign these deals because in baseball you don’t really get paid until you’ve got four years in the big leagues salvador Perez remember that one yeah so he signed that first you never get the second contract like that and they benefited from it they did you know where he ranks in terms of average annual value you want to just take a a guess throughout his entire career no right like for during his current contract i top three or top five in the majors I would assume no no no the a I mean how much he’s getting paid per year on his current contract so the average So he’s getting Oh you mean the salary salary sorry i thought you meant like the his the war total based on No sorry yes I did not clarify where he averages where he is an average salary of current contract yeah so so what they did was they were play he had two years remaining on his previous deal that were very low salary they were they essentially built that into the new contract so I think technically it was like seven for 141 right they’re including that because he’s listed as a little over 20,000 20 million so they’re including Yeah so where do you think that ranks in Major League Baseball uh 53rd very close nice job out of you 64th i mean that was pretty random to have to guess that so I’m I’m impressed you got that close so there are 63 players making more per year than he is but how many players are better than him seven five i mean here here are some of the guys let me throw you i’m not going to mention the guys who are you know who are worthy of making more or or around the same but here are here are some guys making more than him okay a Jacob Deg Grom who’s been seriously injured is averaging 16 million more per year blake Snell 15 million more per year mike Trout who at this I’ll leave Mike Trout alone because when he signed the deal he was obviously still a superstar anthony Rendone is making 35 million a year uh Nolan uh he was good when he signed it too okay vladimir Guerrero Jr making 28 and a half million seven eight million more per year tyler Glass now who can’t stay on the field 27 million per year uh Carlos Rodon Cody Bellinger it’s like Chris Basset on there uh not up to him chris Bryant though chris Bryant uh Danby Swanson George Springer Jean Carlos Stanton Jordan Montgomery Marcus Simeon Nathan Evaldi Shawn Mania Sunonny Gray uh Javier Bayz Trevor Story JT Realmuto Luis Severino Kevin Gosman Tioscar Hernandez Luis Castillo you say Kikuchi I say Kakachi uh Nick Martinez Chris Basset just ahead Edwin Diaz Ian Hap Brandon NMO all ahead of him i mean it’s just it some of those are just insane yeah if you’re if you’re especially for a small market like if you’re building a team the number one thing you want on your team that you would dream of would be a face of the franchise superstar player signed to a deal below market value right right that’s and and he plays a premium position i mean this is not like some first baseman who you’re going to sign to a mega contract and then by the end of it they’re 300 pounds and they can’t produce and they’re a DH and it’s it’s ugly right we’ve seen that so many times like Albert Puhol Miguel Cabrera and that’s not to like you get your value on the front part of that deal for sure but Jose Ramirez is still giving you elite value at 32 going on 33 and for what and look they’ve they’ve look they’ve made the playoffs there going to be people who criticize us and say “Well like it’s not like they’ve been the pirates who can’t build around Paul skins.” Sure but isn’t it doesn’t it doesn’t add to the frustration that they’ve proven that they can get there they just have also proven that they can’t take the next step or they haven’t figured out how to develop the position players and and the hitters necessary to put around him for years after how long have we been talking about them trying to find a right fielder and a center fielder how many middle infield prospects have they developed who have just flopped and so it it’s they haven’t traded enough prospects to get established big leaguers they haven’t developed enough prospects to put good talent around him like you have to pick one or one of those options you can’t fail at both of those you know um it’s funny because the there’s a percentage of the fan base that just you can’t criticize the team at all because they’re consistently good and they have overachieved a number of years like they did last year right there’s there’s no doubt about it and so I guess it’s surprising to some degree when the lineup stinks because there’s a lot of years where the lineup looks like it’s going to stink and it doesn’t and so you know we were asked all for a lot of last year we were asking well how are they doing it how are they doing and then we just stopped because they were playing well and now so many guys have come back to earth and and there’s been no progress outside of Manzardo uh and he’s struggling now and why they’ve sat him six out of seven days I have no idea what the hell’s going on with that but uh it it and and that just so this idea that you can’t criticize Chris Antonetti or Mike Jernoff because they’ve done good things in the past I I think that’s ridiculous i they’ve done a bad job the last few years they’ve sat on their hands and allowed the team in my opinion especially the offense to rot around Jose Ramirez it’s inexcusable and I’ll tell you what when the Guardians first traded Francisco Lindor there were an awful lot of uh Guardian defenders patting themselves on the back for Andre Jimenez all right and well Andre Simenez is better than Francisco Lindor remember we were getting that for for a minute in time okay Francisco Lindor is still a superstar still and everybody you got is gone and not any good i mean I don’t know did they I can’t remember some of the minor leaguers they got are they still in the organization i don’t think they are right so nobody they got they’re all gone so they traded one of the greatest players in franchise history for nothing essentially oh you want to say okay well they got uh you know Slade Sakone no not Slate Sonone because they got Luis Ortiz that’s what they got luis Ortiz and two minor leaguers for Francisco Lindor congratulations and you say well they couldn’t have signed Lindor why not why couldn’t they have signed Lindor i don’t believe they couldn’t have signed Lindor so here’s the thing i No one’s free from blame here because it obviously starts with ownership the front office i’ve had conversations with those guys over the last few years and they they admit that they’ve I mean they had that one year where they were just off right like they the junior common trade haunts them day after day like they they get like uncomfortable when you mention the name because it just it eats at them and it’s going to for a long time i mean that guy is exactly what they need and they traded him when he was 18 for a pitcher who stunk in TripleA and then they cut him and then he developed into a decent pitcher for the Brewers Tiestas Meyers yeah so that trade is killing them twice um yeah they gave up Will Benson for nothing and then Will Benson terrorized them all year uh they they traded Yiner Diaz who was having an okay year but like you know that would be helpful catching solution with Bone Naylor and they traded him for Miles Straw they extended Miles Straw which never made sense the money that they gave Andre Jimenez and then people are praising them when they dump those two contracts on the Blue Jays like who gave them the money in the first place right so it it’s crazy so I will say like they’ve they’ve been candid at least with me in terms of they’d be the first to tell you that they’ve got to get better at developing hitters and they haven’t found the solution i think part of the issue is you try all these strategies and you don’t know if it’s going to work until it’s too late right like okay these hitters don’t pan out remember they they drafted Tyler Nikquin Clint Frasier and Bradley Zimmer with their first pick three straight years thinking “All right we need outfielders in this in the system right these three guys like at least one of them’s got to pan out.” And like I guess Naquin kind of did as a platoon guy maybe but the fact that the other two are done and Naquin is pitching like doesn’t you know Frasier never panned out zimmer didn’t really pan out um and so yeah like but but you don’t have that evidence until years after the fact and then you’re sitting there thinking okay did we miss something in our coaching did they just not have the talent and then did we miss something in scouting uh is there something we could have done different and then remember they started collecting all these contact hitters the Owen Millers the Tyler Freeman’s and Steven Quan was the shining example of that but I think he’s he’s on a different level and there are skills in there and I think just instincts and intelligence that make him kind of the anomaly um the the exception to the rule and so I think they learned that didn’t work you know they learned that the their thought was let’s develop these contact hitters we can have them add power that’s what Jos Ramirez did that’s what Francisco Lindor did those guys weren’t hitting 30 home runs in the minors but they were such good hitters that they could make adjustments figure out how to hit for power eventually because they had you know we watched Bobby Bradley we watched Framo Reyes we watched Oscar Gonzal like all those guys it was okay big power guys can we teach them how to hit for contact no you that’s really hard to do they just don’t have those innate traits but you don’t get John Kenzie now in that group baby exactly and so you you learn from these failures and you try to move on to the next strategy but it’s too late and they’ve gone through all these things and the bottom line is just I think it’s just identifying talent that’s too good to fail no and so now it looks like Chase Delotter is just born to hit and like that that guy should be able to hit major league pitching and is too good at it to fail travis Pazana the number one overall pick every number one overall pick should be too good to fail right they’ve got some of these guys now you look at their their top prospect lists on every whatever site you want it’s all hitters they they they’ve had to do that and maybe sacrifice some of the pitching prospects pitching potential because they trust their pitching development enough and they’ve said “Well we can’t burn all our top picks on pitchers because we need to do it on hitters because we don’t know how to develop hitters.” So now you’ve got hitters stacked at the top of your top prospects list so this is like okay if we can’t do it with Bazana and Delau and Breurto and Ralphie Velasquez and Cheurio and all these guys then I don’t know what they’re going to do but the problem is that it takes so long and they don’t have any sense of urgency we still haven’t seen Dauder or Cus Breurto was hurt unfortunately bazanna’s injury is probably going to take him out of the equation this season and so what do you have you have another year where it’s Jose Ramirez doing incredible things with nothing around him and that just feels like such a waste you know um the kus one in particular has me pissed off i’ve been screaming about it for weeks his OPS is back up to almost a thousand at Columbus i mean what else can this guy do and and yet we have the the Guardian defenders michael Keane on YouTube says “I’m wondering where you guys think Kus fits on this roster uh it could make sense because Nolan could play center field against right-handed pitching but Cus doesn’t fit unless you trade Santana or Menzardo i I I you find a fit if he can hit you find a fit it’s that simple they have nobody that can hit nolan Jones is not hitting carlos Santana doesn’t hit enough i want Manardo to play every day i don’t care if they cut Santana and I know he’s been pretty good i know that m may sound crazy but you know they’ve have to give these young guys who are performing an opportunity every other team it seems like is doing that is calling up these guys i feel like if CJ Kus were performing he’s a I know he’s not an elite prospect but he’s a good prospect he’s killing it in triple A after killing it in double A i feel like on almost any other team he’s in the majors right now and and they they have five guys hitting like a buck 50 don’t tell me there’s no room for him i don’t care how bad his defense is in right field put him in right field nolan Jones hasn’t done let’s go so I would argue Nolan Jones is one of I don’t even want to say a bright spot and I four of his last eight he’s been hitting a lot better the last couple weeks but he put him in center and I and he I don’t think he’s I don’t think he’s very good in center don’t care he should be a right fielder but you’re right let’s go especially since it’s not like like I don’t think no matter what they do you can bring up Kus Delau Jesus Christ like I don’t think this is a World Series contending lineup no matter what you do to it um so sacrifice defense you’re trying to identify guys who can be part of this lineup long term that’s just that’s the priority now and so yeah it probably makes sense like Santana you’re not getting anything for him he’s 39year-old and he yeah he shows he still has something left so it’s the perfect pickup for a contending team you know if Boston wants a first baseman now that they’ve done what they’ve done um you know maybe Carlos Santana is a good fit for them you’re you’re getting a fringe lottery like you’re getting nothing for him but you’d open up guaranteed at bats for Kis every day and that way you can also get the lottery up into the majors too to play right nolan Jones can play center whatever but you have to have Hey Zack you could have every day pretty much Manzardo at first Cafis DH uh Delauer in right and Nolan Jones in center let’s go let’s go there’s no reason they shouldn’t do that right now and you can mix in Lane Thomas against lefties if you want put him in a position to succeed instead of whatever they’ve done with him and Anal Martinez third base I don’t care let’s go no you’re not third base i’m kidding anal Martinez has been like the coldest bat in the lineup for about a month now and so if you’re cutting into his at bats fine or play him at second base on occasion and slide Schneean over to shortstop against righties because Arius has been in a miserable slump too i mean like it’s again they’ve stockpiled middle infielders for years and no one’s panned out they’ve cycled through center fielders and right fielders and nothing has worked so I don’t care about defense i’m I’m I’m with you i’m looking at who can hit that’s been the question that they have not been able to answer forever that’s it and you wonder we’ll talk about this in a minute let’s let me let me get to this and we’ll we’ll do some some reads here uh there’s nothing like the NBA playoffs the intensity the buzzer beers the fans losing their minds it’s the kind of atmosphere you must experience live in this year’s matchups are delivering if you want in game time makes it fast and easy to get seats even for the biggest playoff games prices on the app actually drop closer to tip off and with killer last minute deals panoramic seat views and no surprise fees game time is time is a total game changer uh I just went to the app and zone deals we’re offering 10% off exclusive zone deals for FIFA World Cup matches if you’re into that so let’s go uh here’s the offer for you take the guesswork out of buying tickets with game game time download the Game Time app create an account use the code word locked on NFL for $20 off your first purchase terms apply create an account redeem the code L O C K D O N L for $20 off download the Game Time app today last minute tickets lowest prices guaranteed zack we got to we got to hear about FanDuel as well let’s hear about FanDuel shall we yeah that’s right the uh how about the NBA Finals what a series i hope it goes seven but every night you’re getting highlight worthy performances major momentum shifts can’t miss moments whether it’s a game-winning shot or a breakout player there’s never been a better time to get in on the action fanduel makes it easy to stay in the game before tip off and live with player props performance trends and same game parlays fans have more ways than ever to play smart and win big i know I know someone who had a random hunch recently that Benedict Mathan was going to go over 25 points in in game uh was it game three um and he did 27 they hit that plus 6,500 on that how about that yeah so that’s what you can do at FanDuel if you’re new to FanDuel it’s the perfect time to sign up head to fanduel.com/uss and place your first $5 bet if it wins you’ll get $200 in bonus bets make every moment more with FanDuel the official sports betting partner of the NBA all right Zach good job out of you so we saw a blockbuster trade yesterday in Major League Baseball kind of out of completely out of nowhere i know I’m struggling to to figure it out how well I don’t I mean I don’t know what I don’t know enough about the prospects that they got but I know that Jordan Hicks I know he throws hard but he stinks and um so you traded Hicks you traded uh Kyle Harrison you know he’s okay is it like Logan Allen maybe a tick better yeah he’s a he’s a back end of the rotation guy uh one of the kids they got was their first round pick recently so maybe he’s going to be really good we’ll see but he’s a young player they obviously were just ready to move on from Des maybe they’ll have money you know they they get off a huge payroll because the Giants are paying his whole contract and of course he’ll face the the Guardians starting tomorrow i assume they’ll be there for tomorrow’s game but uh that’s the you know this is it’s around this time of year that that the trades start happening and in a big time way we saw it yesterday uh I know the Guardians are at 500 they’re not usually like traditional dumpers and they don’t have a ton to trade that would get you anything significant back but I I think if you’re the Guardians right now you have to seriously consider trading Emanuel Class and I know he had just had a blown save this weekend but he’s pitched really well since the beginning of the season i still think there’d be a lot of teams interested in Emanuel Claus especially with his contract um you know maybe it’s a little early and I don’t know that the Guardians are ready to go this way yet but I think they should be thinking about next year to some degree even though they’re only a game out of a playoff spot um and we’ve talked about all the bats they need so I don’t know do you do you think there’s any chance they trade Class A in the next six weeks uh yeah i think this this season feels like it’s we’re just replaying 2023 doesn’t it the offense is inept yes the starting pitching has potential but it’s just too inconsistent and then Class A is just an enigma that’s what it was two years ago and with Class A like some of it’s not his fault he gives up a lot of weird weak contact and stuff although this year like he’s been uncharacteristic so a couple things one I would want to survey like you you have to go test the market you have to gauge his value because the question you have to ask yourself is do teams still believe he is the guy from last season right who was unhitable and he’s just having a weird unlucky season he’s corrected some things or our team’s going to say “Well this guy was complaining of shoulder soreness two months ago.” True and he’s given up a lot of hits and just doesn’t look like himself and if that’s the case then I think you got to wait till the off seasonason and I think you got to let him try to rebuild his value but you know if you if there’s some package out there that is like this is what we would hope to get this winter yeah I think you have to seriously consider it um it hurts that Andrew Walters is out for the year because he always seemed like the replacement not necessarily for class A but just if you’ve got if you trust Gatison Smith and maybe Heron um class A being the fourth of that forsome Walters seemed like he has the stuff to step into that that foresome and unfortunately now I like you hope he’s ready for spring training in a full year next year but right so I I don’t know i mean like Franco Alamon is at AAA and I’d love to see him in the big leagues any minute because he’s got awesome stuff and I think he’s got enough time at AAA eric Sabrowski should be back relatively soon too so like could the bullpen survive yeah I guess um the question is are you trading if you’re trading Claus A are you trade are you trading him for big leaguers are you trading him for young big leaguers are you trading him for prospects who are far away are you trading him for all of the above like they’ve always they’re always threading the needle they’re always putting like 75% of their focus on the future and 25 on the present tense and sometimes that’s helped and sometimes it’s not um you know that’s probably that’s the focus with the Andre Simenez trade that’s the focus with the Josh Naylor trade it’s it’s drives everything they do so the question I have with Class A is are you trading him for 20 year olds and then it’s like okay well you’re making your team worse in the interim and Jose Ramirez’s clock is ticking Steven Quan’s clock is ticking that’s an uncomfortable conversation we’re going to have to have soon so I just I just always wonder with this team like when are you trying to win what what’s the year where you feel like you have the best chance to do that i think they absolutely have to trade for players that are either in the big leagues or ready to be in the big leagues but they they’re not because of the team they’re on you know what I mean like um I got seven teams one two three four five seven teams that I think would desperately love to have Claw you’re gonna start with the Cubs well they’re one of the teams but they this is I I I started with the American so I got the Y i don’t one of obviously the Tigers are one of the teams i don’t know that the Guardians would do that who knows but I’ll throw them in there yankees Tigers Rangers Phillies Cubs Dodgers Giants all those teams could either use a closer or either don’t have a closer or could use an upgrade on a closer or have big money and even like the Dodgers closer is fine tanner Scott he’s good he’s been really good but he hasn’t been that good this year most teams wouldn’t try to upgrade Tanner Scott but the Dodgers would you know uh the Yankees traded for Devin Williams he hasn’t been very good he’s been hurt and the the you know the Rangers Phillies Cubs and Giants don’t have a short thing closer i throw the Blue Jays in there yeah Hoffman it’s funny because Hoffman was great to start the season and lately he struggled but yeah but also if you’re acquiring class A like I don’t unless it’s you know an absolute stud in the ninth inning like you you there are a few right closers who you wouldn’t just shift into the Sure yeah i just I I left out the teams that don’t spend but all those teams including the Blue Jays they’re all spenders the Tigers probably spend the least of them all but you know the money doesn’t really matter but like teams that would be willing to aggressively give up prospects i know obviously the Dodgers have a good far farm system the Cubs have a good farm system the Tigers have a good farm i’m not sure about the other teams i don’t I I don’t think the Yankees farm system is very good but uh like the Cubs and Dodgers I know have players ready to play in the big leagues that don’t have space because because they have those teams have good lineups you know i mean like for examp I’m just throwing out names and I always throw out the Cubs because I know the Cubs farm system the best the Cubs have a catcher who’s I think more of a DH so I don’t know if he could play catcher be huge because this guy’s a hitting machine named Moises Bisteros who’s playing he had a cup of coffee with the Cubs and he struggled but it was only like five days but he’s a guy doesn’t strike out um and and he’s got some power potential power he’s a big guy and then they got a kid named Owen Cassie who’s on everybody’s you know top prospects board he’s in TripleA he’s playing well but where are the Cubs going to play him they got nowhere to play him they got four good outfielders so that could be the basis of a deal and and in Cassie and by Steros like I you could now listen you could say well they’re not going to bring up these other guys why would they bring up Cassie maybe they won’t but uh those guys are ready to play in the big leagues now obviously they’re unproven players and maybe they need to get a guy but it’s hard to get players that are proven and young you know you’re making a trade with these teams well they’re trying to those teams are trying to win the World Series but there’s teams out there and and these teams would be willing to give up a lot i mean I think for a guy like Class A even though he hasn’t been as great this year yeah I do think the I think the Cubs are a really good fit actually um yeah I just it’s hard for me i’m not good at gauging what a reliever’s value is i think it helps Class obviously that he’s not making much money i think he’s got a he’s making six and a half million next year and then he has two $10 million team options after that so that’s that’s a bargain i mean you just said it edwin Diaz is making more money per year than Jose Ramirez right so uh Josh her signed five for 90 those are what good closers go for so Class A is making a fraction of that so there’s there’s there’s a lot of value there you obviously need teams to believe he’s the guy from last year and the guy he’s been most of his career yeah but you never know with relievers and so it’s tough and I think there are probably some teams that are maybe hesitant to move blue chip prospects for any reliever but you know you only need to find one team and so that’s the question is you need to and I think they will like gauge his value over the next six weeks and figure out what makes sense but a team in Cleveland’s position that’s probably like you you’re not you just you haven’t developed hitters enough and the the price you’re going to have to pay to do that is to trade a really good closer on a really cheap contract to address that yeah I I think that’s it by the way the Rangers were listed before the season as the seventh best farm system uh and the Tigers number two so there’s there’s definitely some teams I do you think they would not trade and the Cubs number eight so three of those teams we mentioned going in and the Dodgers 10 so four of those teams we mentioned were cons are top 10 farm systems so there there’s talent to have there do you do you think they would not trade him to the Tigers or ultimately would they cuz like if they trade in the Tigers he’s going to be there for four years every year I have this conversation with not just Cleveland’s front office but execs and it it depends team to team but there it feels like there is just more red tape to cut through yeah to make a deal with like I know the Guardians at least checked in on Jack Flity last summer right and like the price they were told they didn’t want to do um and they’ve tried to deal with the White Socks and it’s been a pain and so I I don’t know that’d be tough too that’s the team you’re chasing class’s got three more years tigers farm system is good and the Tigers I think are positioned to be maybe the most aggressive team of any in baseball yeah this summer and next year because they’ve got Scooble locked up through 2026 and that’s it and because they’ve got a really good farm system um but I that’s tough i I can’t see that it is tricky i think ultimately you’re right they will It’d be different too sorry it’d be different if the you know from the White Sox perspective it’s like what do you care if right you’re trading big leaguers to another team you’re not going to be good for five years but the Guardians no they’re always like doing this thread the needle thing where they they think they’re at least going to be a contender for the wild card each year uh folks I want to talk to you about Buckeye State Credit Union uh if you haven’t heard of them yet meet your new favorite financial partner buckeye State Credit Union is a local institution offering everything from checking accounts to home equity lines of credit and auto loans with some of the lowest rates in Northeast Ohio there are Cleveland branches in Shaker Heights which is one of five locations across the state making it easier to find one near you can’t get to a branch no problem we make banking simple through digital banking what sets them apart they make banking personal and convenient at Buckeye their focus is on you their core values connect simply adapt guide everything they do they bring people together cut through the clutter and are innovative to learn more visit buckeyu.org buckeye State Credit Union your money simplified all right let’s get to some uh fan comments here Zach before we head out uh we’ve got uh a lot of them wahoo fan oh let me take the Be nice if I took the Buckeye State Credit Union uh thing out there you go all right uh Wahoo fan says “Guards will end up 15 games out at All-Star break and have a fire sale.” Uh $400 million jet the guards are a lot of things a win now team isn’t one of them u John says “Super chat from Celich.” Wow he spent a lot of money on his super chat holy moly uh why doesn’t the Guardians owner spend isn’t it good business to spend and pro and progress with big names in turn to get more value back baffling it is baffling and we had somebody earlier be like “Well we can’t compete with the Yankees nobody’s asking you to spend like the Yankees and Dodgers but I can ask you to spend like the Cardinals i can ask you to spend like the Brewers i can ask you to spend an extra 50 million that shouldn’t The Guardians are spending less now than they were 25 years ago if you factor in inflation they’re spending significantly less than they were 25 years ago there’s no reason their payroll couldn’t be 50 million higher nobody could convince me otherwise and they’d be a much better team with 50 million especially if you love their front office so much that they can’t be criticized well then with an extra 50 million they should be able to do great things paul Seawald will get 7 million this year jacob Jun is four and a half million austin Hedges 4 million yeah I know they love hedges uh but why would you pay a guy who’s the worst player hitter in baseball $4 million i don’t understand they have not spent the the So there’s it’s a two-faceted argument because they have spent their free agent dollars so poorly in recent years right zenino complete bust josh Bell complete bust what’s his name scott Barlo last year scott Barlo but I think part of that is just the aisles you have to shop on if the only thing on your aisle is spam it’s probably not going to be the tastiest dinner you’ve ever had right but if you were able to shop on other aisles you might be able to cobble together some ingredients to make a decent dish this is depressing especially if you’re using Menu RX that’s right uh 1980s rules give it to Blitzer already dolan’s are from Cleveland don’t give a crap he said uh Guardians are just a platform to promote Velisano yeah Hedg is 4 million it’s completely ridiculous uh all right well maybe listen maybe we can actually talk about the team if they have a bounceback week we’ll see they’re playing the Giants um who will unveil their their new excellent hitter Raphael Des um who joins them the Guardians will play in San Francisco and then three in Sacramento it’s going to be Slade Sakone and Robbie Ray to tomorrow logan Allen and Hayden Bird song Wednesday Gavin Williams and and Logan Webb on Thursday so I the the Rays got their the Giants got their two best pitchers going the first and third games of that series so not going to get any easier for the Guardians hitters against two really good pitchers so anyway Zach good stuff as always thanks to everybody for joining us hopefully we’ll have better news next week hopefully the Guardians won’t fall under 500 tomorrow we’ll hope for the best we’ll talk to you next time where else but right here on the Ultimate Cleveland Guardian Show see you everybody all

The Cleveland Guardians were swept in Seattle this past weekend. They scored just 5 runs in the 3 game series. At 35 and 35 they are not over 500 for the first time since they were 9 and 9 back in mid April. Their long road trip continues in San Francisco tomorrow night against the Giants.

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