The Guardians announced Tuesday that they’ve designated righty Nic Enright for assignment. Cleveland has also added righties Austin Peterson and Yorman Gomez, infielder Angel Genao and outfielder Kahlil Watson to the 40-man roster, which is now full. Those four newcomers are now protected from being taken in next month’s Rule 5 Draft.
Enright, 28, was a feel-good story this season. The former Marlins farmhand overcame years of cancer treatment after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma back in 2022 and made his MLB debut this past May. Readers are highly encouraged to read a pair of stories from The Athletic’s Zack Meisel — the first chronicling the harrowing diagnosis and years of work to get back on the mound, and the second wherein a tearful Enright and his family discussed his first call to the big leagues.
That long-awaited MLB debut went brilliantly. Enright pitched 31 innings with a pristine 2.03 ERA, 23.6% strikeout rate and 9.4% walk rate out of manager Stephen Vogt’s bullpen. Unfortunately, he hit another roadblock in his baseball odyssey when an elbow injury proved to be a torn ulnar collateral ligament that necessitated Tommy John surgery last month.
There’s no 60-day IL in the offseason, so the Guardians had to make what was surely an uncomfortable business decision, jettisoning Enright from the 40-man roster rather than dedicating a spot to him until spring training next year, when the 60-day IL is once again available. He’ll now be available on waivers, but any team claiming Enright would need to carry him all offseason. If he clears, he can become a minor league free agent and sign with any club. A two-year minor league deal to return to the Guardians wouldn’t be a huge surprise, if Enright eventually hits the market.
The 21-year-old Genao is widely regarded as one of Cleveland’s top prospects — if not their No. 1. He’s a top-100 prospect who’s coming off a .263/.332/.382 slash in a season primarily spent as one of the youngest players in Double-A. He’s a contact- and speed-oriented middle infielder with a chance to stick at shortstop.
Peterson, 26, is likely to get his first big league look next year. The 2022 ninth-rounder posted a 3.21 in 145 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A in 2025. Peterson sits 92-93 mph with his heater and has below-average strikeout rates, fanning just 21.5% of his opponents between those two levels and notching a slightly below-average 11.2% swinging-strike rate. He still has plus command with an above-average slider and could be a back-of-the-rotation type or a swingman — particularly since his towering 6’6″ frame helps that pedestrian velocity play up a slight bit.
Gomez, 23, picked up 121 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A, logging a combined 2.96 ERA. He’s a three-pitch starter — fastball, curveball, slider — with below-average command but three straight seasons of sub-4.00 ERA rotation work in the minors.
Watson, 22, was a first-round pick by the Marlins whose stock cratered in Miami before he was traded to the Guardians as part of the Josh Bell/Jean Segura swap. A change of scenery and move to the outfield has unlocked something in Watson. Long touted as a plus athlete, his performance at the plate in his age-22 season reached new heights. He hit .250/.346/.467 (128 wRC+) with 16 homers and 17 steals — a pronounced uptick from a hitter who struggled to post even league-average results in the lower minors.
Kahlil Watson.
Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time. A long time.
Kahlil was a big-time prospect a few years back. I remember pulling a Bowman Chrome 1st of his and being excited for his future.
Watson had a pretty good year hitting at AA and AAA this year. I’m not entirely convinced he has a position though.
Hard to believe he was only drafted in 2021. He was a big draft prospect and then just faded quickly.
I like the additions. There’s nobody in Cleveland’s system that I see a big worry in being taken. I’m a little puzzled Enright got the axe. He’s a serviceable right handed reliever with options. Meanwhile the out of options outfielders Nolan Jones and Jhonkensy Noel – both coming off rough seasons – are both guys I would rather have taken off the roster.
Enright won’t be pitching next year due to surgery. Chances are low that another team will nab a guy who likely will be rehabbing in AAA in 2027
Isn’t Friday or Thursday the day to decide on whether to tender contracts to arb eligible players like Jones or Brennan? I think one of those two might go, probably having a lot to do with how the organization views their health. Maybe one of Noel or Johnathan Rodriguez too. I hope they keep Rodriguez though, despite the awful defense there’s a really good bat there at play vs lhp. A good one of those costs several million and this lhh heavy team was awful at that last year.
Pickles – they are going to need to thin-out a few OF’ers before Spring Training.. Jones, Brennan and Noel seem like the top candidates to part ways with to me.
CK I’m just pointing out that the thinning may come earlier. Isn’t a team obligated to pay once a player is tendered? I thought Brennan’s in the same boat as Jones but he’s just est at 900 K whereas Jones is 2 million … so they may not want to risk that extra 1.2 million on a guy who is suddenly very redundant with Brennan, Delauter, Valera, Kayfus and hopefully Brito in play by opening day. Jones lost his power, it must be something with his back because the old snap just ain’t there. I’d move on and hope him the best. I’m not that big on Brennan either btw.
Hopefully we get to keep Milan Tolentino, probably wont amount to much but would be nice to recoup something from the 2020 draft. I remember watching his Dad in AAA.
Yeah, I do too he’s awful vs lhp but Tolentino was great for a SS against rhp. He had an .827 ops, .494 slg and all 21 of his HR … but it still came with close to a 33% K rate. Not sure how good the D is except that he’s definitely not error prone but another year of that in AAA and he starts looking MLB platoon ready.
I was kind of hoping we’d have kept LHH OF Wuilfredo Antunez esp after the 2 HR in 2 AZFL games before he went down with some minor HBP injury and called it a year. Like Tolentino he’s bad vs lhp, very good vs rhp. A .933 ops vs rhp all 18 of his HR and just a 20% K rate. But I think his D grades lower and I think he’s wobbly in certain other metrics so I’m assuming he’ll be safe. I thought the CWS or Pittsburgh were crazy not to grab Valera last year but since he made it I think Antunez will stay with the club that’s been awful at putting up good OF. Fingers crossed.
Wuilfredo Antunez would’ve been the perfect foil for Harray Carray. But Cleveland also can’t have a rerun of 2021 when they couldn’t hit left handed pitching if you held a gun to a dog’s head.
CO — You got your years wrong, 2021 Cleveland had a .732 ops vs lhp, probably our best in a long while. Jose always good, Franmil added a .876 ops, Amed, even Mercado was over .800, Harold Ramirez close. In 2022 they fell back and only last year with Fry and Noel killing it have they done well vs lhp. LHH Petey Halpin doesn’t do much for me, if he hit RH I’d like him more. But you’re right, it’s a chasm that shouldn’t get bigger. Hang on to Johnathan Rodriguez, give him the lefty mash DH job from day one, don’t undermine him like they did last year by overpaying Carlos and installing Manzardo early on.
In 2021 Cleveland was no hit 3 times. A dubious record.