Cleveland Guardians Post-Draft PROSPECT RANKINGS Risers & Fallers | Trades the Guardians SHOULD Make

Cleveland Guardians Post-Draft PROSPECT RANKINGS Risers & Fallers | Trades the Guardians SHOULD Make

The unofficial midway point of the Major League Baseball season is here. So, it’s a great time for us to reank the Guardians farm system. We’ll give you our top 20 and some trades the Guardians may or may not be able to pull off this deadline. You are Locked on Guardians, your daily podcast on the Cleveland Guardian, part of the Locked On podcast network. your team every day. Welcome on in to another episode of Lockdown Guardians. Finally, baseball is back tonight. It’s been a long couple of days. I don’t know about you. Ready to get back into it. But of course, there are no off days here on Lockdown Guardians because we cover your Cleveland Guardians every day from the majors to the minors, the draft, and everything in between. The only place doing that for you on the Lockdown Podcast Network. My name is Justin LA. I have been watching Cleveland Guardians baseball my entire life and I have been providing prospect and scouting analysis uh since 2007 covering the minor leagues and I’ve been co-hosting Lockdown Guardians with my friend and co-host Jeff Ellis since October of 2022. I am Jeff Ellis uh for those who do not know a locked on chill as you can see with my clothes right here. Uh I was one of the first people locked on brought on to talk about baseball back over six years ago. Uh before that I was a longtime writer on prospects in the draft at scout and 247 have been writing up drafts since 2012. Uh before that writing at many a Cleveland sports blog and I want to thank everyone out there for making today’s episode your first listen today and every day where it is you get podcast and I wanted to give some shout outs to some everydayers but I currently have a cat sleeping on my notebook so that will wait till next week. I’ve got a whole list of names I wrote down from the comments. We’ll get to all of our everydayers and thank them but if I wake up the cat it’s going to disturb the show. So, we’re just going to let sleeping cats fly as it were. That’s a great idea. All right, no sleeping for the rest of us, though. Lots to talk about here on Locked on Guardians. Uh, we’ll talk about the Guardians and A’s series this weekend. We’ll take a couple. We have at least one trade proposal we’ll talk about from a commenter, a listener. We’ll do one of our trade proposals, and then, of course, we’re going to talk about our mid-season prospect rankings. We’re going to do 20 through 11 and then 11 uh 10 through 1. Before we get there, today’s episode of Lockdown Guardians brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, if you’re a new customer, you can get $150 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. All right, so the purpose of us doing the mid-season prospect rankings obviously has to do the draft. And I like to do this before, normally I would say I normally wait until after the trade deadline because you never know who’s going to get moved and who’s going to be added to the system and who’s not going to be or you’re going to get out of here. Um, but I kind of feel like the Guardians aren’t going to be acquiring a whole lot of prospects, and I also don’t think they’re going to be trading a whole lot of prospects. So, I think we’re mostly safe to rerack the deck here, as it were. So, um, Jeff, why don’t we start at 20 through 11? Do you have your 20 through 11 ready to go? So, I found a lot harder to do the back part of this this year. I decided to go at 20 with uh with Hines from the recent class. Then I’ve got Joey Yoki who’s had some struggles but is missing bats. Jacob Kart maintained his position because at least defense doesn’t sleep. Wellin maintained his position because well a lot of people like him a lot and there’s some hitability there. Uh and then at 16 and 15, two more draft picks. I’ve got Curly and Lavallet. Um both have their inzone whiff. Both have power. Um, I had Lavallet higher than Curly in my ranks. Um, but they’re both probably corner guys. Uh, no real move ups. This is a group of either three recent drafties and two guys who maintain their spot. Um, I’m sorry, was Yeah, Hines was 20. I wanted to make sure I didn’t have that wrong. So, it’s not a lot of forward momentum at least on the list outside of, you know, new additions. Yeah, the back half of this rankings list is just not that pretty. I I had to debate over this one a little bit. Um I had to drop Francisco or Wellman Francisco from 16 out of my top 20. Not even really because of who entered, but like that’s not good for him because you know we we are both counting Joey Cantillo as graduating. We’re both counting Eric Sabrowski as graduating. Now Catillo was number seven for me coming into the year. Sowski was 24. So him moving out doesn’t impact this. But the Cantillo, you know, in theory, you want everyone to move up a spot, but it just hasn’t gone that well for Francisco at low A and um you really want that guy to be hitting there and he’s not. So, I really just ended my top 20. I put Shouart there just because there is a high chance for imp. There is a high chance. There’s a chance for high impact. It’s just like a, you know, the 10% outcome for him or 10% chance. I would argue the 2% chance based on 10% I would have liked those guys more. just there’s been literally no examples of it. Yeah. And the problem with Shoeart is he’s just not a defender anywhere. Like he’s got to be a first baseman. He’s he was not good in the Pack 12. Like he he did most of his damage against weaker competition, too. You mean the Big 12? Yeah. I’m sorry. Big 12. Yeah. Yeah. Not good. So, yeah. I just But I just couldn’t make a case like right now for Francisco to be above him because he’s he’s at low A and he’s he’s not hitting. Like that’s a terrible level right now of baseball and he’s not hitting. I know he’s only 19, but I’m just I wasn’t really high on that skill set. Anyway, uh I dropped Moy out because Moley has been the one pitcher that in the out of the high school ranks that hasn’t done all that good. Uh I kept Kart the same, too. I kept him at 18 for defense. I moved Cleo Watson into the top 20 because he actually did start to have a better uh not a better approach, but a better just better results. He did cut down on the strikeouts a little bit, but um I was even leerary about moving that just because of things I’ve heard in recent days about Watson. And um I just don’t think it’s going to be lasting much longer between Cleveland and Watson, but we’ll see. Uh I kept I I you know I kept Oi in the top 20, but I moved him down to uh 17 from 14 because he has had better starts for recently and you know how much I really liked him, but it’s just been a struggle for him. Uh I finally slotted in Dean Curley at uh 16 just because I thought that but Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, cuz I mean there is positional value there. Like he’ll play a corner, but um it’s not like he’s shoeart where he, you know, is a DH only. At least he can play third or second. Um Peterson I, you know, I had Peterson 11 coming into the year. I’m down to 15 on him now. That’s because I think a couple other pitchers have passed him by in terms of I mean he’s still settling in at AAA, but I also think that like maybe we’ve hit kind of the realistic wall for him. And then um so he’s at 15 and then uh yeah, Walters for me is at 14. I mean, I he was at nine to start the year and it’s hard to leave him up there because of the injury and I don’t know what his future prospects are at this point, but because the system at in this back calf is not so good, um I, you know, I had to put other guys in front of him, but I couldn’t leave him out of that because I still think there’s a chance for a backend arm. Just depends on, you know, what happens to him. Yeah, I I still have Peterson up at 12. So, I had Peterson at 12, I had Walters at 13, and I have Watson at 14. So, I just have those guys a little bit higher um overall on their list with uh I guess I might as well I just don’t see I just don’t see Watson getting the triple A and hitting. Like that’s my problem is like he had a good start anyone ahead of him necessarily doing that either. No, I mean and he’s a better athlete than all of them and he plays a better better likelihood to play a premium position than any of the guys we talked about. Yeah. I mean I moved Alons and Rosar to 12. He started the year 34 for me because I just I’ve got I’ve got Rosario in the top 10. Yeah, I just I’m just not ready to buy that he is going to translate that to double A. Like I I moved him way up again. 34 to 12 is a massive jump, right? Um so I just really couldn’t put him, you know, I I had to I know you like to go for safety and I like to I had I had him at 27. So I went 27 to to something higher. So I also was higher on him. He jumped to Okay. I guess so. But I I mean, you know, you didn’t have top 30. I did. Yeah. Yeah. Um and then my my 11 is Josh Hardle. So just since I’ve already given the rest, so just for a final Yeah. Hardle 11, then Peterson because I still think he’s a good chance to be a a starter. Walters, I’m assuming he comes back fine. Watson because he plays a premium position. Lavallet because um I mean just the profile has not worked yet. We’ll see if it works for him. Maybe he’ll be a unicorn. Uh then Curley, then you know Welbin, Kart, Oki, Hines. Yeah, I didn’t put Hines in there just cuz I just the uh the other guys were top 100 prospects. You know, Mobly and Oki and and even Cam Sullivan to a point like those guys were much higher coming into the draft year than Will top. He was close. I think he was very close. Close to the He’s Will. Yeah, he was. Yeah. I don’t I don’t have I don’t I had Cam Sullivan 29 come to the year. I don’t have him in this top four. He didn’t move on. Yeah, I think he’s I think he’s out for the season. In theory, I probably should have Peterson and Hardle close together because I think they’re the same pitcher. The only reason I have Hardle a little higher because he’s 22 and in high A and I think he’s got a reasonable shot than me in double A by the end of the year. So, he’ll move a little bit quicker than Peterson because Peterson’s almost 26 if he hasn’t turned it yet. So, the age thing has has kind of hit me for Peterson, too. And I I think there’s a better pitch mix. Plus, Hardle’s left-handed. I think you can make that bias of a left-handed starter there, too. All right, we’ll do prospects 10 through one coming out of the break. We’ll also talk about our uh trade proposals for the day. We got one trade proposal from a listener we’ll get into. We’ll talk a little guards A’s going into the first matchup out of the break. Stay tuned. Summer Sports, they are in full swing. It really is just baseball right now, but if you’re into that, golf on the green really going on. There’s a lot of soccer going on. FanDuel is really the best way for you to make it even more exciting. We know you’re already following the action all summer long. Why not make it a little more thrilling with FanDuel? You can get in on the game uh with your friends while your friends are out being sunburned at the beach. So, you can have a little bit of fun, make some money, and uh play responsibly and not worry about having to put on sunscreen. I guess I was checking the FanDuel odds for tonight. Guardians and A’s. We’ve got uh Slate Sakone and JP Sears. The Guardians are favored by a run and a half and the overunder is eight and a half. Um I’m probably going to go under, I got to be honest, just because the Guardians have struggled against lefties this year and the I don’t think the Athletics are going to hit out of their own ballpark. Like you’ve got Rooker, Butler, Wilson who can hit, but a lot of the other guys in that lineup are really guys that are only hitting in Sacramento. So probably taking the under and Sakone has pitched really well, too. So I I like that um play on Fandal over there. And it’s 52 55 52 odds on the Guardians making the playoffs. So, you put 10 bucks down, you can win 52 uh on the Guardians making the playoffs this year. If you’re new to FanDuel, new customers, you can bet just $5 and get $150 in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Open the FanDuel app today or visit fanuel.com to get started. Appreciate you all being here with us on Lockdown Guardians. Uh whether you’re new here or you’re an everydayer, appreciate all of you. Make sure you’re hitting the bell on YouTube so you never miss an episode or there won’t be squad show or any of Jeff’s draft videos, any of our reaction videos to games, breaking news. Uh we’ll have those as the trade deadline comes up close and auto download and audio. So you’re getting the episodes right into your feed on Apple, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher. We’re on all those places. And if we’re not somewhere, let us know. We can be there. All right, let’s get back into top prospects. Jeff, this this half of things is a little bit easier uh in terms of how I just I feel better about this grouping. Uh although I had to move one guy down significantly. I’ll talk about why I had to move two down significantly. Yeah. So I had I had Rosario at 12. I said I had Harold at 11. Um I have Ralphie at 10. I started 10. I started the year Ralphie at eight. Um some of that has to do with other guys doing a little bit better than I expected. He’s not been good. Ralph, I I will say Ralphie has really has kind of turned a corner recently. I know, but on the whole, I mean, he’s got a below 100 WRC plus. There’s a lot of swing and miss. There’s a lot of expansion. There’s a lot of And for a first base only guy, you just need more. He’s 10th for me as well, but I’m I mean, I had him as like fifth or sixth in system, so it’s it’s it’s a pretty big drop off. Yeah, I think if you go since I want to say it’s it’s June 1st, I think his numbers have been a lot better. He’s come a long way. Uh he was having some bad bit bad luck early in the year. He was hitting the ball hard, but yeah, the approach is still going to need some work there, too. Um but the nice thing is the swing and miss isn’t that bad. It’s 22% for a 22-y old or 20-year-old at high A. I actually think it’s fine. And he’s not a passive hitter. He tends to stay consistent though, so it tends to still get higher as he goes up. So that’s my concern with it. Yeah. Yeah, I mean he was a 25 last year in his first taste of high A and now it’s down to 22. Um I mean I think he’s going to run a 30% strikeout right now anyway, but you’re really hoping for 20 20 bombs. So uh I’m not too much lower on him than I was coming into the year. I just it’s a risky profile. Um I have Messi up at uh number nine now. I had him at 12 coming into the year. So, obviously I moved him up a little bit and then um I had to move Jason Turio way down my list. I started the year with Jason Churio at three. He is now eight on my list. I have not liked what I’ve seen from Cheurio this year. Um you know, mostly because he’s been injured. There’s been an injury issue this year, but beyond that, he is a very passive hitter. Like, he is just taking a lot of pitches. Um and I’m just not seeing a whole lot of impact with the bat either. So, like I I have a little more concerns about him than I did before. for him. And to be honest with you, if if they wanted to move him for something, I would jump on board with that right now. Uh so what I was realizing looking at my list is I deleted his name. I know you and I were talking off air about how you had deleted Watson’s name. So actually uh Cheurio soon. Yeah. Uh Cheurio is going to be 10 for me on my list just because of some of those issues. Uh no, actually I’m going to make him nine. Um it’s where he should be. So my 10 would be Rosario with Ralphie now being 11. Uh but like I still believe in him as a defender. There’s you know how much is can how much can be chocked up to you know starting the year with some inconsistent health. But yeah so uh hey that makes my list a lot easier. Knox I wouldn’t have even had talk about Hines then. Uh but it Cheerio is nine. Rosario is 10. Uh it’s a great breakout. I just want to see more continued with it. Uh Ralphie would be at 11 and I have I have Breto at eight. uh which is let’s see it’s one spot lower than he was with Messi jumping him. Uh he’s looked good when he’s played. It’s just I mean he’s he I think we know what he is which is a an awful defender who should be an above average bat. Yeah, maybe thinking about that with I was kind of comparing Ralphie and and Rosario. Maybe I should be a little higher on Rosario because Rosario is only 21 and he won’t be 22 until November and he’s walking at a higher rate than Ralphie. The swinging strike rate’s a little bit higher. their strikeout rates are similar. Um that just tells me that Rosario is a little more aggressive even though their swing um their swing percent about the same. He does play more. Yeah. Yeah, he has a better outfield. He has a great arm. So yeah, I probably I when I make this official, I might have Rosario move up a little bit more than I thought just because he’ll have more impact than Hardle. Um I have Breurto at number seven in the for the year. He came into me at 13. I’m not sure why I was low on Breurto coming into the year. Um I think maybe my uh no because I had this done ranking done before spring training started. So I’m not sure. I think I was just much higher on the rest of the field. But he he was hitting the ball great before he got hurt. Hopefully he gets healthy again. Um I had Kus coming 10 of the year. Now he’s up at six for me for obvious reasons. Six as well for me. Yeah, I just I mean I still have concerns about the chase rate and his ability to breaking stuff at the major league level, but you know it’s hard to ignore the production right now. Uh, I did not move Brilland Dowy down or up. He’s at five for me. Um, just because he’s really maintaining. He’s doing a good job at at at low A at age 19. And, um, I really liked what he showed for me as well, but he jumped one spot. Okay. Yeah. So, we’re pretty close. The guy I also jumped in the rankings uh, just a little bit. I I moved over Dowy. Um, that was a really easy one just because Engle’s had a great year at DoubleA and he should finish the year AAA. I don’t I don’t see what’s blocking him at this point. Like, you know, you have Dom Nunees and and Cody Huff and and whatever at Triple A. Like, you know, we both like Cody Huff a little coming into the year, but it’s pretty clear that it’s not going to work for him. Yeah. Cooper Engle should be getting those triple AAA at bats. Like, he should be getting the bulk of bats. Yeah. Huff had the next exit vos, but they haven’t been able to help him with his swing at all. So, he’s getting nothing out of it. I have Engle at four as well. That was a jump from nine to four for me. Yeah. And then Delau, I moved up to three. I had him at four. Um, that was where Cheerio spot was. So, my top two didn’t change. I have Bazano one and and now two. I’m not changing that. I just moved a lot up one just because it’s been good production when he’s been healthy. I forgot to mention I put Jayce Lavlet in at 13. Uh so he’s right below Rosario because I I kind of see some of the same issues with them. But Rosario is at least younger and is in high A and he is uh producing. So I I think I will move Rosario up a little bit now that I’m we’re talking about it. I think I might move Rosario ahead of of what he flat top 10 like he is for me. Yeah, I might, you know, I might push I might push Hardle down. I might push Ralphie down and put Rosario ahead of him. I don’t know. Like I guess if I’m worried about Ralphie or about Rosario having those same issues at uh DoubleA, then I should have the same issues with Ralphie because they’re very similar in terms of the risk and um you know Rosario at least has some outfield uh he actually will play the outfield. Has a great arm. So yeah, I think I think that’s true. I don’t know. I I could go back and forth on those two, but I I feel pretty good. I do feel pretty good about my top 12. Yeah, I I just to give uh mine, I have the latter three as well. That’s a move up from five. He was mostly down due to health and health has still been an issue, but he’s also hit maybe his best year in the minors now. Again, the stadium he’s playing in has helped. Uh Janelle, I just wish he’d been healthy. Like he’s, you know, he’s showing good stuff when he’s there. Some tough. And then I just want to I brought this up on Dennis Bannon Lab show, but if you took the players that have played in the upper minors this year and we discount Jonathan Rodriguez and Will Wilson because obviously the best WRC plus, which is a stat that measures total offensive production, it goes Cooper Engel one, CJ Kus 2, third best is is Khalil Watson, fourth best Travis Bazana. So before so many people want to bag on that pick already because he’s been hurt. He was even though like everyone’s like, “Oh, he struggled.” Fourth best, fifth best chased the lauder. His offensive production in double A was stronger than the Lauder has been at Triple A. And I know people are going to want to dig into numbers here and there and tell me that’s why that’s wrong. But terms of a stat that measures all of your offense inclusively. He had the fourth best in the minor. So I just calm down on the baza hate. It’s it’s not justified. It’s not not at all. No. And and the most annoying thing though is like if you look at my list and your list, top three have all gotten hurt and uh four of the top six have gotten hurt and our top 10 is over half the players in the top 10. That has been the theory of the miners this year. It really has been. It’s really really frustrating how many guys have gotten hurt and um the guys that perform like Yeah. Ch I mean Cheerio’s even been hurt. Burrito’s been hurt. Bazan’s been hurt. Halo’s been hurt. Del’s been hurt. Um, Cooper Engled, you know, did miss time with a very unfortunate um, male. The worst of all injuries. The worst of all injuries, but he’s back. So, that’s we got some trade offers. We’ll have to to talk about yours, mine, and a listeners when we get back from break. All right, stick around for trade talk here on Lockdown Guardians. Today’s episode is brought to you by Epicor. 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Discover your success at www.asierwithepicore.com. That’s www.asierwithepicore.com. [Music] After you’re done listening to Locked on Guardians today, make sure you’re checking out Locked On MLB. They’ve got Sully Show over there, the squad show. Uh we’ll have the MLB game night coming back to you now that the break is finally over. So, make sure you’re checking out all the lockdown stuff for all of your favorite baseball coverage all season long. All right. You want to start with our proposals, Jeff? You go first because you had a I bet you I bet you one of our proposals is the same to be honest with you. So, you go first. So, I I was telling Justin off Aaron maybe he could figure this out already. Uh the Yankees have become the home of catcher development. Uh what is it? Lewis Torren with uh the Mets is maybe Savant based the best defensive catcher in baseball. Like literally everything in the deep red while having some really good offensive data. Uh Carlos Nar Nearez, right, is the guy they trade to the Red Sox who’s taking over as their starting catcher. Uh Austin Ramirez with the Marlins. The Yankees have produced, counting their own, four starting catchers in baseball this year. And I am intrigued by their backup JCAR. JC Asscara has a great framing rate. His blocks are fine. His cut stealing is maybe not the best, but framing we know is important to this team and the blocks are not any worse than what they have. He has good bat speed. He has good exit velocities. He squares up and he doesn’t chase. He doesn’t whiff. He doesn’t K. And he walks. He’s 30 years old and he’s a backup. They have new guys coming down all the time and the Yankees are desperate for pitching. So, my first offer to them might surprise some people, but I would like to talk to them about the idea of flipping Jake Junice. And you’re all out there being like, um, why the heck would they want Jake Junice? Well, I’m going to tell you, Jake Junice is not as bad as you think. He has a FIP of 3.6. He has, you know, a one of the lowest walk rates in the bullpen, and he’s a guy you could conceivably stretch out to start. Like, he has been in that role before. Um, I don’t know if that’s quite enough, but I feel like there’s at least some level. The Yankees are pretty desperate to add pitching. Uh, you know, I don’t know if Cleveland really has a starter to flip them. I’m not quite in the area where that I think makes as much sense. But even if it’s something like I mean, call me crazy, Escar has got this is his first year getting six years of control and he’s got a 89 WRC plus with some pop. They need to do something a catcher. Bo Naylor just to me is not working. I’d be willing to even talk about someone like Alaman if they think that they could fix him. You know, I’m I’m looking at multiple boys. I would do Junice and Alamont for Escara. Give them someone for now and someone for later. But, uh, the Yankees are doing a great job with development. He is doing well this year. And his bat pip is low. So, he’s actually been unlucky. He’s probably closer to league average. He’s got a 227 bat pip even though he hits the ball hard and squares it up. So, he is maybe closer to a league average catcher with elite framing. I’ll take that. Yeah, I mean he’s 30. He does have options. He’s young cuz he, you know, he went through a lot. He was an indie ball player for a little bit. He’s bounced around. I don’t know if I’m giving up Al. I mean, Alaman really is at this point is frustrating me because he should be better and they need him. So, I can I could see like moving Junice. I think Alamon might be a little bit much um just for a guy who’s 30 and and probably is a backup catcher. Like he doesn’t have any power. He does have power. He’s got exit velocities and things like that. He’s hitting the ball hard. He’s He’s got the two home runs, but there’s a chance for more if he plays more. Yeah, maybe. I don’t know. I just feel like that’s a lot to give up for a guy who’s a 30-year-old catcher who this is really his first chance in the big leagues extended. And it’s it’s going okay. I mean, he’s not striking out. There’s a good approach at the plate. Although, I wonder like he doesn’t chase. The Guardians like guys who don’t chase. Does And he hits the ball hard, you’re saying? Uh yeah, his I mean it’s you know it’s small but his his average exit vo is 90.5. That’s in the red. His bat speed is 72.8. That’s in the red. His square up is 295 in the red. So I guess his hard hit is is not that’s that’s like closer to average at 412. But yeah, I mean at this point I’m willing to take anything a catcher and and he can and he’s got the framing they they like. Um and you’re getting six years of control with him too. You’re getting him for his You don’t have to worry about ever giving this guy a contract. No, but I mean he’ll be 36 at the end of it. What are you really, you know, what are you really getting out of that? I mean, I don’t know. Catchers last some catchers last forever as backups. I mean, Jose Trevino, so many of these guys can bounce around for He could be the apparent to Austin Hedges. I mean, how much longer? It’s it’s a question for another day, but like legitimately, how much longer can you feel an Austin Hedges with his rate of decline? No, I mean I I don’t think he’ll be around all that much longer. I agree with you on that. It’s just Yeah. Um my idea for a trade I had a couple. So this will probably preempt Well, I’ll wait to give my suggestion for when we go off our listener proposal, but uh you didn’t like this the other day. Um but I I would be interested in moving a Jake Junice or some kind of pitcher. I don’t know what it would be. Maybe to the Mets. I would have You have to throw in a prospect. I’m trying to think of what prospect makes the most sense for the Mets. You know what I’m going to say? It’s going to be Brett Batty. I think he’s terrible. I think he’s terrible. I think Brett, he’s a 25year-old who just hasn’t gotten it going in New York. It’s never worked out for him, but he hits the ball hard. He doesn’t chase. He’s actually playing a good second base for them right now. He is. I don’t know. I wish you could play him in the outfield. I I haven’t seen that. I don’t know if he has the athleticism for it. Um but he plays second. He’s played third. He hits the ball hard and isn’t chased. That’s what the Guardians want to add to their profile right now. He’s almost a league average hitter. I mean, he’s a 94 WRC plus and the Mets, they want bullpen help. Like, I don’t know. I I think you’re going to have to give up more than Jake Junice to get him obviously because he’s a starter. Um, but I mean, I would be willing to talk to them about what it takes to get to because Brett Batty based at this point is a failed prospect who I think needs a new opportunity. He’s doing better this year than he ever has, so maybe they’ll be reluctant to move him to be honest with you. Have you looked at his Savon page? I I have. Yeah. Yeah. It’s like he just he doesn’t he doesn’t walk, he KS. He whiffs. He doesn’t chase, but like he doesn’t square the ball up. He doesn’t hit. Sweet. So, it’s all about he does barrel. He’s Nolan Jones. He’s Nolan Jones at second base. Nolan Jones. Yeah, the Mets want bullpen help. I I mean I I think he’s second base only because of his speed score being kind of on the lower end of average. Um and his arm being very weak. Yeah. So he’s probably second base only. I like that idea. I was just looking like Raone Lauraniano. You don’t want to bring that back even though he’s he’s working. Um my other idea was to go to San Diego who they need outfield help, right? Really bad. They need outfield help. Go to the Padres’s at give them Thomas. How would you feel about bringing back Matt Walder, the knuckle baller, for some from some pitching debt? I mean, I love me tomorrow. Like I mean I love knuckle ballers, but this organization has done everything they can to trade away knuckle ballers the first opportunity they get. Both both too they have. Yeah, but I mean I mean he gives you some pitching depth. You know him a little bit. He’s he’s had success in the majors. He was hurt this year. So it’s a fair swap. He’s a guy who’s been hurt. Thomas is a guy who’s been hurt, but the Padres’s need outfield help. And the Guardians want to maybe move Thomas while they can. How many options? So this is his last option year though. So then next year he has to make the team. Oh, so next year he doesn’t really help you. Well, hey, if things don’t go well with the Lee Ortiz situation, he might make the rotation next year. I know you have Parker Messik and all that, but I don’t know. Or he could be a bullpen guy. I don’t know. Knuckle baller out of the pen would be weird, but might be a weapon because because teams wouldn’t be ready for it. Yeah, exactly. So that’s my All right, let’s let’s do our listener proposal. Jeff. Um, it was from Dennis in our comments who brought up the idea of trading uh Logan Thomas to the Phillies. Lane Thomas Lane Thomas. I said Logan Thomas, didn’t I? Uh, yeah, Lane Thomas to the Phillies for Seth Johnson, their young reliever who’s like their 12 rated prospect on MLB.com. Uh, the one thing I’ll say too, like I understand the theory on it, but like they got Marsh and you know their other pieces. So it’s it’s hard for Thomas to slot in just because they could probably call up Crawford instead and get similar production. And I don’t think they have their own they have pitching woes. So I don’t think you can get Seth Johnson. I think if you’re trading him, the guys I would look at are Wen Hu Pan, who is currently out for the year with um what for with Tommy John surgery. Uh he’s had good strikeout and walk numbers, future reliever um from Taiwan. And then Alex McFarland, another guy who’s had some injury issues, not the best numbers coming back this year from an injury, but he could start, could relieve, good athlete. uh Miami kid um who a lot of people really like his draft year. How would you feel about swap because I don’t think the Phillies are trading Seth Johnson because they need bullpen help. They can’t afford to trade what little they have. How would you feel about asking for Griff McGary back for Will or for Lane Thomas because they’re not calling him up clearing he’s 26. He’s in he’s in double A. He’s pitching well. He’s walking a lot of guys, but his FIP is low. Has never fixed a guy with command since Clever. And they’re still not like their young guys are struggling. The command guys who struggled. I I I But you’re trading Lane Thomas who has been hurt all year. He’s on an expiring deal. I’ll take the ticket on Griff McGary and Eddie. I mean, he’s got good relief. Again, I’m all about like potential outcomes and it’s like they don’t work. They they don’t make these guys work. They never make these guys work. So, I have no interest in Griffin because they don’t fix them. Even their own guys, Oki and Mobly, the two young kids are walking. Why aren’t they higher on our list? Because they’re walking crap tons of guys because they still can’t work on with anyone on command. This has been the bugaboo with their minus forever. So, I I looked at Griffin Garry and moved on because they just they have not helped the guy since Mike Clever improve his command. Yeah. Yeah, that’s fair. I mean, I would I’m willing to take the lotto ticket here on Lane Thomas. I’m not looking for anything like safe. I’m just going to go for it cuz you’re just I mean get if he’s the best player you can get, if he’s the best guy the Phillies would part with, I would say absolutely because they’re not going to give up that much for Lane Thomas. And I don’t think they give him up for Lane Thomas either, though. I think they can get something better for that. That’s probably true. After they traded George Clawson a year ago and he kind of exploded for him um with the Angels. That’s a good point. I think they could probably get more for him, too. Yeah. All right. We’ll be back on Monday. We’ll have baseball to talk about. We’ll talk about the Guardians and A’s and how much damage Nick Curts did to them over the weekend. Um, and we’re going to talk about one thing that people don’t want to hear, and it’s why it’s okay to let some players go. Tune in next week for that. Yes. Uh, we want to again thank you all for joining us. Remembering to rate and review, download daily. It helps. Uh, leave an iTunes review or wherever it is that you listen. Thank you all and go go Guardians

GUARDIANS’ FARM SYSTEM SHAKE-UP: Top Prospects Re-Ranked

Justin Lada and Jeff Ellis provide their top 20 prospects rankings post draft, discussing big movers like Alfonsin Rosario, fallers like Jaison Chourio, and where players like Jace LaViolette fit. Jeff attempts to find the Guardians a new catcher and Justin wants to bring back a former prospect in a minor trade with the Padres, as the guys lean into the trade deadline. Other discussions include the impact of injuries on prospect rankings, the Guardians’ struggles with pitcher development, and the search for catching talent. The hosts offer insights on CJ Kayfus, Jace LaViolette, and Brett Baty, while examining the organization’s player development philosophy.

0:00 Intro: Guardians farm system re-ranking
5:17 Prospects 20-11
10:15 Prospects 10-1
15:15 Top prospects analysis: Injuries impacting rankings
20:22 Trade proposals: Yankees catcher J.C. Escarra
25:56 More trade ideas: Mets’ Brett Baty, Padres’ Waldron
31:03 Analyzing Phillies trade targets for Lane Thomas

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