You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Guardians Chat
powered byJotCast
Prev Page View Full Chat
Colby
11:44
Guardians farm system is top what?  1, 3, 5?  So many good young players about to hit the show, even after having the youngest team and 17 rookies play last year.  The best is yet to come.
Mark P
11:45
That's maybe the most impressive part about the Guards' 2022 season....they did all this without even arguably getting to their real blue chip prospects.  I don't think Kwan was even on the radar as a top-25 prospect and look what happened.

Cleveland's front office does an exceptional job of drafting and developing players, and also smartly acquiring good young players in trades
The Fed
11:46
If the Dodgers non tender Bellinger  should Guardians pursue him on one
Mark P
11:47
I'm more down on Bellinger than some, since I think his hitting woes are more injury-related than "needs a change of scenery" related.  Acquiring Bellinger might not be too useful for Cleveland, since they already have Straw as a great-glove, no-hit outfielder
Charlie O'
11:47
Murphy for Espino, Jones, and Allen? Or is Espino nearly untouchable do you think?
Mark P
11:48
Espino is almost certainly untouchable.  No way the Guards make that offer for Murphy.
Guest
11:48
Is Arias ready for full time SS duty?
rickydo22
11:49
Is Arias ready for Full time duty @ SS?
Mark P
11:50
As a defender, seems like it.  But his hitting is a question mark, and the Guardians don't need another position taken up with a great-glove/no-bat player.

Not that Arias can't unlock something at the plate, since he isn't even 23 yet.  But the Guardians probably want to see him get some consistent numbers up at Triple-A before giving him a longer look in the majors.
Zach L
11:52
Think a combo of Oscar, Plesac or Civale, Jose Tena, and another prospect would snag Bryan Reynolds? Pirates are rebuilding and need talent all over the field. Oscar had a great year but was inflated by a .345 BABIP. Reynolds seems like an ideal fit for the lineup plus he's a switch hitter. Trade also helps with a 40 man crunch
Mark P
11:53
Unless that "other prospect" is Espino, Pittsburgh isn't accepting that offer.  They're wanting the sun and the moon for Reynolds.
Guest
11:53
Is there any specific position you deem essential to fill?
Mark P
11:55
I guess DH, since that's the most obvious place to put a big bat (the team's biggest need).  But naturally catcher is important since Hedges is a free agent, Bo Naylor may or may not be ready yet, and Maile might be a non-tender.
Guards guy
11:56
i remember the post about zach Plesac being a trade candidate from a few days ago, but that has me wondering: do you think any team will really give up (quality) assets to trade for a player with so many question marks and issues like him? I’ve actually seen him as more as a non-tender candidate because of that, and they have Morris and Pilkington who both pitched solid down the stretch to easily replace him
Mark P
11:58
They won't non-tender a player like Plesac, who does have trade value as a controllable and decent starting pitcher.  The off-the-field stuff is a concern, true, but as I stressed in the outlook, it's all just speculation.  I don't know how the Guardians feel about Plesac internally, or whether they do see him expendable or not.
Guest
11:58
SPEND MONEY
Mark P
11:58
I mean, I was just going to make my own lunch today, but fine, delivery it is.
Pete O'Brien
11:59
Wilson Contreras would sure look nice in a Cleveland uniform.
Mark P
12:00
Doesn't seem likely, due to both cost and fit.  The Guardians have made such a priority of catcher defense that it would represent a hard pivot to sign Contreras.
Wayne Kirby
12:00
Are you a believer in Andres Gimenez, or was this a fluky season?
Mark P
12:02
I think he'll be a good everyday player, but there are enough outliers in his 2022 numbers that it was a "fluke" to some extent.  But, Gimenez doesn't have to be a 140 wRC+ type to be successful....if he's even in the 110 wRC+ range next year and still plays excellent defense, that's a fine player to have in a lineup
whitfield
12:03
What are the odds of the Guardians signing a FA starter?
Mark P
12:05
Maybe depends on what they do with Civale or Plesac, but probably not very high.  They simply have so many young pitchers on hand that spending even a few million for a veteran innings-eater might not be necessary.

Now, if they think some veteran is available at that price and he has a Jose Quintana-esque resurgence in him, they'll go for it.  But in general, Cleveland has been more than happy just sticking with its farm system to generate pitching
Kevin
12:06
The Guards and Marlins seem like a solid fit as trade partners. Pablo Lopez and Garrett Cooper both make a lot of sense for the Guardians, while Cleveland has plenty of depth at the upper minor league level and on the big league club in the OF and middle infield that Miami is seeking. Thoughts?
Mark P
12:06
Makes sense to me!
I’m a Red Sox fan
12:07
JD at DH? Vazquez at catcher?
Mark P
12:08
I'm not sure what Vazquez will land in free agency, but considering that half the league needs catching, his asking price might take him beyond Cleveland's comfort zone.  

Martinez is an interesting idea for DH, though he isn't coming off a good season.  His power numbers being in decline is a particular concern for the Guardians, since the whole point of adding a DH-only type would be to see some serious home run pop
Pete
12:10
How close are Gavin Williams, Espino, Logan Allen, and Tanner Burns to making their debuts? Can that motivate a Bieber trade for mlb-ready power prospects? Francisco Alvarez may be a reach here, but someone in that mold
Mark P
12:11
It's one thing to ask these younger pitchers to "replace" a Plesac or a Civale, but it's another to have them step into Bieber's role.

Big picture, I do think the Guardians will eventually deal Bieber.  But it won't be until next offseason, since he's still affordable now, and the Guards want another year to evaluate the younger arms to see if any do have front-of-the-rotation potential
Pablo Lopez
12:12
Pablo Lopez for Valera, which sides says no?
Mark P
12:13
The Marlins, who would want more than "just" one prospect for Lopez.  But Valera would very likely be the first player they ask about from the Guardians, given Miami's need for hitting
Justin from Florida
12:14
I’m concerned that with the success they had this season, with their minuscule payroll, they won’t see the need to bring in a legitimate power hitter this offseason. Are there plans to address needs thru free agency or will let look internally?
Mark P
12:16
Power is such a glaring need that I find it hard to believe it wouldn't be addressed. Obviously the Guardians hope that Josh Naylor can hit another level as a power hitter, or maybe that Bo Naylor can add some pop from the catcher's spot.  But, bringing in a slugger would be a more direct way of solving the problem.
Benjamin, J
12:19
What would an elite non-closer like Trevor Stephan get in an extension?
Mark P
12:20
Interesting concept.  Since they've already committed a good bit of money to Clase, I don't see the Guardians also spending extra to lock up another bullpen arm, given the volatility of relief pitchers.

If I'm Stephan's reps, I'd basically ask for a Clase deal, but that's probably not something the Guards would do
12:22
We're past the hour mark, so time to wrap things up.  Thanks for all the questions, and stay tuned to MLBTR as we continue these team-related chats!
fyi, if you're interested in more baseball Q&A, one of the many benefits of our Trade Rumors Front Office subscription is the exclusive weekly live chats. The more limited field means you're about 10 times more likely to get a question answered. For more on our memberships, check out this link: 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/membership?ref=chat-11-3-22
Connecting…