The Diamondbacks have claimed reliever Kyle Nelson off waivers from the Guardians, per announcements from both teams. Cleveland also announced that outfielder Daniel Johnson, right-hander Justin Garza and left-hander Alex Young have all cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Columbus. Arizona’s 40-man roster is now full.
Nelson has briefly appeared in the majors in each of the past two seasons. He’s tallied just 10 1/3 combined innings, allowing fourteen runs with nine walks and eight strikeouts. The southpaw has struggled to a 5.26 ERA in 37 2/3 career frames at the Triple-A level as well, but he’d kept runs off the board and punched out batters in droves up through Double-A.
During his limited MLB time, Nelson leaned primarily on a cutter and slider mix. He averaged just under 89 MPH on the cutter and worked in the low-80s with his slider, relying more on movement than velocity. The D-Backs have almost no certainty in the bullpen, as they’re not returning a single reliever who tossed 20+ innings with a SIERA below 4.00 this past season. There should be an opportunity for Nelson to compete for a role in Spring Training, if he sticks on the 40-man roster all winter. He still has a pair of minor league option years remaining, so the D-Backs could shuttle him between Phoenix and Triple-A Reno through 2023 as long as he remains on the 40-man.
Each of Johnson, Garza and Young was designated for assignment last Friday, as Cleveland somewhat remarkably overturned around one quarter of their 40-man roster before the deadline to keep prospects from being eligible for the Rule 5 draft. The Guardians also traded Harold Ramírez and J.C. Mejia (to the Cubs and Brewers, respectively), while losing Scott Moss on waivers to the Phillies.
Johnson has been a fairly well-regarded prospect during his days in the Nationals and Cleveland farm systems, but he hasn’t hit well over his first 94 big league plate appearances. He’ll remain in the organization as non-roster depth and hope to play his way back into an uncertain Guardians’ outfield mix next spring.
Garza and Young logged some big league time in the bullpen this past season, with Young coming over from the D-Backs as a waiver claim in July. Garza pitched to a 4.71 ERA/4.79 SIERA across 28 2/3 innings; Young worked 10 1/3 innings of 7.84 ERA/6.24 SIERA ball with Cleveland. Both hurlers have ample starting experience during their pro careers as well.
Who’s gonna be the first dingdong to say “it’s the Indians not the Guardians”?
You were late.
Sometimes you don’t see comments posted up to three minutes before yours on mobile (cannot speak for website)
Of course. My point, perhaps lost, is posters like @richt are hiding behind pretending to take a higher ground, when actually they’re doing exactly what they claim others are doing.
My view, not that it matters, is:
1) Cleveland fans have the right to be annoyed the name of their team was ripped away, even if for positive reasons;
2) The team could have picked a better and more fun name than the Guardians;
3) Time to move on for all.
I know #3 will never happen, or it won’t for quite some time.
Agree 100%
I’m just calling them the ‘Dians.
What plane of reality do you exist in where we’re doing the same thing that the hangers-on are doing? Are you one of those people who calls the “woke left” the real “racists and bigots”?
A bit trivial an issue to hang that label on them. Who should care what name they prefer; they’re not legally obligated to utter the official name,,,.yet.
*Spiders
I’m wearing my Chief Wahoo shirt today. Appropriate attire for Thanksgiving.
How appropriate: wearing a caricature of a Native American on a day where we perpetuate a falsity about our relationships with Native people. I like when people just put their idiocy out there for all to see.
Poor Brent Storm, this is not going to be easy.
It looks like they’re not guarding their players very well.
Nelson looked absolutely lights out in the minors in 2019 leading to him getting added. He has since been passed over for left handed relief roles by:
Oliver Perez (twice)
Sam Hentges
Anthony Gose
Logan Allen
Alex Young
Francisco Perez
When you get passed over by that many people, it’s clear the org has lost all interest in seeing what you can do.
They signed a hockey player??
I have zero attachment to the name “Indians” and am perfectly fine with them changing it especially if the old name was found offensive by some. However you will never convince me that “guardians” wasn’t absolutely the most stupid name they could have gone with. Even something cliche and generic like the Sluggers would be better
Spiders was my preference, but hell the Naps was better.
I would have accepted Sparrows.
Already conditioning us to say Guardians! lol. Indians forever!
I suppose we were all conditioned to say Rays instead of Devil Rays too huh
When are the guardians going to do something. It seems everyone is doing something but us. Cleveland is fiddling while Rome burns. Different name same results. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.