Cleveland Sports Forum

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@CleGuardians
Moves this afternoon in advance of today's 40-player roster deadline:

+Selected RHP Cade Smith from AAA Columbus and RHP Daniel Espino from AA Akron, adding the duo to the 40-man roster.

+Designated RHP Michael Kelly & RHP Cal Quantrill for assignment.
6:18 PM · Nov 14, 2023
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I would sure rather keep Q than Hunter Gaddis. Or the ridiculous Alfronso Silvas 1b/dh who can't hit. Or probably reliever TIm Herrin, or Cody Morris.
But they wouldn't have saved the team as much money.
Not that this means they'll use it for FA signings. They have other guys eligible for arbitration and salaries will rise and that's where the Quantrill cash goes

I guess this means they're not trading Bieber. And they are sure that McKenzie is ready to return to form. And that there's no chance that the 3 rookies may encounter sophomore slumps. And that Espino is now problem free and ready to join the rotation midseason.

is Cam Gallagher still on the 40? If so, why?

Quantrill will get traded and hopefully he is paired with Straw. You want Cal (there will be teams) you must also take Straw. (San Francisco are you listening ?)

So why DFA Quantrill ? This speeds up the market. Usually the team with the player sets the players worth. When you DFA a player you are asking teams to make their best bid and there is a set deadline. So if you are a team that needs pitching. Baltimore, St. Louis and San Francisco make us an offer.

Unique way of handling this situation. I do agree with Lloyd that trades are going to be the way the Guardians are going to improve the club.

Cam Gallagher was waived last week. Replaced by Christian Betancourt, who actually hit over 200 and double figures in homeruns each of the past two seasons with 300 at bats per year. He won't get that much playing team with Cleveland,

I may be wrong; I thought if we dfa'd a player the team with the lowest record last year who puts in a claim gets him and we get nothing. No?

Here's something that sounds official:

When a player's contract is designated for assignment -- often abbreviated "DFA" -- that player is immediately removed from his club's 40-man roster. Within seven days of the transaction (had been 10 days under the 2012-16 Collective Bargaining Agreement), the player can either be traded or placed on outright or unconditional release waivers. If the player is claimed off waivers by another club, he is immediately added to that team's 40-man roster, at which point he can be optioned to the Minor Leagues (if he has Minor League options remaining) or assigned to his new team's 26-man roster. If the player clears outright waivers, he may be assigned outright to the Minor Leagues. However, players with more than five years of Major League service time can reject an assignment to the Minor Leagues, and players with more than three years of Major League service time, or who have been previously outrighted, may reject the outright assignment in favor of free agency in lieu of the assignment. If the player clears unconditional release waivers, he is unconditionally released.

This is not such an official looking site, but it seems more clearly to agree with my understanding so it must be right [ha ha]

Designated for Assignment means that if a player is removed from the 40 man roster than the club forfeits (aka waived) that player for 10 days. Within those 10 days if the player is not claimed by another club, starting with the lowest seeded team to the highest seated, than they clear waivers and can either accept a demotion to the minors, traded or choose to be released. If a club does pickup the waived player, than that player joins that clubs 40 man roster immediately.

I believe the top one is correct though.

What the Guardians cutting ties with Cal Quantrill means for future rotation, payroll CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 05: Starting pitcher Cal Quantrill #47 of the Cleveland Guardians walks off the field after the top of the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Progressive Field on July 05, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
By Zack Meisel
1h ago



CLEVELAND — No pitcher started more games for Cleveland the last three seasons than Cal Quantrill, but that won’t be the case in 2024. The club designated Quantrill for assignment on Tuesday, a curious move ahead of the deadline to add players to the 40-man roster to protect them from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft.

Quantrill, eligible for arbitration, stood to earn an estimated $6.6 million in 2024, according to MLB Trade Rumors’ projection model. He endured a rough 2023 season, compiling a 5.24 ERA while navigating through a recurring bout of shoulder inflammation. He did rebound in September, when he recorded a 2.76 ERA over his final six starts.

Overall, he surrendered more than a hit per inning and saw his walk and strikeout rates travel in undesirable directions. His metrics weren’t pretty, though they usually aren’t kind to him since he’s a throwback sinkerballer who pitches to contact. His whiff rate ranked in the 6th percentile in 2023 and his strikeout rate ranked in the first percentile.

In 2021, Quantrill emerged as a steady force in Cleveland’s rotation after a stint in the bullpen. A year later, he became a reliable No. 3 starter, with a healthy walk rate and an ability to limit hard contact and convince hitters to chase pitches out of the zone, thanks to an effective changeup and cutter.

The Guardians added pitching prospects Daniel Espino and Cade Smith to the 40-man roster. They also designated reliever Michael Kelly for assignment. Espino, once the organization’s top prospect, missed last season because of shoulder surgery. He hasn’t pitched in a game since April 29, 2022. Smith, who signed with Cleveland as an undrafted free agent in 2020 (when the draft only went five rounds), pitched with Quantrill for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic earlier this year. Smith logged a 4.02 ERA with 95 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus.
Where does this leave the Guardians’ rotation?

Shane Bieber, in line to earn an estimated $12.2 million in 2024, can become a free agent next winter. He’d ordinarily be a prime trade candidate, but, well, the club just trimmed some of its veteran pitching depth and Bieber’s injury history has sullied his trade value. Triston McKenzie made only two starts in 2023 because of elbow and shoulder injuries. He elected to forgo Tommy John surgery; the club is hopeful he won’t eventually require the operation, but elbows are never to be trusted. Tanner Bibee (the AL Rookie of the Year runner-up), Gavin Williams and Logan Allen figure to play prominent roles in their sophomore seasons.

After that, Xzavion Curry, Cody Morris, Hunter Gaddis and Joey Cantillo represent the team’s immediate depth. That quartet has totaled 103 innings as big-league starters.

The Guardians have seven days to trade Quantrill or place him on release waivers (meaning, at that point, any team can submit a claim on him). If the front office intended to deal him this winter but gathered that he wouldn’t fetch much in a trade, the timing here makes sense since the team needed to clear a roster spot, didn’t care to devote one to him long-term and still have a week to negotiate with suitors.

Quantrill has two seasons of team control remaining. Whether he’s worth what he likely would have commanded via arbitration is another question. If Bieber and McKenzie can avoid the injured list, Cleveland could field another typically stout rotation. That is a significant question mark, and there’s also risk involved in assuming that all of Bibee, Williams and Allen will avoid any growing pains in Year 2. Sufficient pitching depth is a myth, but someone would have started the season as the odd man out, and Quantrill seemed like the obvious choice.
What payroll implications does this have?

As for the clearing of Quantrill’s salary, I asked team president Chris Antonetti what impact the uncertainty of the Bally Sports saga would have on the club’s payroll and its offseason pursuits. He said they were still working through that (a common refrain from the front office at this time of year, though it’d be naive to believe they’re entering the hot stove season with no financial directives). There’s plenty of time for the club to fix its woeful outfield and bolster its pitching staff, but with the players on board or eligible for arbitration (or exiled but owed money, cough, Jean Segura, cough), Cleveland’s payroll is projected to sit at about $85 million, a similar figure to its Opening Day mark in 2023. For what it’s worth, the Guardians’ attendance increased by 41.5 percent in 2023.

Would you trade Quantrill for Reynaldo Lopez ?

6.6 million goes a long way toward Lopez's contract according to projection by MLB trade rumors.

29. Reynaldo Lopez. Three years, $30MM

Tim: Mets / Anthony: Reds / Darragh: Twins

A former top prospect, Lopez struggled early in his career as a starter. Beginning in 2021, the White Sox transitioned him into a bullpen role. He has been an effective full-time reliever over the last two seasons, combining for a 3.02 ERA through 131 1/3 innings.

Lopez’s strikeout and walk profile has bounced around. He fanned a solid but unexceptional 24.8% of opponents while keeping his walks to a tidy 4.3% clip in 2022. This past season, he upped the strikeouts to a strong 29.9% mark but saw his walk rate spike to 12.2%. In both years, he got swinging strikes on around 14% of his offerings.

Few pitchers throw as hard as Lopez does. He averaged 98.2 MPH on his four-seam fastball and found success with a high-80s slider. The right-hander was effective over a trio of teams. He went alongside Giolito from the White Sox to the Angels in the deadline trade, then joined his longtime teammate as a waiver claim of the Guardians after the Halos cut payroll. He finished the season with 11 scoreless frames of 12-strikeout ball over 10 appearances in Cleveland.

Lopez has the makings of a quality setup arm. He’ll be 30 in January and could find three-year offers.

A. I'm wrong; they can try to trade Quantrill

B. He did rebound in September, when he recorded a 2.76 ERA over his final six starts. So I'd like to have kept him since McKenzie's return is uncertain; the chances of one of the 3 rookies needing some minor league time is always there; and since the next corps of potential starters noted above isn't too imposing

C. I certainly would like to get Lopez back.

D. It looks like they remain in cost-containment mode

The Guardians designated right-hander Cal Quantrill for assignment yesterday rather than pay him a raise in arbitration. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a 2024 salary of $6.6MM. It was a somewhat unexpected move; while Quantrill struggled badly in 2023 amid shoulder issues, he combined for a 3.16 ERA and 4.10 FIP across 336 innings of work across the 2021-22 campaigns while swinging between the rotation and the bullpen. Now the Guardians will have a final opportunity to attempt to work out a trade involving Quantrill or expose him to outright waivers.

That being said, it’s possible the widespread need for starting pitching around the league and the increase to the price of pitching in recent years could spur additional interest in Quantrill’s services. It would hardly be a shock if a club preferred two years of team control over Quantrill at an arbitration-level rate to the pricier commitments bounce-back starters like Noah Syndergaard (one year, $13MM) and Sean Manaea (two years, $25MM) received on the open market last offseason.

Pitching, pitching, pitching.

I'm tired of reading about the G's pitching.

Everybody and their brother knows the G's need bats with pop.

Maybe it's time for some front office shakeups. They totally bombed last season when they went looking for FA bats.

Rangers bought a WS win by chasing bats.

Can't be sitting on their hands praying the bats will appear or our great coaching staff will work some miracles.

Go get some freakin' bats.

They have a serious concern about their budget with the loss of the TV money making a big impact on CLE and other small markets.
Baseball will never be "fair" without NFL or NBA type revenue sharing.

Keep an eye on these prospects added to 40-man rosters

There were additional names added to rosters on Tuesday, prospects who, although they are not ranked, are worth monitoring. Of the 10 unranked prospects mentioned a year ago, seven spent time in the big leagues in 2023. The list from the prior year featured the Guardians’ Steven Kwan, who finished third in 2022 Rookie of the Year voting, and Orioles reliever Félix Bautista, who was an All-Star closer in 2023 before needing Tommy John surgery.

Below are seven unranked prospects who earned a 40-man spot before the deadline. Many of them could be at a big league ballpark near you in 2024.
Cade Smith, RHP, Guardians: An undrafted free agent who signed with Cleveland after the 2020 Draft, Smith racked up 15 saves between Double-A and Triple-A in 2023, holding hitters to a .228 batting average and striking out 13.6 per nine. He ran his fastball up to 98 mph, averaging 94.5 mph, and his low-80s slider is his go-to secondary offering.