Welcome back to the Guardians Beat newsletter. My name is Tim Stebbins, and this is my second season covering Cleveland for MLB.com. |
From a big-picture lens, Cleveland’s moves signal more. The Guardians showed a willingness to shake things up. With each addition to bolster their roster, they made an ensuing subtraction that followed a tough conversation. • Guardians 'pretty fired up' about Deadline additions Adell, Griffin, Lowe For a team that has had a lot of continuity through the years and is often patient with its own talent, this was a change of pace. The status quo was not working, nor good enough. The Guardians knew it. “It's equal parts excitement and heartbreak,” Vogt said Wednesday of navigating the recent roster turnover. “We're really excited about the additions that we've made, and we believe it's going to make us a better team. At the same time, you say goodbye to people that you love and have really good relationships with.” The Guardians were swept by the Mets in their first series after the Deadline to fall two games under .500 (57-59) for the first time in nearly a year. The bottom line here remains, but it’s no secret Cleveland has to play better than it has since the All-Star break (6-13). The Guardians optioned David Fry and first baseman Kyle Manzardo to Triple-A Columbus on Monday, making room for Adell and Lowe on the active roster. Slade Cecconi got bumped from the rotation to the bullpen to accommodate Griffin. |
Post-Deadline, on Wednesday, the Guardians designated Gabriel Arias for assignment to clear a roster spot for Angel Genao (Cleveland’s No. 2 prospect and No. 39 overall). Genao promptly became the first player in Cleveland franchise history to tally four hits in a big league debut. The Guardians’ direction at the Deadline may have come as a pleasant surprise, but it shouldn’t have. President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said leading up to the Deadline that the Guardians were exploring their options to improve. Fry has been a key part of the clubhouse fabric during his time in Cleveland, but he hit just .182 with a .640 OPS over 71 games. Part of his value lies in being a versatile third catcher, but he last caught on May 26 this season. After the May 9 trade for Patrick Bailey, Fry had essentially evolved into a part-time outfielder in recent months. Manzardo hit 27 home runs last season and had a .455 slugging percentage in 142 games. He hit 13 homers with a .378 slugging percentage in 102 games this season. Cecconi had a 4.30 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in 23 starts last season. He had a 4.78 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP in 21 starts this season. |
Arias got myriad chances in an everyday role over five seasons with the Guardians, but his tenure has been defined by tantalizing streaks of highs and lows. His future is now to be determined after his DFA. Cleveland has seven days to trade or release him, or put him on waivers. Fry and Manzardo joining the Clippers offers them the chance to work on things in consistent playing time. They could help the Guardians later this season, and the organization hopes they can get back on track. But Adell and Lowe are here to boost an offense that has had a poor season now. Cecconi has embraced his move to the bullpen and is eager to help Cleveland win games however he can. The Guardians signaled their openness to change course and pivot from their initial plan for this season. They did just that. How it all pans out is a story that will be written over the next two months. “How it plays out, we'll have to see,” Antonetti said. “But we do feel we are a better baseball team than we were 10 days ago.” |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Which player has hit the most home runs at Rate Field in a Cleveland uniform?
A. Travis Hafner
B. Victor Martinez
C. José Ramírez
D. Jim Thome |
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• Rookie nerves? Not quite for Genao, who had a historic performance in his MLB debut on Wednesday. Read more >> • Genao’s callup allowed him to make his debut with one of his childhood idols in the opposite dugout. Read more >> • In this MLB.com poll, we made sense of burning Trade Deadline topics, such as the best deals, the biggest surprises and more. Read more >> |
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C. Ramírez
Ramírez has hit 23 homers in 92 games at Rate Field. Thome hit 14 over 57 games in a Cleveland uniform, before his stint with Chicago from 2006-09. Hafner hit 13 homers in 64 games on the South Side, and Martinez hit 10 in 49 contests. Ramírez (who came off the 10-day IL on July 22 after missing five weeks with a left hamate fracture) entered Friday vying for his first home run since June 6. |
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