The Guardians announced that outfielder Will Brennan has been recalled from Triple-A Columbus. Infielder Brayan Rocchio has been sent the other way, optioned to Columbus as the corresponding move.
Rocchio, 24, heads to the minors for the first time since the 2023 season. He spent the entire 2024 campaign in the big leagues as Cleveland’s primary shortstop. He appeared in 143 games and stepped to the plate 442 times. His offense wasn’t great, as he hit just .206/.298/.316 for a 79 wRC+, indicating he was 21% below league average on the whole. He did steal 10 bases, but was also caught six times. His glovework was well regarded, as he racked up 11 Defensive Runs Saved and six Outs Above Average.
Put all together, FanGraphs considered him to be worth 1.1 wins above replacement on the season, with Baseball Reference a bit more generous at 1.9. That’s obviously not outstanding production but fine value for a guy making modest pay since he’s in his pre-arbitration years.
It was enough for him to open the 2025 season back in that role, but his performance has tanked and he has gradually ceded playing time to others. Through 102 plate appearances this year, Rocchio is hitting .165/.235/.198. His .208 batting average on balls in play is quite low but he’s also not hitting the ball with much authority. His average exit velocity, hard hit rate and barrel rate are no higher than the 11th percentile of qualified hitters, per Statcast. His 4.9% walk rate is less than half of last year’s 10% clip. The defensive metrics have also soured on him, with OAA having him at league par and DRS at -3.
In recent days and weeks, Gabriel Arias has been taking more of the shortstop time. He has a .264/.319/.416 line and 110 wRC+ on the year, with solid defense to boot. Presumably, he will take over as the regular shortstop now that Rocchio has been optioned. Arias and Daniel Schneemann had previously been sharing second base, so perhaps Schneeman will get more playing time at the keystone as he’s hitting .273/.356/.532 for a 154 wRC+ this year. Ángel Martínez and Will Wilson are on hand to step in to the middle infield, if needed, though Martínez is currently the club’s regular center fielder.
For Rocchio, instead of sitting on the big league bench, he can get some regular playing time with Columbus as he tries to get out of his recent funk. Getting his offense back to a more acceptable level could put him in position to return to the majors when an opportunity arises. He is still young and it’s certainly possible that there are better days ahead for him.
How long he spends on this optional assignment could impact his financial position in the future. He came into 2025 with one year and 37 days of service time. That put him on track to qualify for arbitration after 2026 and free agency after 2029, though those timelines will no longer be possible if he ends up spending several months down on the farm. He also has just one option season left, so he’ll be out of options next year if he spends at least 20 days in the minors this season.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
He’s a Ozzie Smith type defender at SS. Really good. Unfortunately Ozzie looks like a premier hitter compared to Bryan lol if this guy could hit 245-270 he’d play everyday.
Rocchio is no Ozzie Smith defensively.
The old baseball proverb – you hit you play.
No hit, no stay
Unless you’re a catcher. Or right fielder. Then it’s ok. When are the cutting Nolan Jones?
There is no way you likened Rocchio to the Wizard. Rocchio makes some of the most absent-minded plays that should be routine for every short stop.
This has to mean Brennan is getting a shot to nail down RF. Hopefully, it’s a strict platoon vs RHP. If he hits, hopefully they’re not afraid to cut bait on Jones. That .400 BABIP in 2023 should have been enough of a red flag for them.
The Guardians penchant for glove-only ineffective utility type players is befuddling: Rochio, Arias, Schneemann, Freeman, Martinez, Brito, Rosario, Gimenez.. Who am I missing?
There isn’t anyone close to being Francisco Lindor from this group.
They blew too many draft picks for players with practically the same skill set who just can’t hit enough to stick, and then they traded for more of the same. My guess is that trend won’t change in next month’s draft.
But people say, “Don’t draft for need. Who cares what position they are. Just get prospects” That never works. Guardians are a smart team but you have to have a plan with these guys not just freewhelling it and seeing what happens.
That’s just the prospect game, right? A vast majority aren’t going to be solid major leaguers, let alone an extraordinary player like Lindor.
If you are expecting Daniel Schneemann, drafted in the 33rd round, to be anywhere near Lindor – you might just need to reel-in your expectations a bit.
There aren’t many Lindors in any group anywhere and the jury is still out on several of the players listed.
Martinez, Brito, and Rosario are hitters and are weak-glove people in the infield, which is the reason Martinez is playing centerfield. Where did you get the misinformation about those three guys being glove-only?
Rocchio isnt the first youngster to be sent down to work on his game, and he won’t be the last.
Arias finally seems to be figuring it out and seems a lot more engaged this season. There’s just no room for Rocchio since everyone has a decent glove.
There’s still work to be done, but I am enjoying not having to watch Rocchio, Gimenez, and Straw take regular at bats for the Guards
Both Straw and Giminez are playing great D and well below average offense for someone else. Maybe the Jays will overpay for Rocchio as well?