Guardians Designate Spencer Howard For Assignment
The Guardians announced that right-hander Peter Strzelecki has been recalled from Triple-A Columbus. In a corresponding move, right-hander Spencer Howard has been designated for assignment. The club’s 40-man roster count drops to 39.
Howard opened the 2024 season in the Giants organization, making 10 starts at Triple-A and pitching another seven games (two starts) for the big league club. He gave up 33 hits, 11 walks, and 16 runs (15 earned) in 24 innings for San Francisco before he was designated for assignment at the end of June. The Guardians scooped him up soon after in exchange for cash considerations, and Howard made his first appearance for Cleveland on July 11, giving up four earned runs on seven hits and three walks in three innings of work. The right-hander pitched one more game for the club after the All-Star break, giving up another four runs (one earned) in two innings of relief.
Once a top prospect in the Phillies organization, Howard has struggled to hold down a job in the majors since his debut in 2020. The Phillies dealt him to the Rangers ahead of the trade deadline in 2021, and he spent parts of three seasons in Texas beset by inconsistency and IL stints. The Rangers traded him to the Yankees on deadline day in 2023, and he pitched for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders for a month before he was released. Howard signed on with the Giants toward the end of the 2023 season.
Since Howard, now 27, used up his final option year in 2023, the Guardians had to designate him for assignment to add a fresh arm to the active roster. The team now has a week to trade the righty or pass him through waivers. Although Howard has struggled throughout his MLB career (7.00 ERA in 144 IP), another team in need of a live arm could be interested in taking a chance on the former top prospect.
Speaking of a fresh arm, that’s exactly what Strzelecki represents for Cleveland’s league-best bullpen. The 29-year-old has already enjoyed three brief stints with the club since the Diamondbacks traded him to the Guardians on Opening Day. In four big league games this year, the righty has thrown 5 2/3 scoreless frames, striking out three and walking one. Meanwhile, in 29 games (32 1/3 innings) at Triple-A, Strzelecki has a 4.18 ERA and 3.00 FIP. He has struck out more than 30% of minor league batters he has faced this season, nearly six times as many as he has walked.
While Strzelecki has struggled to stick in the majors, his Triple-A numbers are certainly promising. Perhaps this time around he will finally get to pitch more than one or two games for the Guardians before he is optioned back to the minor leagues.
Guardians Agree To Terms With No. 1 Overall Pick Travis Bazzana
The Guardians have agreed to terms with No. 1 overall draft pick Travis Bazzana, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com. The Oregon State second baseman will receive an $8.95MM bonus that checks in $1.62MM shy of the No. 1 pick’s $10.57MM slot value.
It’s the fifth-highest bonus in draft history but only the third-highest among this year’s draftees; Reds righty Chase Burns, selected with the No. 2 overall pick, received the largest bonus in draft history at $9.25MM when he agreed to his deal with Cincinnati earlier this week. Georgia slugger Charlie Condon (the #3 selection) matched Burns’ money on his deal with the Rockies. Pirates ace Paul Skenes ($9.2MM) and Nationals top prospect Dylan Crews ($9MM) hold the third- and fourth-largest bonuses in draft history.
The Aussie-born Bazzana posted a historic season for the Beavers in 2024. In 60 games and 296 plate appearances, he compiled a preposterous .407/.568/.911 batting line with a school-record 28 home runs and more than twice as many walks (76) as strikeouts (37). The lefty-swinging infielder added 16 doubles, four triples and 16 steals (in 21 attempts). Bazzana’s .407 average ranked eighth among all D-I players. He was second to Georgia catcher Corey Collins in on-base percentage and trailed only Georgia slugger Charlie Condon (the No. 3 overall pick) in slugging percentage. Bazzana’s 28 round-trippers tied him for seventh among D-I hitters.
There was no real surprise when Cleveland tabbed Bazzana with the top pick. The 6’0″, 199-pound 21-year-old ranked as the No. 1 or No. 2 prospect on pre-draft rankings from MLB.com, Baseball America, FanGraphs, ESPN and The Athletic. Mock drafts from all of those outlets either had Bazzana as the Guardians’ pick or at least noted that he was among the select few players Cleveland was considering, due in part to the fact that he was believed to be signable at a number lower than Skenes’ now-toppled record — thus allowing the Guards to be more aggressive further down their draft board.
Bazzana draws universal praise for his elite bat-to-ball skills, his ability to maximize the above-average raw power he possesses, and his plus running speed. The Athletic’s Keith Law wrote in his scouting report that Bazzana might have the highest floor of any hitter in this year’s draft class, calling him a potential All-Star on the strength of his bat alone. There’s less optimism about Bazzana’s defensive outlook. It’s rare for a pure second baseman to be regarded this highly — a testament to the quality of Bazzana’s bat — and Baseball America notes in their report that he “frequently throws from an odd sidearm slot that some scouts question.” That said, BA also suggests Bazzana has the speed and athleticism to perhaps play center field.
Defensive questions notwithstanding, Bazzana is a hitting machine, and “elite bat-to-ball skills” has become the hallmark of a Guardians organization that tends to prioritize contact hitters and regularly registers the lowest strikeout rate of any big league club. If the plan is for Bazzana to play second base in Cleveland, he could push Andres Gimenez — who’s signed to a seven-year contract — over to his natural position of shortstop. Bazzana would give the Guards another top- or middle-of-the-order hitter to pair with Gimenez, face of the franchise Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor (assuming Bazzana is a fairly quick mover and ascends to the majors before Naylor reaches free agency following the 2025 campaign, that is).
Bazzana should immediately slide in as the Guardians’ No. 1 or No. 2 prospect (depending on how one feels about touted young outfielder Chase DeLauter). By landing him at a bonus that was lower than slot and lower than the previous record, Cleveland also saved some cash that should prove helpful in trying to sign high-profile high school picks that the Guards selected in the later rounds. Left-hander Joey Oakie was widely considered a top-50 prospect and Day 1 talent but landed with Cleveland at the No. 84 pick on Day 2. Seventh-round right-hander Cameron Sullivan and tenth-round righty Chase Mobley were generally ranked in the Top 125 prospects in this year’s class. Bazzana’s price tag and the money saved could allow the Guardians to come away with an impressive collection of names if all of those lauded prep players eventually sign.
Guardians Re-Sign Zak Kent To Minor League Deal
The Guardians re-signed righty Zak Kent to a minor league contract yesterday, the team announced. Cleveland had released him a couple weeks after designating him for assignment on June 29 as the corresponding move for the Matthew Boyd signing.
Kent has not pitched in Triple-A since April 14. The team announced yesterday that he’s battling a strain in his throwing elbow and is going on the minor league injured list. Players cannot be placed on outright waivers while they’re hurt. The Guardians could only trade or release Kent once they’d designated him for assignment. The injury meant there’d be no trade interest, so Cleveland had to release him. After a couple weeks on the market, the VMI product returns to the organization without occupying a spot on the 40-man roster.
The 26-year-old Kent is trying to reach the big leagues for the first time. He was taken by the Rangers in the ninth round of the 2019 draft. Kent pitched his way to Triple-A by the end of the ’22 campaign and secured a spot on the 40-man roster as Texas decided to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. That put Kent on the doorstep of the big leagues, but he has spent most of the past two seasons on the injured list. He was limited to 34 innings across 10 starts in Triple-A a year ago and has pitched just three times this season.
Cleveland acquired Kent on Opening Day in a deal that sent international signing bonus space to Texas. While the elbow issue cost him his spot on the 40-man, he remains of interest to the Guards’ front office as a depth starter. Kent has a 3.99 ERA with an above-average 26.7% strikeout percentage over parts of five seasons in the minors.
Poll: Who Will Win The 2024 Home Run Derby?
The 2024 All-Star break festivities are already well underway, with the Futures Game in the books and the second of three draft days currently taking place. Tonight, the Home Run Derby will take center stage at 7pm Central time, with these participants:
- Mets 1B Pete Alonso
- Phillies 3B Alec Bohm
- Rangers OF Adolis García
- Orioles SS Gunnar Henderson
- Dodgers OF Teoscar Hernández
- Braves DH Marcell Ozuna
- Guardians 3B José Ramírez
- Royals SS Bobby Witt Jr.
The winner will get $1MM, with $500K for the runner-up and $150K for everyone else in the field. There’s also a $100K bonus for the player who hits the longest home run. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won last year but opted not to defend his title, so there will be a new champion, though Alonso has two previous titles from 2019 and 2021 and will be looking for a third.
This year’s format will be different from previous versions, with Cole Jacobson of MLB.com providing a rundown. The primary change is that there will be no head-to-head matchups in the first round, as the four players with the most home runs will advance. If two players tie, the longest home run will be a tiebreaker. Previously, the knockout-style bracket system started right away but this year’s version won’t see that until the field has been narrowed to four. Once the knockout stage begins, ties will be settled by 60 seconds of extra time. If the players are still tied, they will engage in three-swing showdowns until they are no longer tied.
In the first two rounds, players with have three minutes, which drops to two minutes in the final round. The three-minute rounds will now have a 40-pitch maximum while the two-minute round will feature a 27-pitch maximum.
The bonus time is also different. Previous versions featured 30 seconds of automatic extra time, which jumped to 60 seconds if the player hit two or more home runs 440 feet or longer. This year, the bonus time will continue until a player record three “outs,” which is a swing that doesn’t result in a home run. If a player hits a home run 425 feet or longer in the bonus period, he will get a fourth out.
Of the eight players competing this year, Henderson has the most homers this year with 28. He is followed by Ozuna at 26, Ramírez at 23, Alonso and Hernández at 19, García at 17, Witt at 16 and Bohm at 11.
Who do you want to win and who do you think will win? Have you say in the polls below!
Who Do You Want To Win The 2024 Derby?
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Teoscar Hernández 22% (1,921)
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Pete Alonso 18% (1,644)
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Gunnar Henderson 16% (1,389)
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Bobby Witt Jr. 11% (1,013)
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Marcell Ozuna 11% (950)
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José Ramírez 8% (730)
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Alec Bohm 7% (652)
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Adolis García 7% (625)
Total votes: 8,924
Who Do You Think Will Win The 2024 Derby?
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Pete Alonso 26% (1,512)
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Teoscar Hernández 23% (1,337)
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Gunnar Henderson 14% (815)
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Marcell Ozuna 11% (659)
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Adolis García 8% (491)
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Bobby Witt Jr. 7% (415)
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José Ramírez 5% (308)
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Alec Bohm 5% (281)
Total votes: 5,818
Guardians Select Travis Bazzana With First Pick Of 2024 Draft
The Guardians chose Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana with the first overall pick of the 2024 amateur draft. Bazzana becomes the first second baseman to ever go 1-1 in the draft, as well as the first Australian-born player taken first overall. This is also the first time the Cleveland organization has ever had the top selection in the draft, as the Guardians beat the odds last December to win the draft lottery.
Cleveland plays its cards close to the vest about its intentions with the top pick, as several names were linked to the Guards, including some prospects a bit further down the draft board. There was some thought that the Guardians might go with a somewhat less-regarded prospect who would take a below-slot signing bonus (the 1-1 pick has an assigned slot value of $10,570,600), so that the Guards could spread their $18,334,000 bonus pool around to multiple players.
While it remains to be seen how much Bazzana will land with his bonus, it ended up being something of a chalk pick for the Guardians. Fangraphs, Baseball America, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, and The Athletic’s Keith Law all ranked Bazzana as the second-best prospect in this year’s draft class, while MLB Pipeline ranked Bazzana at the top of their list.
Bazzana (who turns 22 in August) had a handful of pro games under his belt already, appearing in 19 games with the Sydney Blue Sox of the Australian Baseball League from 2018-20. During his three seasons at Oregon State, Bazzana crushed NCAA pitching to the tune of 45 homers and a .360/.497/.660 slash line over 904 plate appearances. He added an MVP-level performance in the Cape Cod League last summer, with a 1.037 OPS in 158 PA for Falmouth.
Pundits are united in their praise of Bazzana’s hitting ability, citing his advanced approach, bat speed, hard contact rates, and plate discipline. (The latter factor might’ve particularly attracted the Guardians, who have long prized batters who can put the ball in play and avoid strikeouts.) Bazzana is already starting to show more power, with 28 of his 45 Oregon State home runs coming in his most recent college season. Beyond what he can do at the plate, Bazzana’s plus speed makes him a threat on the basepaths, stealing 66 bases in 77 attempts in college.
Defense is a bit of a question mark, as second base has been something of a default position since Bazzana is considered both too athletic to be a first base-only type. Baseball America’s scouting report notes that he could potentially play the outfield or even center field due to his athleticism, and the presence of Andres Gimenez at second base in Cleveland indicate that the Guardians could be open to testing Bazzana at other positions. That said, there is a consensus that he’ll be able to hit whenever he ends up on the field.
The Guardians had a 76-88 record in 2023, and would’ve received the 10th overall pick if the lottery picks adhered directly to last season’s team records. Cleveland had only a two percent chance of winning the first overall pick, and the Reds (who were 82-80 in 2023) had another surprising dose of lottery luck in winning the second pick, making it quite a night for Ohio’s two Major League teams.
In the second year of the draft lottery’s existence, the Guardians’ surprise win underscores the element of randomness that has now been introduced into the draft process, and the vagaries involved in the league’s desire to curb tanking. Cleveland has been one of baseball’s most consistent winning franchises over the last decade, yet its one-year blip in form in 2023 has now paid off handsomely in the form of a blue-chip prospect like Bazzana. The Guards enter the All-Star break back in first place in the AL Central, so both the present and the future are looking bright in Cleveland.
Guardians Release Wes Parsons
The Guardians released righty Wes Parsons, according to the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. Cleveland had a week to trade him or run him through waivers after they designated for assignment last Friday. That came as the corresponding 40-man roster move when Cleveland landed Spencer Howard in a minor trade with the Giants.
Parsons landed in Cleveland via DFA trade himself. The Blue Jays had taken him off their roster a couple weeks into the season before flipping him to the Guardians for international signing bonus space. Cleveland made a few such moves to try to stockpile rotation and/or long relief depth. Parsons didn’t wind up playing much of a role, as he pitched just twice in April. The 31-year-old tallied four scoreless innings with five strikeouts.
Cleveland otherwise kept Parsons on optional assignment to Triple-A Columbus. He tossed 25 2/3 innings across 12 appearances, five of which he started. Parsons turned in a 4.21 ERA while striking out an excellent 29.3% of opponents. Yet he also walked an untenable 17.1% of batters faced, the second straight season in which he’s struggled to throw strikes at the Triple-A level. Parsons has been on the temporarily inactive list for around a month and last pitched with Columbus on June 12.
AL Central Notes: Crochet, Jones, Allen, Meadows, Flaherty
Since half the league has reportedly shown interest in White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet, it isn’t surprising that a contender like the Yankees are on that list, as the New York Post’s Jon Heyman writes that the Bombers “very much like Crochet.” However, the Yankees still aren’t keen to part with top prospect Spencer Jones, who was known to be a chief White Sox target when Chicago and New York discussed a possible Dylan Cease trade last offseason before Cease was dealt to the Padres.
While Heyman isn’t sure if Jones is necessarily still a priority get for the White Sox, the 2022 first-rounder’s stock is likely still quite high despite only okay numbers at Double-A Somerset. After a very slow start to the season, Jones’ bat has started to cook over the last six weeks, bringing his season slash line to .241/.322/.408 over 320 plate appearances. Baseball America (73rd) and MLB Pipeline (74th) still have Jones within their top-75 prospect lists, and both outlets rank him behind only Jasson Dominguez as the top minor leaguer in the New York farm system.
More from around the AL Central…
- The Guardians optioned left-hander Logan Allen to Triple-A today to create a roster spot for the newly-acquired Spencer Howard. Manager Stephen Vogt told MLB.com’s Mandy Bell and other reporters that the demotion is “an opportunity for Logan to go down and get some consistency back….And so he’s been working really hard on some delivery, some different things that are going to help him with that consistency.” Allen had an impressive 2023 rookie season but has run into a sophomore slump this year, posting a 5.67 ERA and a wealth of subpar secondary metrics over 18 starts and 87 1/3 innings.
- Tigers center fielder Parker Meadows suffered a right hamstring injury while trying to steal second base in the eighth inning of today’s 5-1 win over the Reds. More will be known after Meadows undergoes testing, but manager A.J. Hinch admitted to media (including Bally Sports Detroit) that “I don’t love what I heard from the get-go” after initial talks with Meadows and the team’s training staff. Meadows was only just called back up to the Tigers’ roster after a two-month stint in Triple-A, as the defensive standout was trying to get his bat going after an ice-cold performance at the plate in April.
- In other Tigers injury news, Jack Flaherty is tentatively scheduled to start against the Guardians on Thursday. Flaherty’s last turn through the rotation was skipped after he received an injection to help treat a recurring back issue, and Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press writes that Flaherty also received another injection earlier in June. Even after a shaky performance in his last start, Flaherty still has a 3.24 ERA in 89 innings during what has been a nice comeback season for the right-hander. Since Flaherty is considered a prime trade candidate heading into the deadline, a few more healthy and effective starts would go a long way to ease the doubts of any potential suitors, and help the Tigers land a bigger return in a deal.
Marlins Claim Darren McCaughan
The Marlins announced this afternoon that they’ve claimed right-hander Darren McCaughan off waivers from the Guardians and optioned him to Triple-A. Left-hander Ryan Weathers was transferred to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move to make room for McCaughan on the 40-man roster.
McCaughan, 28, was a 12th-round pick by the Mariners back in 2017 and has pitched in parts of three big league seasons since making his debut in Seattle back in 2021. He hasn’t found much success in the majors to this point with a 9.12 ERA and nearly matching 9.02 FIP across 24 2/3 innings of work in the big leagues, and his minor league numbers (including a 5.25 career ERA at the Triple-A level) do little to inspire confidence in the righty’s abilities either. While many of those innings of work were pitched in the inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League, McCaughan’s struggles continued with Cleveland’s International League affiliate as he posted a 5.06 ERA in 32 innings at the level with the club this year.
The move actually marks McCaughan’s second stint in the Marlins organization. The righty was acquired by the club in a cash deal with the Mariners back in February and spent the early part of the season with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Jacksonville before the club dealt him to Cleveland in a second cash trade in early May. McCaughan even made an appearance at the big league level with the Marlins during his brief stint with the club, allowing eight runs in 4 2/3 innings of work in one appearance for the club. He’ll likely serve in a similar depth role for the Marlins going forward, acting an innings-eating spot starter or multi-inning reliever as necessary.
As for Weathers, the southpaw has been on the injured list since early June due to a strained index finger. Manager Skip Schumaker told reporters (including those at MLB.com) that Weathers’s placement on the 60-day IL wasn’t a setback, exactly, but that the lefty was still dealing with swelling and figured to be another four to six weeks away from a return to action. That makes the transaction more procedural than anything else, although the news is surely still frustrating for fans in Miami. After all, Weathers has emerged as perhaps the club’s most reliable arm this year before going down with injury, as MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald discussed back in June. In 13 starts with the Marlins this year, Weathers has posted a 3.55 ERA with a 3.93 FIP.
Guardians Acquire Spencer Howard From Giants
The Guardians have acquired right-hander Spencer Howard from the Giants, per Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle on X. The Giants, who designated the righty for assignment recently, will receive cash considerations in return. The Guardians announced that they have designated righty Wes Parsons for assignment to open up a 40-man spot.
Howard, 27, was with the Giants on a minor league deal at the start of this year and opened the season with ten Triple-A starts. He had a 5.90 earned run average in that time, though he probably deserved better than that. His 32.2% strikeout rate was quite strong and his 9.6% walk rate only slightly on the high side. But he had a .406 batting average on balls in play and 66.1% strand rate in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, so his 4.12 FIP was almost two runs better than his ERA.
The Giants added him to their roster at the end of May and he spent just over a month with the club in a swing role. He tossed 24 innings over seven outings, two of those being starts, with a 5.63 ERA. It’s possible that luck played a role again, as his .388 BABIP in that time was well above average, but his strikeout rate also plummeted to 18.4% in the majors. His most recent outing was especially tough, as he allowed six earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. Since he’s out of options, he was bumped off the 40-man.
The Guardians are perhaps intrigued by those Triple-A strikeout numbers that Howard had earlier this year, or perhaps his past status as a notable prospect. A second-round pick of the Phillies in 2017, he was considered one of the top prospects in the league, with Baseball America giving him the #27 overall spot in 2020 and 2021. He went to the Rangers in the 2021 deadline deal that sent Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy the other way.
Unfortunately, Howard has never been able to find much success in the big leagues. Between his time with the Phillies, Rangers and Giants, he has 139 innings in the majors with a 6.93 ERA, 19.9% strikeout rate and 10.1% walk rate. His work in the minors hasn’t been much better in recent years, as he’s tossed 143 1/3 innings on the farm since the start of 2021 with a 4.83 ERA, though that minor league work has come with a 31.7% strikeout rate.
Since Howard is out of options, the Guards will be hoping that he can quickly start getting punchouts at the big league level, likely in a long relief role. The rotation has lost Shane Bieber to Tommy John surgery and they recently optioned a struggling Triston McKenzie, but they have a starting five of Tanner Bibee, Ben Lively, Gavin Williams, Logan Allen and Carlos Carrasco.
If the Guards can figure out how to get Howard on track, there could be long-term benefits. He’s out of options but can be retained via arbitration for three seasons beyond this one if he holds onto his roster spot for the rest of the year.
Parsons, 31, started the year with the Blue Jays but was designated for assignment in early April and flipped to the Guardians for international bonus pool space. He has spent most of the year in a swing role in Triple-A, with 25 2/3 innings over 12 outings, five of those being starts. He had a 4.21 ERA in that time but may have been lucky to have it that low. He struck out 29.3% of batters faced but also gave out walks at a huge 17.1% clip. Were it not for an 84.6% strand rate, he would have fared much worse, which is why he had a 6.06 FIP for Columbus.
The Guards will now have a week to trade Parsons or pass him through waivers. The recent numbers aren’t too exciting but he is in his final option year and could perhaps appeal to club bit by the injury bug that wants a bit more starting depth in the minors.
Guardians Release Adam Oller
The Guardians have released right-hander Adam Oller, per an announcement from their official player development account on X. The righty will head to free agency and look for his next opportunity.
Oller, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Guards in the offseason. He’s been working in a swing role in Triple-A this year, with six starts and six relief appearances. Unfortunately, the results haven’t been there for him this year, as he’s allowed 7.48 earned runs per nine innings. His 26.4% strikeout rate has been strong but he walked 14.4% of batters faced and allowed six home runs, a rate of 22.2% per fly ball.
The Guardians have had needs in the rotation this year, with Shane Bieber requiring Tommy John surgery and Gavin Williams spending the first half of the season on the injured list. On top of that, Triston McKenzie, Carlos Carrasco and Logan Allen have struggled to put up good numbers. But Oller never got the call, presumably because of his own struggles. Williams was recently reinstated from the IL with McKenzie getting optioned to Triple-A, which could have indirectly led to Oller getting nudged off the Columbus roster.
Oller posted good results in the Mets’ system in 2021. He logged 120 innings between Double-A and Triple-A with a 3.45 ERA, 27.7% strikeout rate and 9.4% walk rate. The A’s acquired him and J.T. Ginn prior to 2022, sending Chris Bassitt to the Mets. That led to a big league audition over the past two years but Oller couldn’t land the gig, posting an ERA of 7.09 over 94 innings in 2022 and 2023. He was put on waivers and claimed by the Mariners in July of last year, but was outrighted off the roster at season’s end, which led to his deal with the Guards.
Though the results haven’t been good over the past couple of years, Oller was a notable prospect not too long ago. His numbers have been poor overall this year but he’s still been getting strikeouts, which is something that teams obviously covet. If he lands another minor league deal and eventually gets back onto a 40-man roster, he still has one option season and less than a year of service time.