Cleveland Sports Forum

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt says the way pitchers train and approach the game has changed dramatically.


Pitching today is grip it and rip it: Guardians spring training breakfast

Updated: Mar. 16, 2024, 10:56 a.m.|Published: Mar. 16, 2024, 9:33 a.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In the eyes of manager Stephen Vogt the art of pitching has changed.

He’s not sure if it’s led to more pitchers getting hurt. After spending 10 years in the big leagues as mostly a catcher, however, he is sure the requirements of the job are different.

“We’re asking pitchers now to rip their best pitch every single time out,” Vogt told reporters at the team’s training facility in Goodyear, Arizona. “Ten plus years ago it was, ‘Hey, ease your way into the game. Let’s work. Let’s see how you’re doing. Try and save some bullets.’

“Now, we expect our pitchers to come out and rip their best pitch every single time out.”

Vogt, who retired as a player following the 2022 season, says pitchers train differently as well.

“They’re trying to get the most velocity, the most movement, the most this (the most that),” said Vogt. “Does that contribute to it (injuries)? Probably, but I’m not a medical expert.

“I just think the way we train is so different now. Plus we’re hearing about injuries all the time. I mean we hear it instantly. Anytime you have this many pitchers in camps around the country, you’re going to have a lot of injuries at once.

“There are a lot of factors that go into it. You can’t put your finger on one thing and say this is why.”

Vogt said swing-and-miss fever plays a part as well. The strikeout is the gold standard for pitching and organizations.

“The way we can train pitching now,” he said. “The way we can measure it. Pitching is so far ahead of hitting.

“Everyone is searching for swing-and-miss because if you can get swing-and-miss, there’s no potential for damage (by the batter). You want as little contact as possible because if you put the ball in play, there’s a chance the batter will get on base.

“That’s just way the game has gone.”

The Guardians announced Thursday that right-handers Daniel Espino (right shoulder) and Trevor Stephan (right elbow) will miss the 2024 season, while right-handers Gavin Williams (right elbow) and James Karinchak (right shoulder) will open the season on the injured list.



Guardians right-hander Tyler Beede threw five scoreless innings in Friday's 6-1 spring win over the Royals.


Friday’s game

Right-hander Tyler Beede re-introduced himself to the competition for the growing number of openings on the Guardians’ pitching staff Friday.


Beede, in camp on a minor league deal, pitched five scoreless innings in a 6-1 win over the Royals at Surprise Stadium. Beede, a former teammate Vogt’s when they played with the Giants, struck out three, walked one and allowed three hits.

He is the first Guardians’ starter to go that deep into a game this spring. With one opening in the rotation and several in the bullpen, the performance came at a good time for the 30-year-old Beede.

“We still don’t know what Tyler is going to bring, or how he fits, if he fits,” Vogt told reporters before Friday’s game in Surprise, Arizona. “There’s still a lot to figure out there.

“But the message Carl (Willis, pitching coach) and I have been delivering to Tyler is that, ‘You have nasty stuff. You’re doing a great job of getting ahead. Now you need to finish the hitter quickly.’

“In my experience of catching Tyler and watching him over the years, he’s got such good stuff, but at times he tries to be too perfect. He doesn’t need to be. We want to attack the hitter and put them away.”

Friday’s game was delayed by just over an hour by rain, and it took a while for the Guards’ offense to get going. K.C.’s Brady Singer held them scoreless through four innings, but the G’s put the game away with four runs in the seventh.

Raynel Delgado drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single for a 2-0 lead. Daniel Schneemann followed with a two-run triple to make it 4-0. Petey Halpin and Christian Cairo added run-scoring singles in the ninth.

Tim Herrin and Cade Smith, competing for spots in the bullpen, looked good as well. Smith pitched two innings for the first time this spring.

The Guardians are 8-11-1 in the desert.



Guardians right-hander Triston McKenzie faces the Giants on Saturday.


Saturday’s game

Triston McKenzie will make his third start of the season when he faces the Giants at Scottsdale Stadium at 4:05 p.m. ET. MLB.com webcast will carry the games.

The Giants are starting RHP Spencer Howard (0-1, 3.18).

McKenzie (1-0) has looked good in his first two starts. He hasn’t allowed a run in five innings, striking out six and walking one after being limited to four starts in 2023 because of right shoulder and elbow injuries.

“I’m very excited that I was able to go out there and throw three innings pain-free,” McKenzie told reporters after his last start against the Dodgers. “That’s huge. Just being able to go out there and get into a rhythm was really nice.”

Hunter Gaddis, Jaime Barria, Anthony Banda, Adam Oller and Jack Leftwich are scheduled to pitch against the Giants as well.

Flu bug

The latest victims of the viral infection that has swept through the Guardians clubhouse are Tyler Freeman and Xzavion Curry. They were away from the training complex on Friday.

What’s next

Here are the Guardians’ next five games after Saturday:

Reds @Goodyear Ballpark on Sunday at 7:05 p.m. ET. WTAM will carry the game. Game will feature top prospects from the Guardians and Reds in MLB’s Spring Breakout series. RHP Shane Bieber (I0-0, 3.18) will start for Cleveland and the Reds will start LHP Brandon Williamson (0-2, 4.00).

@White Sox on Monday at Camelback Ranch in Glendale at 4:05 p.m.

Milwaukee @at Goodyear Ballpark on Tuesday at 4:05 p.m. as part of a split-squad day.

The Guards’ other team will play the Rockies @ Talking Stick at 4:05 p.m. WTAM will carry the Guards-Brewers game.

The Guardians are off Wednesday with Kansas City visiting Goodyear Ballpark on Thursday for a 4:05 p.m. game. WTAM will broadcast the game.

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Cleveland Guardians Spring Training Prospect Report 3/15/24

ARTHUR KINNEY

MAR 16

Game 21 - Cleveland Guardians 6, Kansas City Royals 1

STARTERS

Deyvison De Los Santos (RF-1B): 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 K -

De Los Santos, the only Guardians fielder to play the entire game, hit his first double of the spring to extend his hit streak to five games. During this renaissance, Deyvison is slashing .429/.429/.714. Yes, it’s a small sample size in absolute terms, but a gigantic one in the context of the small window the Guards’ brass has to make a decision that is suddenly looking a lot tougher than it did a week ago.

Chase DeLauter (CF): 1-2, 1 R, 1 BB -

Speaking of tough decisions, DeLauter is doing everything in his power to make the Front Office question just how committed they are to getting him some Triple-A reps. While the Corner of Neil and Nationwide is almost certainly his initial 2024 destination, his 1.387 spring OPS suggests that it may very well be a brief stopover on his road to The Show.

Kyle Manzardo (1B): 1-3, 1 K -

The other prospect to start Friday’s rain-delayed contest continued his stellar spring (.934 OPS) with another base hit.

RESERVES

Raynel Delgado (2B-3B): 1-2, 1 R, 2 RBI -

Delgado got the scoring started in the Guards’ four-run seventh with a grounder to center that scored DeLauter and De Los Santos. Fun Fact: His pair of at-bats yesterday brought him to 15 for the spring, exceeding the total from his previous three major league preseasons combined (14).

Daniel Schneemann (3B-SS): 1-1, 1 R, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 1 BB -

Schneemann followed with a blast to center that netted him first major league spring triple, got his OPS back into four figures (1.111), and drove in Delgado and Micah Pries (more on him later).

Petey Halpin (PH-CF): 1-2, 1 RBI, 1 K -

Halpin’s ninth-inning single drove in Schneemann for Petey’s first RBI of the spring.

Christian Cairo (2B): 1-2, 1 RBI -

In the very next at-bat, Cairo drove in veteran invitee C Dom Nunez for not only his first big league RBI of this spring, but also of his preseason career.

Micah Pries (LF): 0-1, 1 R, 1 BB -

Pries’ walk and subsequent run broke a three-game (four if you count a defensive-only appearance), seven-plate appearance on-base drought. Hits, however, have still proven elusive since his lone base knock of the spring on Opening Day.

Jake Fox (RF): 0-1, 1 K -

Fox struck out in his first major league camp at-bat in two years.

RELIEVERS

Tim Herrin: 1 IP, perfect, 2 K -

Herrin was dominant in the seventh, setting down the side in order including swinging strikeouts of veterans Hunter Renfroe and Sandy “Wait, he’s NOT on the Guardians?” Leon.

Cade Smith: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R (earned). 3 K -

Smith was impressive in the eighth, working around a leadoff single by striking out the next three hitters.He struggled a bit in the ninth, allowing a run on a fielder’s choice after starting the inning with two base hits. However, he still minimized the damage by inducing a game-ending 4-6-3 double play. To be honest, the second-frame struggles are not a major concern as he won’t be going multiple innings much if he fulfills his high-leverage potential.

DRESSED BUT DID NOT PLAY

C Wilmer Hernandez

IF Juan Benjamin

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OF Jonah Advincula

Here's the Guardians' Spring Breakout roster



Anthony Castrovince

@castrovince[/b]

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Chase DeLauter has already been enjoying a spring breakout. And now, he’s headed to the capitalized version.

DeLauter, the No. 1 prospect in the Guardians’ system and the No. 31 prospect in the game, per MLB Pipeline, was one of 23 players named to the organization’s MLB Spring Breakout roster Thursday.

That will give the highly touted 22-year-old outfielder yet another chance to shine during a camp in which his performance in limited time in the Cactus League has been a spring highlight.

The Guardians took DeLauter out of James Madison University with the 16th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, but left foot surgery delayed his professional debut until the middle of last season. Finally, he debuted in pro ball last June and wound up slashing an impressive .355/.417/.528 across three levels in 2023, finishing the year with Double-A Akron.

This spring, the Guardians have employed not just their 40-man roster and non-roster invitees in big league games, but also a pool of players in what’s called “depth camp.” DeLauter is one such player, and he entered the week having gone 4-for-8 with a homer, a double and a walk -- sparking even more excitement about his potential to impact a Cleveland club in need of outfield power in 2024.

“For me, I’m not a numbers guy,” DeLauter said earlier this spring. “Like, I’m not trying to hit a certain amount of homers. ... It’s just be healthy, let my game do its game and we’ll see what happens.”

And we’ll see what happens when DeLauter suits up among some other promising Guards prospects in a first-of-its-kind spring showcase of the game’s future.

How to tune in: MLB Digital (MLB.TV, MLB.com, MLB App), Guardians Radio, Gameday

What is Spring Breakout? MLB Spring Breakout is a four-day event showcasing baseball’s future: the current stars of Minor League Baseball. The inaugural edition will be held from March 14-17 at Grapefruit and Cactus league stadiums during Spring Training. A series of 16 exhibition games will be played between teams comprised of each MLB organization’s top prospects, creating a new touchpoint on the baseball calendar that celebrates our sport’s budding talent.

PITCHERS

Alex Clemmey, LHP, No. 9
Jackson Humphries, LHP, No. 14
Parker Messick, LHP, No. 23
Andrew Walters, RHP, No. 27
Will Dion, LHP, No. 28
Franco Aleman, RHP, No. 30
Nic Enright, RHP, NR
Brad Hanner, RHP, NR
Mason Hickman, RHP, NR
Doug Nikhazy, LHP, NR
Ryan Webb, LHP, NR

CATCHERS

Kody Huff, C, NR
Cooper Ingle, C, NR

INFIELDERS

Kyle Manzardo, 1B, No. 2 (MLB No. 59)
Juan Brito, INF, No. 7
Angel Genao, SS/3B, No. 12
Kahlil Watson, SS/2B, No. 16
Jose Devers, SS/3B, No. 21
Alex Mooney, SS, No. 22
Rafael Ramirez, SS, No. 25
CJ Kayfus, 1B/LF, NR

OUTFIELDERS

Chase DeLauter, OF, No. 1 (MLB No. 31)
Jaison Chourio, OF, No. 6
Petey Halpin, OF, No. 17
Jake Fox, OF/2B, No. 20
Jhonkensy Noel, OF/1B/3B, No. 29
Joe Lampe, OF, NR

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Here's the Reds' 2024 Spring Breakout roster

Cole Bradley

@colebradley01

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Even within a loaded Reds organization bursting with young talent at every position across all levels, Edwin Arroyo has been difficult to ignore. It doesn’t take much to understand why.

The switch-hitting shortstop, ranked by MLB Pipeline as Cincinnati’s No. 3 prospect and the No. 67 overall prospect, has displayed his elite capabilities throughout his first three professional seasons. As he enters his fourth year, Arroyo has a chance to emerge as another promising piece of the Reds’ bright future, which will be showcased in the inaugural Spring Breakout next week.

“I know that the vibes over there are going to be awesome,” Arroyo said of the opportunity to play in the event. “A lot of competition. I will personally do my best, and it’s going to be fun to face other prospects.”

The 20-year-old will join 23 of his fellow prospects, including Rhett Lowder (No. 2), Sal Stewart (No. 6), Cam Collier (No. 7), Carlos Jorge (No. 8) and Alfredo Duno (No. 10), in providing a glimpse at the future of Reds baseball against other top prospects in a pair of seven-inning exhibition games.

As the only Cactus League team slated to play two Spring Breakout contests, Cincinnati will face Rangers prospects on March 14 at 6:05 p.m. ET/3:05 p.m. MST at Surprise Stadium and Guardians prospects on March 16 at 7:05 p.m. ET/4:05 p.m. MST at Goodyear Ballpark.

With the collective rise of Elly De La Cruz, No. 1 prospect Noelvi Marte, Matt McLain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand last season, it perhaps has been easy to overlook Arroyo’s steady ascent since he joined the Reds, along with Marte, as part of the return from the Mariners in the Luis Castillo deal at the 2022 Trade Deadline.

Last year, his first full season in the organization after the trade, Arroyo led High-A Dayton in runs (72), hits (118) walks (48) and stolen bases (28), while posting a Midwest League-best 10 triples.

Arroyo handles the bat well from both sides of the plate and has the ability to drive the ball to all fields. He has been able to tap into more power, particularly from the right side, where Arroyo hit eight homers and slugged .504 with an .860 OPS last season. Overall, he remains balanced as a switch hitter, batting .262 from the right side and .276 from the left over the past two seasons.

But outside what he’s capable of with the bat, Arroyo has always excelled with the glove.

His athleticism and sure-handedness at shortstop have left no doubt about his ability to play the position at the next level, an attribute that made him an intriguing amateur prospect entering the 2021 Draft. (He was selected in the second round by Seattle at just 17 years old.)

All of that has culminated in what has been an exceptional performance in big league camp for Arroyo, who has arguably been the best hitter this spring for the Reds, albeit in a small sample size. Through nine games, he carried a .417 batting average (5-for-12) with three walks, two doubles, three RBIs and a stolen base while also performing well defensively.

Though the young shortstop was reassigned to Minor League camp during the Reds’ first round of spring cuts on Thursday, Arroyo’s strong showing was nothing short of electrifying, and he has a good chance to begin the 2024 season with Double-A Chattanooga.

The Spring Breakout provides him with an opportunity to further solidify himself as he continues to climb the prospect ladder.

“At this point right now, everything for us [prospects] is a showcase,” Arroyo said. “We got to do our thing everywhere we go. But I feel like that’s going to be another opportunity for that. I know a lot of eyes will be over there, so it will be a great opportunity.”

How to tune in:

MLB Digital (MLB.TV, MLB.com, MLB App), CLEGuardians.com audio, Gameday vs. Rangers, Gameday vs. Guardians

What is Spring Breakout?

MLB Spring Breakout is a four-day event showcasing baseball’s future: the current stars of Minor League Baseball. The inaugural edition will be held from March 14-17 at Grapefruit and Cactus league stadiums during Spring Training. A series of 16 exhibition games will be played between teams comprised of each MLB organization’s top prospects, creating a new touchpoint on the baseball calendar that celebrates our sport’s budding talent.

PITCHERS

Rhett Lowder, RHP, No. 2 (MLB No. 34)
Ty Floyd, RHP, No. 12
Julian Aguiar, RHP, No. 17
Cody Adcock, RHP, NR
Ryan Cardona, RHP, NR
Anyer Laureano, RHP, NR
Andrew Moore, RHP, NR
Hunter Parks, RHP, NR
Arij Fransen, RHP, NR
Gabe Starks, RHP, NR

CATCHERS

Alfredo Duno, C, No. 10
Cade Hunter, C, NR
Mat Nelson, C, NR
Michael Trautwein, C, NR

INFIELDERS

Edwin Arroyo, SS, No. 3 (MLB No. 67)
Sal Stewart, 3B/2B, No. 6
Cam Collier, 3B, No. 7
Carlos Jorge, 2B/OF, No. 8
Victor Acosta, SS, No. 20
Carlos Sanchez, 3B/SS, No. 26
Austin Callahan, 3B, NR
Tyler Callihan, 2B, NR

OUTFIELDERS

Hector Rodriguez, OF, No. 13
Ethan O'Donnell, OF, No. 23
Jacob Hurtubise, OF, No. 24
Jay Allen II, OF, No. 25
Esmith Pineda, OF, No. 28

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Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber.


Come August who will be in Guardians’ starting rotation? Hey, Hoynsie!

Updated: Mar. 16, 2024, 10:19 a.m.|Published: Mar. 16, 2024, 5:20 a.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Do you have a Guardians question 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: Who are you expecting to see in Cleveland’s opening-day rotation and what do you think the rotation looks like on Aug. 1? -- Karl, Green Bay via North Ridgeville.

Hey, Karl: I think the opening-day rotation will look like this: Shane Bieber, Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen, Triston McKenzie and Carlos Carrasco. On Aug. 1, I think it will be some combination of Bibee, Allen, McKenzie, Williams and, perhaps, Joe Cantillo, Xzavion Curry or Hunter Gaddis.

The trade deadline is July 30, and I think Bieber will be gone by then.

Hey, Hoynsie:

Estevan Florial is having a poor spring. He’s out of options, but do you think he’d go unclaimed if the Guardians designated him for assignment? -- Don Dohanyos, Escondido California.

Hey, Don: Florial has had a brutal spring, but I can’t see the Guardians just cutting ties with him. I think he makes the opening-day roster, but that is hardly a guarantee he’ll finish the season in Cleveland.

Remember, you can get fooled in spring training on the good side and the bad.

Hey, Hoynsie:

The only way a team from the AL Central will make the playoffs is to win the division. Doesn’t this put more pressure on ownership and management to sign a power hitter or two? Running up the white flag and calling this a season to give the young players MLB at-bats isn’t cutting it with the fans -- John Kyle, Westfield Center.

Hey, John: If they’re in contention at the trade deadline, perhaps they’ll add a hitter. Other than that, I’ve been told they’re going to let their own players play.

Hey, Hoynsie: Instead of wishing and hoping that Rule 5 pick Deyvison De Los Santos can hit, why don’t the Guards sign J.D. Davis? -- Mike L, Middleburg Heights.

Hey, Mike: See answer to the previous question. Also remember how that kind of strategy worked with the signings of Mike Zunino and Josh Bell.

Hey, Hoynsie: If the Guards are truly interested in giving prospects a chance to play, doesn’t it make sense to give Tyler Freeman, Kyle Manzardo and maybe Angel Martinez a shot at starting this year? Since they didn’t sign a veteran hitter, it’s obvious this is a retooling year. -- Jim, Independence.

Hey, Jim: The chances of Freeman making the opening day roster look good in the utility role. The Guardians have an interesting choice to make at DH/1B. Do they keep Manzardo, who has options and could use more time in the minors? Or do they keep De Los Santos or return him to Arizona? Manzardo, either way, is only a phone call away.

Regarding Martinez, I understand that you want the Guards to give the young guys a chance. But Martinez is 23, so is Brayan Rocchio, while Arias is only 24. They’ve been burned recently by trading young position players. They have control over most of these prospects and I think they want to see them as much as possible.

I could see a revolving door at shortstop. I’m not a fan of that, but that’s what I think could happen.

Hey, Hoynsie: Why do pitchers still use weighted balls to train? A football worked good enough for Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. -- Scratch Leavery, Conneaut.

Hey, Scratch: Yes, Gavin Williams tweaked his right elbow during a weighted ball drill. Still, many pitchers use them between starts to maintain strength and keep or increase velocity. I dare say Ryan, if he was pitching today, would probably use them as well.

Hey, Hoynsie: Who do you think will win the Guardians’ right field job? -- T. Hess, North East, Pennsylvania.

Hey T. Hess: I think manager Stephen Vogt will use a platoon of Will Brennan and Ramon Laureano in right field. They’re both enjoying big springs.

Hey, Hoynsie: The Guardians took three rookie starting pitchers out of Columbus last year in Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen and Gavin Williams. Is the cupboard bare for starting pitching prospects? -- Matt, Seattle.

Hey, Matt: They took more than three rookies. Curry and Gaddis, who combined for 16 starts last year, were also rookies to go along with Bibee, Allen and Williams. So I think you have to put Curry and Gaddis in that cupboard.

Left-hander Cantillo made a good impression in camp. Jack Leftwich, who made 14 starts at Class AA Akron last year, has looked good in camp. But he’s been used in relief this spring.

Hey, Hoynsie: What can you tell us about Alexfri Planez? Hadn’t heard anything about him before spring training, but he’s raking. -- Travis Price, Philadelphia.

Hey Travis: Planez, 22, has been a frequent visitor to big league camp this spring. He’s a 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-handed hitter. Planez had some soft-tissue injuries last year that limited him to seven games at Class AA Akron, but he’s healthy now and the Guardians think he has a chance to grow into a corner outfielder with pop.

In eight games with the big league club this spring, he’s hitting .636 (7 for 11) with four doubles and five RBI. He’s done it the hard way, too, filling in for the regulars in the middle and late innings.

Planez hit 21 doubles and 19 homers at Class A Lake County in 2022 before he was injured. He struck out 89 times in 346 at-bats.

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All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez is one of the sure things on the Guardians' 26-man roster as opening day approaches.


GUARDIANS

Sneak peek at the Guardians’ 26-man, opening-day roster: The week in baseball

Published: Mar. 16, 2024, 2:46 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In 11 days the Guardians will break camp after they play Arizona in their final exhibition game of the spring. They will head to Oakland where they’ll open the 2024 season with a four-game series that starts a 13-game, three-city trip before they arrive in Cleveland for the home opener and the total solar eclipse on April 8.

In the meantime, let’s take a look at how the 26-man roster is taking shape.

Starting Rotation

The starting rotation took a hit when Gavin Williams threw a weighted ball the wrong way and tweaked his right elbow. He’ll open the season on the injured list, which opens a spot in the rotation.

Who’s in: Right now the first four spots, providing everyone gets through the next 11 games in working order, should be Shane Bieber, Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen and Triston McKenzie.

Best of the rest: Carlos Carrasco was made for this assignment, but he has competition in Tyler Beede and Hunter Gaddis. Ben Lively and Xzavion Curry are in the hunt as well if they can recover in time after being sucker punched by the flu that has invaded the Guards’ training complex in Goodyear, Arizona.

Bullpen

If you thought the rotation was a bit of a mess, you haven’t seen the bullpen.

When camp opened, a long man was needed. Now they may have as many as four openings with the injuries to Trevor Stephan, James Karinchak and Sam Hentges. Stephan (right elbow) and Karinchak (right shoulder) will open the year on the injured list. Hentges saw a specialist on Thursday to have the middle finger on his pitching hand examined.

Who’s in: Emmanuel Clase, Scott Barlow, Eli Morgan, Nick Sandlin. If Hentges is OK, he makes it five. If not, the Guards need four more arms to fill out the eight-man pen.

The best of the rest: Lefty Tim Herrin and right-hander Cade Smith have had strong camps. If Carrasco is the fifth starter, Curry and Gaddis have to make the pen. Curry bounced between the rotation and pen last year. Gaddis has shown he can go long or short this spring. If Carrasco isn’t the fifth starter, he could help out in the pen as a long man. Lively, who is on a big-league contract, is in the mix as well.

Others involved: Anthony Gose, Anthony Banda, Jaime Barria, Tanner Burns, Jack Leftwich, Adam Oller and Tyler Zuber.

Catchers

For most of the last decade Cleveland carried two catchers. That changed last when they carried three for much of the year. So how will this position unfold?

Who’s in: Bo Naylor and Austin Hedges.

Best of the rest: David Fry has turned himself into an asset with his ability to catch and play other positions. He’s also a right-handed bat on a team filled with left-handed hitters. He has options, and I think he’ll start the year at Class AAA Columbus to refine his catching.

Others involved: Bryan Lavastida and Dom Nunez, who has had some good moments this spring.

INFIELDERS

There are two question marks on the infield -- shortstop and who will share first base/DH with Josh Naylor. Other than that, here’s how it looks:

Who’s in: Josh Naylor, Andres Gimenez, Jose Ramirez, Gabriel Arias, Deyvison De Los Santos and utility man Tyler Freeman.

What about shortstop? Arias and Brayan Rocchio have been no-shows in the desert to date, but that happens more often than not in spring-training competitions.

The Guardians invested a lot of time in Arias at shortstop following the trade of Amed Rosario last year. I think that gives him an edge to keep the job at the start of this season, but he has to improve offensively. If not Rocchio, who made his 11th spring start at shortstop on Saturday, could replace him.

Angel Martinez, Freeman and Jose Tena are options as well. Martinez has been Cleveland’s hottest hitter this spring, but he’s made only two starts at short. Freeman has had a good camp as well, but he seems ticketed for the utility job.

What about first base/DH? De Los Santos, 20, is a right-handed hitter who could fit nicely with the left-handed hitting Josh Naylor. He hasn’t played above Double-A and if the Guardians don’t keep him on the big-league roster they must offer him back to Arizona after taking him in the Rule 5 Draft in December. He’s had a so-so spring, but the Guardians like his power.

Kyle Manzardo has even less professional experience than De Los Santos, but he’s had a good camp with the bat and glove at first base. He’s not on the 40-man roster, but he’s not that faraway either. I think they give De Los Santos a test run at the start of the season and let Manzardo start at Triple-A.

Others involved: Daniel Schneemann, Micah Pries and Raynel Delgado. Schneemann may have helped himself more than any other player in camp. He’s played all over the infield, while hitting for average (.375) and power (four extra-base hits and six RBI).

Outfielders

Who’s in: Steven Kwan, Myles Straw, Estevan Florial, Will Brennan and Ramon Laureano.

Kwan was the one sure thing in the outfield. Straw has battled the flue this spring, but has swung the bat better than expected. The right-field platoon of Brennan and Laureano has been productive in the desert. Florial, however, hasn’t done much at all.

The Guardians traded for Florial to push Straw in center field. They knew he was out of options. They also knew he hit 28 homers at Triple-A for the Yankees last year. They almost have to open the season with him.

Florial is a left-handed hitter so he can platoon with Straw in center.

Others involved: Chase DeLauter, Petey Halpin and Lorenzo Cedrola.

DeLauter doesn’t even dress in the big-league clubhouse. He dresses with the minor leaguers, but he’s played and worked out with the big league club since the start of camp. He’s had eye-opening spring, but he’s played only 57 games in the minors plus another 23 in the Arizona Fall League.

Cleveland’s No. 1 pick in 2022 needs more time in the minors. At the start of camp, DeLauter said he’d probably start the year at Class AA Akron. That sounds about right.

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trailing 6-0 after 8. Rocchio single and double.. Josh the same Florial breaks out with 2 singles.

McK first off day; 3 2/3 inning 3 runs on 7 hit, a homer, no walks, 3k
Leftwich fans his one hitter
Gaddis fans 3 in 1
the rest of the pitcher are Clippers

Triston McKenzie allowed three earned runs, including a home run in Saturday's loss to the Giants.


GUARDIANS

Triston McKenzie stumbles in Guardians’ 6-0 spring training loss to Giants

Updated: Mar. 16, 2024, 7:27 p.m.|Published: Mar. 16, 2024, 7:11 p.m.

By Joe Noga, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — It was bound to happen. Triston McKenzie, working his way back from an injury-plagued 2023 season, stumbled in his latest spring training start after a pair of brilliant outings as the Guardians suffered a 6-0 loss to San Francisco on Saturday in Scottsdale, Arizona.

McKenzie, who had not surrendered a run in two previous Cactus League appearances, allowed three runs on seven hits including a solo home run by Giants third baseman Matt Chapman in the second inning.

McKenzie did not walk a batter and struck out three, but Nick Amed followed Chapman with an RBI triple to the deepest part of Scottsdale Stadium, over the head of Myles Straw and off the batter’s eye in center field that allowed Thario Estrada to score. Jorge Soler added an RBI fielder’s choice ground out in the third on a sensational diving play by Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio.

Rocchio stabbed Soler’s grounder and threw out Wilmer Flores at third base as Mike Yastrzemski crossed the plate with San Francisco’s third run.

Guardians hitters were unable to get anything going against Giants righty Daulton Jefferies, who tossed four shutout frames and limited Cleveland to four hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Rocchio and Josh Naylor tallied a pair of hits each, including a double apiece which accounted for the only Cleveland extra-base hits of the contest.

Estevan Florial, competing for a spot in Cleveland’s outfield, managed a pair of base hits in three plate appearances.

Four Giants relievers followed Jefferies to the mound, holding Cleveland to three hits over the final five innings. The Guardians got scoreless relief innings from Hunter Gaddis and Jaime Barria. Gaddis lowered his spring ERA to 2.08 and has not allowed an earned run in his last three appearances. He walked Soler in the fifth, but struck out the side, including Flores, Michael Conforto and Chapman.

Lefty Anthony Banda walked one and surrendered a pair of earned runs in the seventh when he hit Chapman with the bases loaded and Estrada followed with an RBI ground out that put the Giants in front by five.

Adam Oller struck out a batter before Jimmy Glowenke drove in a run with a double in the San Francisco eighth.

Next:

The Guardians will serve as the home team on Sunday in a St. Patrick’s Day matchup against the Reds at Goodyear Ballpark. Right-hander Shane Bieber (0-0, 3.18) will take the mound for Cleveland, while the Reds counter with lefty Brandon Williamson (0-2, 4.00). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET. The game will air on WTAM 1100 AM and the Guardians Radio Network.

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Guards prospect Jhonkensy Noel with a solo shot and Manzardo with a 2-run homer. Guards lead the Red 4-2.

Nikhazy ko's the Reds in the third. 3 inn, 6 k's, 1 w, 3 h, 2 runs.

Jaison Chourio doubled to lead off the fourth, advanced to third on a fly ball to left but was left stranded at third.

Enright with a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth with a pair of k's

Webb with a scorless fifth aided by a pop out to the catcher on an attempted sacrifice and a strikeout. End of 5 Guards prospects lead the Reds prospects 4-2.

DeLauter is 0-3; he hits better vs. major league pitchers.

Juan Brito lead off the 6th with a base hit and Jaison Chourio follow by reaching base on an error but the Guards wasted the opportunity to add to the lead as the next 3 batters went down in order. MId 6, CLE 4 CIN 2

Webb hit a batter in the 6th and struck out 1 in a scoreless effort. End of 6, CLE 4 CIN 2