CLEVELAND, Ohio — Do you have a question about the Guardians that you’d like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? You can subscribe to Subtext here, text Hoynsie at 216-208-4346 for a two-week free trial or email him at phoynes@cleveland.com.
Hey, Hoynsie: Do you look at Cleveland’s pitching-laden draft in 2021 as a success, a work in progress or a failure? — Ted Belak, Westlake Village, California.
Hey, Ted: I’m encouraged by the 2021 draft. Fifth-round pick Tanner Bibee has become the team’s ace. No. 1 pick Gavin Williams is still trying to establish himself, but he’s taking a regular turn in the big-league rotation. No. 2 pick Doug Nikhazy made his big-league debut last weekend, while Will Dion (No.9) and Ryan Webb (No.4) are pitching well at Triple-A Columbus after having solid springs with the big-league club.
The Guardians are high on Franco Aleman (No. 10), but he opened the year on the injured list following hernia surgery.
Hey, Hoynsie: How much more rope are the Guardians going to give Nolan Jones before they call up Will Brennan? — Bobby, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Hey, Bobby: I think they’re going to give Jones a long look because they traded for him and he’s out of options to the minor leagues. He hasn’t had a lot of statistical success at the plate, but the Guardians like his “under the hood stats” such as exit velocity and his hard contact rate.
Hey, Hoynsie: Do the Guardians discuss umpire’s strike zones in pregame meetings? Secondly, if a hitter has a reputation for knowing the strike zone, do the close calls go in his favor? — Frank Glen, Gardner, New Jersey.
Hey, Frank: Albert Belle used to keep notes on each umpire’s strike zone and that was well before analytics became such a big part of the game. The Guardians, like all big-league teams, leave little to chance in pregame preparation so I’m sure an umpire’s strike zone is discussed.
I think veteran hitters may get a break now and then on balls and strikes, but it’s not as prevalent as it used to be because of the technology that grades umpires on a nightly basis and catchers’ ability to frame pitches.
Cleveland Guardians center fielder Daniel Schneemann and Cleveland Guardians right fielder Jhonkensy Noel both go after a fly ball from Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton in the sixth inning. Cleveland Guardians center fielder Daniel Schneemann made the catch for the out. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Hey, Hoynsie: The picture of center fielder Daniel Schneemann and right fielder Jhonkensy Noel leaping at the fence on a drive by Minnesota’s Byron Buxton in the sixth of Thursday’s game at Progressive Field, reminds me of a catch that Willie Mays and Bobby Bonds made a long time ago for the Giants. — Tim Johnson, Rockville, Indiana.
Hey, Tim: I’ve seen film of that play. It was a great effort by Bonds and Mays and shows how the game keeps cycling and recycling itself over the years.
Credit goes to cleveland.com/Plain Dealer photographer Joshua Gunter for getting the great shot of Schneemann and Noel hitting the wall in right center field at the same time. Schneemann made the catch, but Noel’s glove was inside his glove.
It was just a great baseball picture.
Hey, Hoynsie: How does one get to be a bat boy these days for the Guardians? — Cindy, Strongsville.
Hey, Cindy: When there’s a need, the Guardians post openings for bat boys on their Guardians.com website during the offseason. Tony Amato, longtime Guardians/Indians clubhouse manager, started his career with the team as a bat boy in 1988. He won a contest sponsored by a radio station and the Sun Newspapers.
Hey, Hoynsie: First baseman C.J. Kayfus has been swinging the bat well since his promotion to Triple-A Columbus. Will the Guardians try him in the outfield? — Greg, North Canton.
Hey, Greg: Kayfus will continue to occasionally play the outfield. He’s played the outfield two or three times a week since the start of last year. The Guardians like players who can play more than one position, and Kayfus has embraced that idea.
Kayfus had five hits in his first nine at-bats at Columbus after opening the season by hitting .364 (24 for 66) at Double-A Akron.
Guardians’ left fielder Steven Kwan is a man on the move.John Kuntz, cleveland.com
Hey, Hoynsie: Has All-Star left fielder Steven Kwan ever said he didn’t have enough time to get ready for his at bat after running to the dugout after the end of an inning? — Steve Buzon, Alexandria, Virginia.
Hey, Steve: Personally, I’ve never heard Kwan say that. At Progressive Field, with the Guardians’ dugout along the third baseline, he has the shortest run among his fellow outfielders.
Besides, Kwan never looks rushed in the box. He’s always cool, calm and ready to hit.
Hey, Hoynsie: Hopefully Shane Bieber will be back sometime in July. Do you feel he could perform well enough to take over the No.1 position in the rotation? If so, and if no injuries take someone out of contention, how would you see the rest of the rotation to shake out? — Bill Stratton, Fairport, New York.
Hey, Bill: Let’s manage to expectations on Bieber or any other pitcher returning from Tommy John surgery this season. If Bieber can mimic the role that Matthew Boyd filled last year when he returned from TJ surgery, I think the Guardians would be happy.
To expect Bieber to take over the No.1 spot in the rotation, is asking a lot.
Guardians DH Kyle Manzardo celebrates after hitting a walk-off home run against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday at Progressive Fioeld in the ninth inning. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Hey, Hoynsie: Just over a month into the season, has Kyle Manzardo’s production justified trading Josh Naylor during the offseason? — Andy Mees, Sandusky.
Hey, Andy: People are going to be asking questions about the Naylor deal for a long time. Some feel the Guardians should have had Naylor and Kyle Manzardo on this year’s team instead of Manzardo and Carlos Santana.
I do know that the front office felt for much of the offseason that Naylor would open the year with them even though he’ll be a free agent at the end of the 2025 season. They waited until late December to trade him because they couldn’t get the right return and needed to find a suitable player (Santana) to replace him at first base.
iframe frameborder=”0″ src=”https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?p=ADLM6181627174″ width=”100%” height=”482″>