Cleveland Guardians’ Outfield UPGRADE Hopes Fade | Why RELYING On Rookies is DANGEROUS

26 comments

1. I think them saying they won't sign a hitter because they dont want the young guys to get blocked is BS. They basically betting that all of them will be above average hitters from the get go. Realistically, odds are at least 1 of the 3 or 4 guys that are "next up" (Delauter, CJ, Valera, Brito, maybe Bazzana later in the year) wont hit well right away when they come up! In that moment we will be wishing we had signed a proven bat that actually is an above average hitter to take the place of that rookie. We had plenty of below average hitters in our line up last year, If we sign a good hitter, we should have no problem finding someone to designate for assignment..

2. Since it's likely there won't be a 2027 season, why spend a ton on a bunch of guys not knowing what the basic agreement will be ?

3. Not going to lie they might not make any moves. Nolan Jones is there guy. I do think he will have a big year to

4. Wrong. Pirates signed Ivan Nova to a FA contract in 2016. Not 2009.

5. Thanks for a great episode guys!

6. I really enjoyed Pedro Avila 2 years ago. “Inning Eater” is back and I’m excited for him

7. Side Note: excellent Ninja Turtles tshirt, Jeff.

8. Well they won't part with any of their higher prospects…..so no good, established bat will be obtained. There you have it.

9. Hope you guys will take a deeper look into the Dane Meyers trade and if the Guards were in on him. He really seemed like the perfect fit for what we need/needed esp with no discernable other out there that fits the bill like he does as Jeff pointed out.
   I’d still like to see an analysis of anyone in AAA/AA that fits the criteria that the Guards might go after alternatively. Think that would be even more interesting now that Meyers is gone.
   Also, find it interesting that Meyers was an MiLB draft pick (2022?) so could’ve been had for peanuts back then! Would be interesting to review if he was on anyone’s radar at the time and who we took in that portion of the draft back then. Was that the Sabre/Hanner draft? 🤔

10. The hitters that they currently have leaves them a bit exposed vs lefty pitching. I tend to agree that a trade is likely before spring training. If they do stick to the roster that they have now, I’m not really going to sweat it too much because we’ve been hearing about DeLauter and Valera specifically for years so let’s see them get their AB’s and see what happens. The good news is that Arias looks really good in Venezuela ball so maybe he can bring that with him back to Cleveland this year. Assuming we don’t go to all out war with Venezuela between now and then…

11. I don’t think they’re RELYING on rookies. I think they’re HOPING to rely on rookies with health and production, but this team knows they’re going to have to give some ABs to Martinez and Jones, but I don’t think they’re as concerned with that as we are. If they can get 200+ starts from DeLauter, Kayfus, and Valera combined, I believe they’re ok giving the rest to guys like Fry, Jones, and Angel… especially if they platoon effectively. We’ve also got guys like Ralphy, Rosario, Chourio, LaViolette and others who could potentially move quickly through the system. Ralphy for example could start the year in Columbus and be ready to play by June or July. Worst case he’s coming up in September with a productive year. I just don’t believe the FO sees the desperate need in the OF that yall do.

12. I just do not personally believe that a solid Rob Refsnyder season gives you significantly more production than a solid David Fry season does. Even if we don’t see 2024 Fry, I’m confident he can get to a 110 wRC+ in a platoon role. I don’t Ref giving much more than a 115 wRC+ in a similar role. Is there more risk with Fry? Maybe, but there is more upside too. And the difference in risk isn’t as big as you might think IMO. Pining over platoon bats that get you mildly more production with a limited ceiling is a waste of time IMO. Guardians fans simply have FOMO right now and don’t see the big picture as realistically as the FO does.

13. Thanks LoG! Appreciate the good episode in the "work dead zone" between Christmas and New Year's.

14. Hope you guys are having a great holiday season. Thank you for the episode.

15. I was looking up possible trade targets and came across this: Angel Martinez was 44th in MLB qualified hitters in wRC+ vs LHP. He was between Juan Soto and Julio Rodriguez. He has a 123 wRC+ vs LHP and a 48 wRC+ vs RHP. Yet, he faced more RHP last year. Martinez's wRC+ is 10% better than Dane Meyer (vs LHP). Ofc, Meyer plays better defense. But my suggestion would be better usage of Martinez by limiting his time on the field to a strict weakside platoon.

16. Would be interested in a Winter League prospect update. I know Jaison Chourio is crushing in the Venezeulan League. Shouldn't we view winter league ABs like minor league ABs? They don't translate to MLB ABs. (Arias is having another huge winter league but that bat is showing in at the MLB level.) But in terms of prospect development, aren't winter league ABs worth factoring into the a prospect's development? Do we feel better about Chourio now than after the regular season?

17. Our Minor league guys have to stay healthy and pan out or we have the same thing every year

18. I just want to take a moment to say that the two of you have caught lightning in a bottle on this podcast. I hope you continue to work together covering the Guardians for a long time.

19. Guardians team BA in 2025 tied for absolute worst 225….I don’t watch every inning of every game but the Manager, General Manager, and Owners I believe do. I would think watching that wretched team stat over 162 games would be enough motivation to figure a way to bring in a bat or 2. Apparently not.

20. Any owner that is actually trying to win would have signed Pete Alonso if they were in Dolan's position. He is intentionally keeping payroll low until he can sell the rest of his share in the team. Here is a team with the lowest payroll and talent for you to do as you wish. This is all about MONEY and Dolan not giving a damn about winning. Alonso would have been the veteran presence we need on the team and would have contributed 25-30 HR's, which is something we absolutely need to contend. Every year is the same thing, if you can't hit homeruns in the playoffs, you will lose.

21. As the roster stands right now, do you guys think we see Gabby Arias in RF in 2026? Based on comments Chernoff and Vogt made during the winter meetings, Arias' prior experience in the OF (albeit small sample), and his rocket of an arm, I wonder if a lineup of Arias in RF, Rocchio at SS, and Brito at 2nd is something we see versus LHP next year.

22. We all know we will have an unfillable hole in LF after the deadline

23. You better find a better hitting coach.

24. Is the MIF not also viewed as a problem in Cleveland? It’s one of if not the worst in all of baseball. MLB fan more than a guards fan here

25. Why are we talking like Lane Thomas is better than Isaac Collins? It’s not really even close as far as who’s the big OF addition. Thomas’s prime is behind him he’s short side platoon at best

26. The Guardians have a talent development strategy. They depend on the organization to produce All-Stars. Their staff (not just players) must continuously get better. The product on the field is the final proof of their coordinated effort.

    The organization depends on emerging talent not free agent talent. The message has been sent downhill. You haven't delivered enough (power) hitting.

    They have the latest group coming up. Delauter, Cayfus, Valero, Rodriguez, Banzana, Martinez, Jones (he still has believers, but his head is on the chopping block).

    They need at least one All-Star to emerge from the group. Come mid-season, there will be soul searching and decisions made. Gaps will be filled in the open market.

    They do this every year. The 2027 major league class will also be adjusted at this time. Before the end of the 2026 season, the 2027 class will be in place. They will search for pitching depth and look for diamonds in the hay stack.