Cleveland Sports Forum

Cubs adding former Guardians OF Franmil Reyes: Sources

Jul 8, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Franmil Reyes (32) hits a home run against the Kansas City Royals during the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
By Sahadev Sharma
1h ago
17

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The Chicago Cubs are adding former Cleveland Guardians outfielder Franmil Reyes, sources told The Athletic on Monday. Reyes was designated for assignment by Cleveland last week.

The 27-year-old hit 30 home runs a season ago but struggled with Cleveland in 2022, slashing .213/.254/.350 with nine home runs in 70 games (263 at-bats). He was hitting just .162 with a 55.1 percent whiff rate on breaking balls this season.

go-deeper
GO DEEPER

Franmil Reyes' rapid downfall with the Guardians

Reyes is owed about $1.5 million for the rest of the season and is arbitration eligible this winter.

Reyes, who entered the majors with the San Diego Padres, had an OPS of .800 or better in three of his first four seasons in the majors prior to this year. He hit a career-high 37 home runs in 2019.

MLB prospect notes from Altoona: Brayan Rocchio and George Valera



GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 23: Brayan Rocchio #66 of the Cleveland Guardians gets ready to make a play against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch on March 23, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
By Zach Buchanan
3h ago
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ALTOONA, Pa. — The nickname was born in 2017.

Brayan Rocchio was 16 and fresh off signing with the Guardians for a bonus of $125,000. Playing shortstop in a Tricky League game in the Dominican Republic, he made an impressive diving catch at shortstop, anticipating the ball as if he knew it was coming. “Like a professor,” said Jhonathan Leyba, one of Cleveland’s international scouts. The moniker has followed him ever since.

Five years later, Rocchio is living up to it. He is a consensus top 100 prospect, coming in at No. 21 in The Athletic’s most recent rankings. A scorching July, in which he hit .354 with a 1.034 OPS, has all but erased the remnants of his slow start to the year with Double-A Akron. He is playing excellent defense, both at short and at second, where he flip-flops with José Tena every four games. Little about his game is flashy and it takes repeated viewings like the one I got last week in Altoona to really appreciate him as a player.

“He’s a baseball player,” said teammate George Valera, a top 100 prospect in his own right. “There’s guys that you see that you probably see MVP. They have pop or they throw 100 miles an hour. He’s going to do everything the right way.”

That Rocchio is so good is notable for a couple of reasons. First, he is only 21, younger than the average player for the level by three full years. Then again, he’s faced the same age difference just about every step of the way throughout the minors. Maybe he’s less a professor than baseball’s Young Sheldon. (You tell me; I have not seen that show.) Of course, young wunderkinds advance rapidly through the minors all the time. Except Rocchio has done it despite missing even more baseball in 2020 than most minor leaguers.

When things shut down in March of that year, Rocchio went home to Venezuela. When things started back up that summer, he couldn’t get back in the country. He’d have been a shoo-in selection for the alternate site — or Site Two, as the Guardians insist on calling it — but he couldn’t get within a continent of it. Home in Caracas, he couldn’t even get on a field. Everything was shut down.

Instead, Rocchio spent 10 months — he returned to the United States in January 2021 — working out at home. A scrawny 150 pounds when things shut down, he returned for spring training with 15 more pounds of muscle on his body. He did some throwing to keep his arm strength up. The only time he picked up a bat was to do a solo drill he’d done since childhood. He’d throw a ball against the wall of his grandfather’s garage and hit it with the bat off the rebound, from both sides of the plate. “That’s my best drill,” he said. Perhaps this is why his contact skills are so good.

Despite the layoff, Rocchio returned in 2021 and posted an .807 OPS with 15 home runs between High A and Double A, cementing his top 100 status. This year started more slowly — Rocchio had a .685 OPS after two months — which Akron manager Rouglas Odor attributes to the young infielder trying to make too much happen at the plate. “When you try to do that, you go out of the zone,” the manager said. Now, Odor said, “he’s doing the opposite.” Rocchio’s strikeout rate never suffered during that early stretch, probably due to his strong contact skills, but the 21-year-old has been picking better pitches to attack since the start of June. Nine of his 12 home runs have come since then.

There’s been improvement in the field, too. Despite the nickname, Odor said Rocchio has had to learn not to go for the flashy play when it’s unnecessary. “It took him a while,” Odor said. “He’s still working on it.” Watching him last week against Altoona, though, you’d hardly mistake him for cavalier in the infield. Every play is handled fundamentally, a mantra Rocchio credits former infielder and current Guardians field coordinator John McDonald with instilling. “Do the routine play. Every time,” Rocchio said. “If you do the routine play, you are the best infielder.”

When it comes to best infielder, though, there’s a lot of competition in the Cleveland system. With Amed Rosario and All-Star selection Andrés Giménez playing well in the big leagues, the Guardians aren’t exactly desperate for help. He’s already sharing time with Tena — who was a top 100 prospect for many, though he’s enduring a down season in 2022 — and other prospects like Tyler Freeman and Gabriel Arias are closer to the majors. Most publications consider Rocchio the best of the bunch, though it’s fair to wonder how he fits into the larger picture. “That’s a good question,” he said.

That’s part of the reason he’s playing second base half the time in 2022. You might not be able to spell “The Professor” without “SS,” but he’ll be happy to go to the big leagues at whatever position is open.

“If the big leagues need me at second base, I’ll play second base. If they need me at third base, I’ll play third base,” Rocchio said. “It doesn’t matter.”


Can George Valera get synched up … and called up?
Thursday’s game in Altoona was rained out, so many of Akron’s players cued up the Guardians game on TV. Starting and making his big-league debut was right-hander Hunter Gaddis, who’d been riding the bus with them less than a month earlier. For outfielder George Valera, Cleveland’s top prospect, the big leagues suddenly felt very close.

“There’s still a long way to go,” Valera said two days later. “If I turn it up, who knows what could happen.”

For Valera, the 2022 season has been defined by time and timing. He began with a solid April that he nonetheless calls a slump. Though he had a .387 on-base percentage propping up a .772 OPS, he batted just .226 and slugged under .400. The issue, he said, is the same as the one with which he contended after watching Gaddis’ debut — he was focused on where he wanted to be, not where he was.

“At the beginning of the year, I was a little bit too out of time,” Valera said. “I was thinking way too ahead. It’s better to be in the now and in the present.”

Mindset recalibrated, Valera took off when the calendar turned to May. For the next two months, he hit .307 with a. 952 OPS and 11 home runs, looking every bit the superlative hitter whose arrival in Cleveland is so eagerly awaited. There were mechanical changes too, of course. Back in spring training, Valera adopted a more upright stance in the hopes of being able to get to the high pitch more effectively. Now he’s back to a more loaded set-up. “I need to be a little lower,” the 21-year-old said. “If I’m lower, my swing is going to be in the zone for longer.”

Valera has not been so scorching recently, though. July was rough, low-lighted by a batting line of .206/.282/.365. His timing at the plate was off. “His hands are extremely quick,” said Odor, “and they’re so quick that sometimes his hands go before his lower body.” Sitting in the visiting dugout that Saturday, Valera felt he was close to synching things back up again. In a doubleheader that night, he reached base in five of seven plate appearances. In the series finale Sunday, he drew a walk and laced a double.

His season numbers, including his .837 OPS, are still strong, and he still gives off advanced-hitter vibes. One plate appearance against Pirates top pitching prospect Quinn Priester on Saturday serves as an illustration. In a 1-1 count, Valera flailed badly at a 12-to-6 curveball to fall behind. Priester threw another one, a bit off target inside, and Valera took it to even the count. Priester then went back to the well once more, throwing an identical curve to his first one, and Valera spat on it to get ahead. A spiked splitter gave him ball four.

“It’s impressive the way he takes at-bats. You can see him,” said Odor. “He might go 0 for 4 one night, and the next night he’s not going to swing at a pitch out of the zone.”

Advanced at-bats tend to earn promotions to advanced levels, and Valera was bumped to Akron from High A at this point last year. When I spoke to him, though, Valera seemed hesitant to again let himself think too far ahead. “I’m not saying that it can’t happen,” he said when asked about his chances of reaching Triple-A Columbus before the end of the year. “I’m just not thinking about it.”

The Jedi mind trick worked. Monday, after I left town, Valera was called up to Triple A.

A few spare thoughts from Altoona
Some baseball stuff: Akron right-hander Carlos Vargas last pitched in 2019 in a short-season league that doesn’t exist anymore, but the 22-year-old was out here throwing 93 mph sliders, including landing them for strikes. It was quite eye-opening, although scouts say a guy with that kind of stuff should be striking out more than 18 percent of his batters. … Lefty Akron reliever Randy Labaut doesn’t throw very hard — most of his fastballs zipped in at 90 mph — but his heater has a lot of life on it. How four-seams defy gravity is always something I’ve understood in concept, but Labaut’s four-seam, which got 20-22 inches of vertical break on it, really made it obvious to the naked eye. He bullied hitters with it the one game I watched him pitch, although given his 7.71 ERA at Double A, I might have watched the game of his life. … I most certainly did not watch the best of Altoona first baseman Aaron Shackelford, a 14th-rounder out of NAIA program The Master’s University in 2019. His senior season he clubbed 36 homers, but he clubbed nary a thing while I watched last week, going 0 for 17 with 10 strikeouts. He got on base once, when he was plunked. My absence Sunday might have done the trick for him, as he went 3 for 3 with a walk, a double and a homer in the series finale. He has an .825 OPS and 19 homers on the season, and made some impressive plays at first throughout the series.

Despite his July [low-lighted by a batting line of .206/.282/.365] and a hitless start to August. Valera was promoted to Columbus yesterday.

Guess they ain't too worried.

someone at cleguardians.com having fun

CLEVELAND, OH - The Cleveland Guardians today announced the following roster moves:

Optioned Mustard to High-A Lake County. The club did not make a corresponding move.

Mustard, 17, has struggled at a historic pace this season, failing to secure a victory in any of the first 50 Sugardale Hot Dog races at Progressive Field in 2022 (one race was rained out). The tantrum-throwing condiment is being sent down to the Guardians High-A team – the Lake County Captains – to try and get his mental and physical game back to a MLB-caliber level. He is expected to report to the Captains on Monday and race in Tuesday’s contest.

2022 Sugardale Hot Dog race results:
Ketchup: 25
Onion: 25
Mustard: 0

The "official twee" Cleveland Guardians
@CleGuardians
After much consult and toiling internally, we have made a difficult roster move that we believe is in the best interest of our organization.

Discussing the AL Central-leading Guardians’ promising present and future



Aug 9, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) pitches in the second inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
By Zack Meisel and Jason Lloyd
A year ago, the newly-minted-but-not-yet-converted Guardians were embarking on two of the more dull months in recent Cleveland baseball memory. So much Bradley Zimmer. So much Oscar Mercado. More than enough Yu Chang and Bobby Bradley and Bryan Shaw. And no shot at a division crown.

Now, there are storylines galore. Franmil Reyes’ fall from grace. Thirteen players who have made their big-league debut with Cleveland this season. The blossoming of Andrés Giménez, Steven Kwan, Josh Naylor and Triston McKenzie. Emmanuel Clase’s Mariano Rivera impersonation. Manager Terry Francona’s uncertain future. And, oh yeah, the roster filled with major-league toddlers is vying for the American League Central title.

So, Jason, what’s capturing your attention at the moment when it comes to the Guardians?

Jason Lloyd: The fact they’re still in it. How are they still in this?

I mean, I know how. If they aren’t in the worst division in MLB, it’s second only to the National League Central. And if they aren’t the biggest surprise in the AL, it’s only because the Orioles were supposed to be wretched.

The Guardians are clearly ahead of schedule. And if the goal this season was to identify franchise pillars, they’ve got some answers: Giménez, for starters, and I think we can put Naylor in there, too. I’d like to believe Kwan is also in that group, but I think we need more time. I remember when Mercado was considered the center fielder of the future and now he’s stuck in rush hour between Cleveland and Triple-A Columbus.


Andrés Giménez has been worth 3.9 WAR (Baseball-Reference) this season. (Ken Blaze / USA Today)
Zack Meisel: Mercado never had any ultra-elite skills, like Kwan does with his contact ability.

Lloyd: Really, I’m most surprised that the Guardians didn’t get anything done at the trade deadline. Zack, we’ve been talking for months about their need to rebalance the 40-man roster. I thought that alone would necessitate some moves. And now we’ve seen a real-life casualty of the 40-man imbalance with the departure of Reyes.

Explain to me why they didn’t get anything done at the deadline and why Reyes is a Cub. He was having an awful year, I get it. But this franchise held onto Jake Bauers for two years longer than he demonstrated any sort of life at the plate. Reyes is gone after five lousy months.

Meisel: There’s a website that contains articles with the answers to both of your questions. It’s called The Athletic. I highly recommend their Guardians coverage.

Lloyd: I’ve heard good things. Can you hook me up with a free subscription?

Meisel: You sound like a certain member of Cleveland’s pitching staff (whom I won’t mention by name because his request is less egregious than that of a former player who made eight figures).

The main thing to keep in mind with Reyes — because I’ve heard from many fans desperate to unearth some jaw-dropping scandal to explain his departure — is the club was going to non-tender him this winter anyway, making him a free agent. The Guardians didn’t deem him worth keeping (and clogging up the DH spot) for $4.5 million, especially since he never showed any signs of reversing course at the plate. Sure, there were frustrations about his work ethic and his priorities, as team figureheads have not-so-subtly revealed in recent weeks. If he had been socking home runs, that stuff wouldn’t have been an issue.

As for the trade deadline, Oakland catcher Sean Murphy was their guy. It didn’t happen. They could have used another pitcher of some sort. Instead, they stood pat, and the parade of prospect promotions has continued. I’ve posed your same points to members of the front office. They know they need to eventually consolidate some prospects — we’ve been saying that for a year now — but they opted to kick the can down the road another few months and evaluate the major-league-ready candidates they have.

Now, that might not be the decision that best jibes with a team in the thick of the playoff hunt, but somehow, this team keeps surprising, and many of the kids who make that trek north on I-71 to Progressive Field haven’t resembled rookies when they’ve put on a Guardians uniform.

Lloyd: We’ve spent months trying to identify the shortstop of the future. While you were away changing diapers, I wrote that Gabriel Arias probably had the inside track on the job, but Arias has been dreadful.

Hear me out. Is the shortstop of the future actually the shortstop of the present? While we keep trying to replace Amed Rosario, he keeps hitting. And getting on base. And improving defensively. He is deeply respected in the clubhouse. He can hit anywhere in the order. So … what if he’s the guy?

And while I’m at it, we’ve heard about George Valera for years. He’s now at the doorstep, in Triple-A. I know they’re already trying to find at-bats for Oscar Gonzalez and Nolan Jones and Kwan and Will Benson, but since he’s already on the 40-man roster, is there any chance we see Valera in September?

Meisel: I’d be surprised, mostly because it’s difficult to squeeze him into the picture when they also need to learn about all of those other guys. But you’re leading us to a key question: How does this team approach its outfield this winter? Do the Guardians grant Valera a chance to seize the everyday right field job in spring training? Can Gonzalez or Jones leave a lasting impression this summer?

The middle-infield logjam has been well-documented, but the outfield crowd might be more fascinating and complicated.

As for Rosario, he deserves kudos for playing his way into the team’s plans. He’s improved defensively and what he lacks in power and walk-drawing, he makes up for with speed and line drives. The front office considered trading him this summer, but given how much he means to the club, for the reasons you explained, and the lack of a compelling trade market, it wasn’t the right move. The Guardians might face the same dilemma this winter. Is it worth dealing him for, say, some 19-year-old prospect, just because Arias and Tyler Freeman are ready for a chance? I’m not so sure. It might make more sense if they could flip Rosario for another useful major-league piece, but even then, it’s not as simple a decision as it might have been last offseason.

Lloyd: My read is that since Valera wasn’t moved at the deadline for someone like Murphy, Valera is going to get his chance next year (or maybe they just really like Bo Naylor).

Barring a complete unraveling over the last eight weeks, even though I’m not ready to label him a pillar, I’d imagine Kwan has done enough to be considered the left fielder entering next season. I’m still trying to figure out if the Myles Straw contract was a good thing. (He’s signed through 2026 with team options for the following two years.) Is it safe to assume Straw is the center fielder next year?

Meisel: That’s a big part of this puzzle, too. They are, understandably, enamored with his defense.

Lloyd: To your point, if Kwan is in left and Straw is in center, that leaves right field (and sometimes DH) for Gonzalez, Jones, Valera, Benson and anyone else I’m forgetting. This is why at least having a conversation about Juan Soto seemed to make a lot of sense: Bundle a number of these guys we’re talking about into what you know is a significant upgrade for the next 2 1/2 years (or at least 1 1/2 seasons until the Guardians could have traded him again to recoup some of those prospects).

If you had one position to target that you wanted to upgrade on this team, what would it be? (And why do I have a sneaking suspicion you might choose the rotation?)

Meisel: Your hunch is on the money. The rotation is in an odd place, especially for this franchise.

Is the current five — Shane Bieber, McKenzie, Cal Quantrill, Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale — talented enough to fuel a deep playoff run? Methinks they need another front-line starter. (I realize I’m saying this as Cleveland starters have logged three consecutive scoreless outings.) Ah, but look no further than Double-A Akron, where Daniel Espino and Gavin Williams (and even Tanner Bibee) reside. It’s not unrealistic to think any of those three could contribute next season, but can you lean on them to provide top-shelf quality? Probably not in 2023.

The future of the rotation is bright. The path there is a bit unclear. McKenzie is a mainstay. We’ve discussed Bieber’s uncertain future ad nauseam, and that’ll be a key storyline this winter. Can the Guardians upgrade one of the other spots while they ease their blue-chip prospects into the fold over the next year or two? They have the trade capital to pull off anything they want. They also have some interesting candidates in Logan Allen, Xzavion Curry and Cody Morris; I expect to see one or two of them before the end of the season.

Are you with me on the rotation, or is your attention elsewhere?

Lloyd: I’m with you. McKenzie is legit, though Plesac and Civale aren’t the top-of-the-rotation type starters we maybe thought at one time they could be. Ideally, I believe the Guardians would like to deal Bieber this winter, but that’s a bit counterintuitive for a team whose contention window is just opening again.

I wanted to drive down to Akron this summer and watch Espino, but his knee and shoulder injuries have sabotaged his season. Now I wonder if Williams caught him and has the shorter timeline to the majors. Who will make it to Cleveland first?

The problem in terms of a trade is trying to figure out which starters are available, and more importantly, which available starter is worth the Guardians’ prospect bounty? My ears tingled a few weeks ago over rumors of Tarik Skubal potentially becoming available, but there’s little chance the Tigers would ever deal him within the division. Finding the right deal is why the Guardians, for a full year now, haven’t been able to turn prospects into gold.

We’ve spent 1,700 words discussing where the Guardians stand and where they’re going. Something we haven’t mentioned? This year’s team doesn’t care about anything we’re discussing. They’re tied for first. They’re doing it again. Simply remarkable.

They’re doing it again. Simply remarkable.

Too bad most Cleveland sports fans aren't paying attention. the Guardians are a really good story.

Guardians 'buzzing' after securing hold on 1st
Cleveland sweeps Detroit, wins 5th straight game to maintain AL Central lead

Mandy Bell
@MandyBell02

DETROIT -- For the first time since June 23, the Guardians spent the day in first place in the American League Central. The next step is to figure out how to create some separation from the second-place Twins.

It wasn’t pretty, as Cleveland blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning, but the Guardians ended up taking advantage of a three-game set against the Tigers, sweeping the series with a 4-3 victory in 10 innings at Comerica Park on Thursday afternoon. Because of the Twins’ off-day on Thursday, the Guardians head to Toronto with a 1 1/2 game lead in the division.

“We’re buzzing,” Guardians starter Zach Plesac said. “You can tell we have a winning streak. Guys know how to win. We’re playing together. Timely hitting. It seems like everything is coming together right now.”

Entering Opening Day, FanGraphs gave the Guardians a 13.5 percent chance to make the playoffs and a 6.4 percent chance of winning the division. Entering play on Thursday, Cleveland’s chances sat at 52.9 percent to clinch a postseason berth and 39.3 percent to take the AL Central.

A three-game sweep against the Tigers certainly helped. And the fact that the Guardians are set to face Detroit again in Cleveland for four games next week will be another opportunity to rack up victories. But the team will have a challenge in the meantime, heading to Toronto to face a playoff-contending club in the Blue Jays, who currently own the top AL Wild Card spot.

How can the Guardians ensure they won’t slip in the standings? Let’s take a look at three keys to Cleveland’s recent success:

1. Clase is essential

This was quite apparent on Thursday. Emmanuel Clase pitched in Cleveland’s last four games and was unavailable for the series finale against the Tigers. And when Clase isn’t available, James Karinchak has earned the right to be the next man up. But when he was also unavailable, the Guardians ran into some trouble.

Cleveland had a two-run lead entering the ninth, but after Trevor Stephan was tagged for two in the frame, the game went to extras. And after the Guardians got the lead in the top of the 10th, Bryan Shaw was the man the team had to turn to for the save.

If Clase had been able to pitch, the confidence level in the game ending after nine would have been high.

“It’s Clase. You don’t really get a hit off him ever,” Shaw said. “He’s starting to learn his finger pressure, he’s starting to learn command better, he’s starting to become an elite pitcher.”


2. Kwan is on another level
Imagine if Steven Kwan never fouled a pitch off his foot on Aug. 5 that led to his early departure from Cleveland’s matchup against the Astros. He had been riding an 18-game hitting streak entering that night and would have had more time to try extending it to 19 if he could have remained in the game. Since then, he has picked up at least one hit in each of his next four games.

Kwan has been everything the Guardians could have asked for in a rookie, let alone as a leadoff hitter. Entering the day, he had logged a .355 average with an .884 OPS over his last 22 games. He added a solo homer on Thursday, along with a pair of walks, to continue to be a potent force at the top of the order.

“He’s the dude right now,” Plesac said. “I mean, if he’s not in the top three for Rookie of the Year, someone’s messing up right now, because he’s going off.”

3. Keep getting Gonzalez reps

Oscar Gonzalez has been a pleasant surprise for the Guardians this season. He proved again that he can deliver in big spots, smacking the go-ahead RBI single in the 10th inning that secured Cleveland’s victory. While the team needs to rotate through its young players to properly evaluate everyone, Gonzalez has certainly earned the right to be in the lineup as frequently as possible. Manager Terry Francona has already proven his willingness to put the rookie in the cleanup spot, and with Owen Miller’s struggles, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Gonzalez hit fourth more frequently.

But regardless of when he comes to the plate, Gonzalez has been a nice boost to the offense this season -- one that has proven it refuses to quit, even in extra innings.

“I think there’s something to be said about not putting your head down when things don’t go right and continuing to play,” Francona said. “But they keep playing. That’s a good characteristic.”

Guardians’ young lineup mainstays — Kwan, Giménez and Naylor — are ‘playing like vets’

Aug 10, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Stevan Kwan (38) high fives teammate Josh Naylor (22) after scoring a run against the Detroit Tigers in the first inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports
By Zack Meisel
2h ago
6

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DETROIT — One of the top priorities on the Guardians’ 2022 agenda was to identify a few lineup mainstays to surround José Ramírez.

Ramírez and Franmil Reyes were the only certainties in the batting order entering the season. Or so we thought. Ramírez will be part of Cleveland’s lineup for the majority of the decade, at least.

Last year, the only conclusions the club could draw on the position player side were who didn’t belong in its long-term plans. Cleveland watched as Bradley Zimmer, Oscar Mercado, Bobby Bradley, Jake Bauers and Yu Chang did whatever is the opposite of seizing an opportunity. Sometimes it’s pivotal to collect answers like that in order to advance to the next batch of young players without any reservations.

This year, the process has worked better than the Guardians could have imagined. The blossoming of Steven Kwan, Andrés Giménez and Josh Naylor has fueled the team’s climb to the top of the American League Central standings. Manager Terry Francona referred to both Kwan and Giménez as keepers within the same news conference one night last week.

(Amed Rosario deserves a mention for how he has helped to cement the top of Cleveland’s order — and new hitting coach Chris Valaika has played a role as well — but we’re focusing on long-term solutions in this exercise, and Rosario is under team control only through next season.)

Next, the Guardians will attempt to pinpoint the next wave of lineup mainstays from a crop that thus far includes Oscar Gonzalez, Nolan Jones, Will Benson and Tyler Freeman.

Here’s a closer look at the three who have made significant leaps in 2022.

‘The Dude’: Steven Kwan

Steven Kwan (Brian Fluharty / USA Today)
Seemingly every hour in April, a new factoid emerged, something along the lines of …

Steven Kwan is the first player since Henry Ford invented the Model T to go an entire road trip without swinging-and-missing.

No one, including Kwan, expected his historic surge to start the season and his big-league career to persist for another few weeks or six months or two decades. But the statistically implausible stretch did offer a glimpse into the skill set that made Kwan a major leaguer in the first place.

The Guardians knew he boasted elite contact ability and had a superior grasp of the strike zone. Those two traits would certainly elevate any player’s floor, but Kwan’s ability to make adjustments has been extremely un-rookie-like.

“He’s beyond his years,” Francona said. “He’s learning so fast. I don’t know if you can teach somebody where the strike zone is.”

That explains how a guy who entered spring training as a long shot to make the Opening Day roster — by his own account, even — now has his name etched daily into the leadoff spot in Francona’s lineup.

Kwan owns the second-best strikeout rate in the major leagues, at 8.8 percent (just behind Luís Arraez, and just ahead of Ramírez). The next-closest rookie, Kansas City’s Vinnie Pasquantino, has a strikeout rate of 14.5 percent. Kwan is one of eight qualified hitters in the sport who has amassed more walks than strikeouts.

After his scorching start, Kwan weathered a rough month. He rebounded and has been a catalyst atop the lineup ever since.

Consider the first plate appearance of Thursday’s series finale at Comerica Park, in which Kwan drew a seven-pitch walk against Detroit rookie Garrett Hill. No one benefits more from that sort of discipline than the guy on deck.

“Steven does a good job of making the pitcher fully work and showcase all their pitches,” Rosario said, “so it’s really easy for me when it comes to (my at-bat) and I’ve seen everything they’ve thrown already.”

Kwan learned Hill’s tendencies, too. He drew another walk in their second encounter, and then he yanked a curveball to right field for a home run to lead off the fifth inning.

“He doesn’t miss much,” Francona said.

And, oh, by the way, Kwan leads the AL with 14 defensive runs saved. He ranks in the 94th percentile in Statcast’s Outs Above Average metric.

Kwan has also sparked a chess craze in the clubhouse, and has lent guidance to Benson, Freeman, Jones and other rookies who have debuted this season.

“He’s ‘The Dude’ right now,” Zach Plesac said. “He’s going off. If he’s not in the top three for Rookie of the Year, someone’s messing up.”

The All-Star: Andrés Giménez

Andrés Giménez (Ken Blaze / USA Today)
If you’re waiting for Giménez to stumble into an extended slump, don’t hold your breath. His consistency has been commendable, especially for a young player navigating his way through his first full season without a trip to the minors.

Giménez’s OPS by month

April: .921
May: .754
June: .914
July: .809
August: .889

With production like that, it’s no wonder he kisses the sweet spot on his bat each time he approaches the plate.

Since the fifth day of the season, Giménez’s batting average has never dipped below .286. He has made life miserable for right-handed pitchers and has fared pretty well against lefties, too. He’s hit for some power and stolen some bases, and a 20/20 season isn’t out of the question. Giménez has also trimmed his strikeout rate to 20.5 percent, which is a bit better than league average.

And then there’s the timing of his production. With runners in scoring position, Giménez owns a .372/.429/.744 slash line. With two outs and runners in scoring position, his OPS soars to 1.244. In those situations, he has been more than twice as productive as the league-average hitter.

If there’s something worth nitpicking about Giménez’s approach at the plate, it’s that he doesn’t draw enough walks. But he compensates for that shortcoming by being plunked every five minutes. He ranks fourth in the majors with 15 hit-by-pitches, which isn’t the sort of achievement that will earn a display on his mom’s refrigerator.

His production at the plate, paired with elite middle infield defense — he ranks in the 91st percentile in Outs Above Average — has translated into sixth place on the AL fWAR leaderboard. Not too shabby of a breakout season for a guy who had his confidence rattled last season upon a demotion to Triple A.

“He’s getting better right in front of our eyes,” Francona said.

The, um, Smoke-Wanter: Josh Naylor

Josh Naylor (Rick Osentoski / USA Today)
Everyone marvels at the helmet-tossing, the helmet-butting, the primal shouts. No one reacts to a momentous home run the way Naylor does. His “All the smoke!” declaration in Chicago in May quickly made its way onto local T-shirts. But it’s the way he maintains his composure, the way he remains focused in the critical moments that makes him such a threat at the plate. In what Baseball-Reference deems “high-leverage” situations, Naylor has posted a .356/.420/.678 slash line.

Naylor isn’t built like Kwan or Freeman or many of Cleveland’s other contact-first hitters, but he fits the criteria for the type of hitters the club has assembled. He ranks in the 80th percentile in the league in whiff rate. He chases pitches out of the zone a bit too often, but he makes contact on those pitches far more often than the league-average hitter. And for a guy tasked with providing some sorely needed thump in the middle of the order, especially in the wake of Reyes’ downfall, he doesn’t strike out like the customary, hulking slugger. Naylor’s strikeout rate is 16.3 percent.

He has fared far better against right-handers and he’s mired in an August funk. But those in the organization believe he’ll be better situated next season, after a full winter of regular training, because he won’t be enduring an arduous recovery from major leg surgery this time.

He just turned 25 in late June, so there’s still room for growth. Kwan is 24. Giménez is 23. Do they seem that young?

“Off the field, for sure,” Cal Quantrill said. “On the field, they’re playing like vets right now. Good at-bats, quality at-bats over and over again. Solid defense, timely hitting. They’re doing everything you could ask of a true veteran, and they’re doing it at 23 and 24. It’s been pretty awesome.”

Those are 3 cool young dudes. Very impressed with those defensive metrics for Kwan and Giminez. Naylor is Mr Excitement and not as consistent and certainly not the defensive wizard, but another great member of the collective.
His brother is apparently much more subdued but although a catcher more like Kwan: lots of walks, pretty good number of stolen bases; in fact he's been hitting leadoff, and a good defender.
And there's Jose
And there's Amed
Straw might not hit but he sure can defend.
Solid defense up the middle
That's getting close to an entire lineup
And in early going Oscar is looking solid at the plate [like Giminez no walks] and in the field [except when he goofs] And if not him, Jones and Benson and soon Valera are at least pretty good options for RF.
Oh yeah and there are more middle IFs on the horizon with solid ability especially Brayan Rocchio.

CASH LEAVES SURPRISE FOR TITO
Mandy Bell MLB.COM

I knew something was weird.

I walked down to the visiting clubhouse at Comerica Park on Tuesday afternoon and saw a few printed-out photos from a distance. Some were in the coaches’ room. Some were in the dining area. All of them were in areas that I could only see from afar, but I swore they looked like odd photos of Guardians manager Terry Francona. My curiosity was piqued.

At 5 p.m., it was time to chat with Francona before the series opener in Detroit. The group of local media who made the trip walked into his office and the room was lined with photos of all 30 managers across the league. But one had tape over it in the shape of an “X.”

Of course, the picture under the tape was Kevin Cash.

Terry Francona
Many know about the ongoing hijinks between these two longtime pals. Francona has had funny “tributes” to Cash on the Progressive Field scoreboard, mocking Cash’s lackluster stats from his playing career, and Cash once retaliated by stealing Francona’s scooter (which he calls The Hog) and placing it in the middle of the field for the Rays to aim at during batting practice.

Even if the jokes aren’t always as public as those, that doesn’t mean the two still aren’t going back and forth.

So, I had to ask, what was with the tape over Cash’s face? Francona explained that when he arrived to the clubhouse that morning, there were many embarrassing photos of him plastered all over the walls.

“I took down over 50 photos of myself,” Francona said. “I think I got most of them. I tried to take the most offensive ones down.”

The Rays had just been in town. Cash knew he had a golden opportunity to leave a surprise. Apparently, Francona explained earlier in the year that he had taped over Cash’s face in the past prior to his arrival to the ballpark (I missed the trip when he explained this). So, Francona was asked, “Do you regret beginning this battle?”

“You know, I think he’s immature,” Francona said with a smirk. “I thought mine was sort of classically funny. I think he’s just a little immature.”

Guys if you have never read the book on Tito from his Boston days it's a hilarious read.

Francona is a maniac.

How about a breath of fresh baseball air? Check out the old-school Guardians – Terry Pluto
Updated: Aug. 13, 2022, 10:29 a.m.|Published: Aug. 13, 2022, 6:31 a.m.

By Terry Pluto, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio – I love this team.

I’m talking about the amazing Cleveland Guardians, the youngest team in the majors that entered the weekend with a 60-52 record and leading the Central Division.

“We went into the season saying it was our goal to find out about our young players and compete to win games,” Guardians president Chris Antonetti told me. “We’ve been able to do that because we have some very good young players.”


Manager Terry Francona has called it “threading the needle.” It’s developing and winning at the same time. It rarely works this well with a team this young.


And yes, we’re talking young.

The average Class AAA team has an average age of 26.5. Remember, that’s the minors!. The Guardians are at 26.2 years.

A roster like that usually means losing, and losing big. It often usually means a team is poor in basic baseball fundamentals. They strike out. They make errors. They run the bases poorly.

Not these Guardians. They play old-school, make-contact baseball.

The team with baseball’s fewest strikeouts? That’s Cleveland.

A few rankings for the Guardians in the American League:


1st in sacrifice flies

3rd in doubles.

4th in batting average at .251.

7th in runs scored.

The only area where they are very weak is power: They rank 14 out of 15 American League teams in homers.

ONE OF THE BEST
Cleveland Guardians center fielder Myles Straw dives to catch a fly ball hit by Brandon Marsh. Straw is considered an elite defensive center fielder. AP


WHAT’S THE SECRET SAUCE?

They catch the ball.

The team ranked second in overall defense in the American League? That’s Cleveland, according to FanGraphs.

“Our defense is the most underrated part of our team,” said Antonetti. “Andres Gimenez is one of the best middle infielders in baseball. Amed (Rosario) has really improved at short. Jose (Ramirez) is good at third. In the outfield (Steven) Kwan and (Myles) Straw are elite. The same is true of our catchers.”

Antonetti’s point is that even young players such as Nolan Jones and Oscar Gonzalez – not known for their outfield defense – have come up from the minors and been solid in the field.

The team president raved about some plays made at third by Tyler Freeman, a career shortstop recently promoted to replace utility infielder Ernie Clement.


Very few teams – especially young teams – are as athletic and skilled in the field as these Guardians. While Straw is struggling at bat (.210), he ranks as the best defensive center fielder in the American League by FanGraphs.

AMED ROSARIO
Amed Rosario has helped keep the Guardians pointed in the right direction. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com


TEAM CULTURE IS REAL

“What stands out is how we play hard, we play to the last out,” said Antonetti. “We run the bases well. We keep coming at you.”

FanGraphs has a stat called UBR – Ultimate Base Running. It considers things such as going from first to third base on a single and stealing bases. They rank the Guardians fourth in the American League.

I actually thought it would have been higher. Cleveland consistently puts pressure on defenses.

Don’t you love Ramirez running out from under his helmet and sliding head first, eating dirt, into second for a double? The Guardians have five players with at least 10 stolen bases: Gimenez, Ramirez, Kwan, Straw and Rosario.

Rosario quickly bonded with Ramirez last season. The two veterans lead by example with their hustle and how they demand to play every day.


“You think he (Rosario) runs fast to first?” Francona recently asked the media. “Try to walk up to him and tell him to take a day off.”

He meant Rosario would run away so the manager couldn’t find him to take him out of the lineup.

“I love that and respect that,” said the manager.

There’s even more love from Francona when it comes to Rosario, who is hitting .284 (.725 OPS) with 7 HR and 47 RBI.

“He has been so consistent,” said the manager. “The kid plays every day. Doesn’t take a play off, doesn’t take an at-bat off, when he is on the bases − he plays with so much energy.”


president Chris Antonetti and manager Terry Francona talk
President Chris Antonetti and manager Terry Francona have had eight winning seasons in their nine years together.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

MAKING A STATEMENT

When the Guardians didn’t make a significant move at the Aug. 2 trade deadline, Francona mentioned this: “If you can make something better, I get it. But muddying the waters – a lot of times, that’s what happens – that really doesn’t help.”


Francona didn’t want to just add talent. He wants the right type of player.

That’s part of the reason Franmil Reyes was placed on waivers and eventually claimed by the Cubs. The big man was hitting only .213 with the second-highest strikeout rate in baseball. He also showed up at least 15 pounds overweight and didn’t seem focused this season.

Some of his teammates wondered about his dedication.

While Francona wasn’t talking about Reyes, this quote says something about how he wants his team to respond to adversity.

“I think there’s something to be said about not putting your head down when things don’t go right and continuing to play,” Francona said. “But they (the Guardians) keep playing. That’s a good characteristic.”

GOTTA LOVE JOSE
Jose Ramirez slides into second for a steal past the tag of Whit Merrifield.Getty Images


THIS IS JOSE’S TEAM

It’s Ramirez who sets the atmosphere. He signed a below-market 7-year, $141 million contract to stay in Cleveland. The All-Star third baseman entered the weekend batting .285 (.906 OPS) with 22 HR and 92 RBI. He leads the American League with 36 doubles.

“We are really fortunate that Jose chose to commit to Cleveland long-term,” said Antonetti. “Not only is he one of the best players in the majors, but he helps set the standard for the way we play the game. He’s a relentless competitor and phenomenal teammate that cares deeply about winning.”

When that’s true of your best player, it’s sends a loud message to the rest of the team.

Ramirez has walked more times (44) than he has struck out. That’s significant because it shows how he has bought into the anti-strikeout approach brought to the team by new hitting coach Chris Valaika. He stressed making contact, hitting the ball to the opposite field.

It’s how many of us grew up learning to play the game.

Baseball purists have to love Kwan, the leadoff man and left fielder. He leads all rookies in batting average (.299) and on-base percentage (.375). He’s walked more times (40) than he’s struck out (36). He 10-of-13 in stolen bases.

FanGraphs ranks Kwan as the best defensive left fielder in the majors.


“He’s truly unheralded,” said Antonetti. “He does so many things well.”

PERHAPS TEAM'S MOST UNHERALDED PLAYER
Steven Kwan has been close to a .300 hitter and a superb left fielder. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com


THE PLAN IS WORKING

Consider how the Guardians handed second base to Gimenez, who emerged as an All-Star. Left field went to Kwan, a candidate for Rookie of the Year. Josh Naylor has emerged as a middle-of-the-lineup power bat.

Not only did the Guardians make Emmanuel Clase the closer, they gave him a long-term deal and he made the All-Star team. Triston McKenzie is pushing Shane Bieber for being the ace of the staff.

Any team can decide to go young and lose 100 games. Consider the following:

1. In the last six years, Detroit did it and has not had a winning season. In three of those seasons, they lost 114, 98 and 98 games.


2. In the last six years, Kansas City has not had a winning season. They’ve lost at least 100 games twice.

3. Baltimore has come alive this season with a 58-53 record. In the previous five years, they not only had losing seasons but piled up records 52-110, 54-108 and 47-115.

4. Pittsburgh has had one winning season in the last seven years.

5. In the nine seasons since Francona became manager, Cleveland has had only one losing record – 80-82 in 2021.

“Tito (Francona) and the entire coaching staff deserve a ton of credit,” said Antonetti. “Tito is a difference maker. Our entire organization has worked hard to set up opportunities for our young players – and they are taking advantage of it.”

Inside Guardians’ Will Benson’s long journey to the majors: ‘This is my life’



Cleveland Guardians' Will Benson bats against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
By Zack Meisel
2h ago

CLEVELAND — Six years ago, Will Benson sat in the press interview room at Progressive Field at a small, round table littered with reporters’ voice recorders.

Benson flashed his Mickey Mouse socks, revealed his foxtail keychain good-luck charm, insisted he would continue to drive his 2001 Ford Explorer — even after landing a $2.5 million signing bonus as Cleveland’s first-round draft pick — and vowed to use his financial means to spread the baseball bug throughout his native Georgia.

A lot has changed in those six years. Benson keeps those socks in his footwear rotation, but he ditched the keychain and his dad now drives the SUV with the six-digit odometer reading. That interview room is now a coaches office, but Benson hasn’t strayed far. He scooted next door, to Cleveland’s home clubhouse.

He admits now he naively thought he’d break into the majors the year after he was drafted, a teenager taking the big leagues by storm. That, of course, didn’t happen.

Benson had no idea the winding road he would travel to the majors, with a pit stop in a hastily formed independent league, with pitfalls at the plate that required him to repeat levels, and with pity for himself as he wondered whether the struggle — which had him wanting “to scream off the top of a mountain” — would ultimately pay dividends.

It was, in fact, worthwhile, and the validation struck him — in a Taco Bell, where he received the call to the majors two weeks ago — like a line drive generated from his powerful left-handed swing.

Earlier this summer, with some encouragement from field coordinator and long-time major-leaguer John McDonald, Benson studied video of Barry Bonds and Mike Trout. Benson marveled at how they squeezed the most out of every moment in the batter’s box, how they never afforded the pitcher any peace of mind. They refused to chase pitches out of the strike zone. When the pitcher missed his spot, they didn’t miss theirs. Even if they didn’t inflict damage, they flustered the guy on the mound.

“They were the toughest out,” Benson said.

Those principles have aided Benson in his breakout season. Throughout his climb to Triple A, Benson was a three-true-outcomes prototype. He walked a bunch. He struck out a ton. And he hit for some power.

This year, he altered his profile. He boosted his walk rate to an elite mark of 18.7 percent, and he reduced his strikeout rate from uncomfortably high to completely tolerable.

Benson’s 2021 strikeout rate: 33.4 percent
Benson’s 2022 strikeout rate: 22.7 percent

He put more balls in play, hit for plenty of power, stole bases and pieced together an 89-game sample at Columbus that the organization deemed worthy of a promotion.

“There’s no lie,” Benson said. “It’s really fun. And it makes those tough days a little bit easier to deal with.”

There were countless days like that.

Take the summer of 2020, for instance. Benson was itching to play anywhere after the pandemic halted spring training. So, he participated in the Constellation Energy League, a five-week showcase held in Sugar Land, Texas.

“Damn,” Benson said, “that was tough.”

Benson aimed to grab some attention with his play, but he batted only .143 in 71 plate appearances and was sidelined a couple of weeks when his roommate contracted COVID. He described the entire experience as “another slap in my face,” but he reminded himself to keep his head down and work until it all paid off.

“There were times when I felt sorry for myself,” Benson said. “I was super low.”


Will Benson. (Lon Horwedel / USA Today)
Following the Guardians’ win in Detroit on Wednesday, Benson and Steven Kwan played chess. As they plotted their moves, they engaged in what Benson described as “the deepest conversation of all time,” one so “enriching and enlightening” he said he jotted down a bunch of notes in his journal afterward.

In spring 2021, when Benson and Kwan roomed together during spring training, Kwan introduced Benson to meditation.

“It opened up a new world,” Benson said.

Benson meditates for five to 10 minutes before he goes to sleep each night. He’ll meditate at other points in the day for upwards of a half hour. Throughout the 2021 season, Benson and Kwan would meditate together before heading to the ballpark.

Here’s how they describe it: They close their eyes and focus on their breath, concentrating on the air funneling through their noses as they inhale and leaving their mouths as they exhale. During that process, random thoughts will arise. What’s for lunch? What’s the plan for the off day? I wonder how Grandma’s feeling. They acknowledge the thoughts, identify that they have been distracted and then rush back to focusing on their breathing.

“We are not our thoughts,” Kwan said. “Thoughts just pass by. It’s like a cloud in the sky. You wouldn’t say it’s a cloudy day because there’s one cloud in the sky. You look past that.”

And that’s where it translates to baseball. Benson learned he could combat the suffocating thoughts that surface when he’s in a slump.

“You’re focusing on your plan and all of a sudden a fan yells something,” Kwan said. “‘OK, well, no, I don’t suck.’ And then you go down this rabbit hole. It’s like, ‘No, identify that, and let me get back to my plan.’ It’s just that training of your brain. It’s like a muscle that you train.”

When he joined the Guardians at the beginning of the month, Benson shared a similar conversation with Cal Quantrill. Benson posted an .843 OPS at Double-A Akron in 2021, which earned him a promotion to Triple A. His production cratered, though, and that gnawed at him all winter.

“There are times when we get hit by these negative things and they weigh so heavily,” Benson told Quantrill, “but it’s really not, like, this big thing. Obviously, on the inside, it feels like this weight. I felt that weight and I’m like, ‘Man, I can’t believe this shit. I’m so close.'”

It consumed him. Reaching the majors was his dream since he and Xzavion Curry played for the Sandtown Red Sox, “the best kids team ever,” Benson said, laughing. (Curry will join Benson on the Guardians roster to make his big-league debut Monday.)

Benson has visions of a baseball “Mecca” in Fulton County, with an array of diamonds surrounding one main field. He wants to fund it, build it and make it accessible, “as free as possible” to counteract the expenses associated with travel ball. The longer he plays in the majors, he said, the more realistic his blueprint will become.

Earning that promotion two weeks ago was a critical step. Benson was retrieving Taco Bell for his girlfriend when Columbus manager Andy Tracy told him to head to Cleveland. His parents were staying at the nearby Omni Hotel. They convened near the valet area, where they jumped up and down, hugged and screamed. Benson’s dad, Ted, played basketball while attending Purdue in the ’80s. His mom, Ramona, danced in college. His sister danced professionally around the world and now teaches the craft in London. There’s quite a bit of athletic prowess in the family.

Benson was gifted with some obvious tools: power, speed, versatility. The Guardians aren’t exactly sure how he fits or what his ceiling is. There’s time to sort that out. But the tools behind the tools — the drive to improve, using the resources at his disposal, the passion for the game that kept him motivated even when his future looked bleak — convinced the organization he’s worth a 40-man roster spot.

He has played all three outfield spots with the Guardians. He figures to get a look at first base, too. He’s a much different player than he was six years ago, fresh off his senior season at Westminster High School, outside of Atlanta. He thought he’d introduce himself in that interview room and then stroll into the on-deck circle. The process took a bit longer than he originally anticipated, but it was worth the wait.

“I just kept going and kept working,” Benson said. “This is my life.”