Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Guardians Rumors

Poll: Who Will Win The 2024 Home Run Derby?

By | at

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:

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!

Guardians Select Travis Bazzana With First Pick Of 2024 Draft

By | at

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

By | at

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

By | at

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

By | at

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

By | at

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

By | at

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.

Guardians Reinstate Gavin Williams From 60-Day IL, Option Triston McKenzie

By | at

The Guardians announced that Gavin Williams has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list, after the right-hander has been sidelined the entire season due to elbow discomfort.  Williams will take the rotation spot of fellow righty Triston McKenzie, who has been optioned to Triple-A Columbus.  To open a spot for Williams on the 40-man roster, Cleveland designated right-hander Darren McCaughan for assignment.

While Cleveland has long been known for its starting pitching, the rotation has been a surprising weak link for the first-place Guardians, and McKenzie’s 5.11 ERA in 75 2/3 innings has contributed to those struggles.  McKenzie leads the majors in both home runs (19) and walks (49), and his -1.0 fWAR is the lowest of any pitcher in baseball with at least 70 innings pitched.  Logan Allen is second on that list with -0.5 fWAR and Carlos Carrasco is sixth with 0.1 fWAR, speaking to the Guards’ overall rotation issues.

Some rust was to be expected for McKenzie, considering that he missed virtually all of the 2023 season recovering from a right teres major strain and then a right UCL sprain.  However, his struggles have been so severe that a stint in Triple-A might be the best course for McKenzie to get some confidence back, and to work out the control issues that weren’t nearly this severe during his 2020-22 seasons.  The former top-100 prospect looked like quite a solid pitcher in those first big years in the Show, and since he is only 26 and still under arbitration control through 2026, the Guardians would naturally love to see McKenzie get his career back on track.

It isn’t exactly a silver lining, but Williams’ own situation gave the Guardians some leeway in optioning McKenzie, as Williams represents a ready-made rotation replacement.  Since his rehab assignment began on May 29, the Guards had to activate Williams this weekend, as his 30-day rehab window was about to expire.  After his elbow began giving him problems during Spring Training, Williams began the season on the IL and has slowly been ramping up his workload over six minor league outings.

Selected 23rd overall in the 2021 draft, Williams delivered quickly on his top prospect status with an impressive rookie season in 2023.  The right-hander posted a 3.29 ERA over 82 innings, though a 4.61 SIERA reflected some middling secondary metrics for Williams, as well as the benefits of a .270 BABIP and 78.3% strand rate.

If Williams can deliver something even midway between his 2023 ERA and SIERA in his return to the mound, the Guardians would probably be satisfied, given both their need for any kind of reliable pitching and the bigger-picture acknowledgement that Williams is still early in his pro career.  Since Tanner Bibee and Ben Lively have been the only reliable members of Cleveland’s rotation, the Guards would love to get at least decent work from Williams as a third starter option before seeing if any pitching help is needed at the trade deadline.

McCaughan has already allowed five home runs over 10 2/3 combined innings with the Guardians and Marlins this season, inflating his ERA to 1181.  Beyond those extreme problems at keeping the ball in the park, McCaughan also has nine walks and only three strikeouts, making him the odd man out of the Guards’ 40-man roster.  A longtime member of the Mariners organization who made his MLB debut in Seattle in 2021, McCaughan was acquired by Miami in a cash considerations deal with the Mariners in February, and the Guardians then picked him up in a similar trade in May.

It’s possible McCaughan could find himself on the move again via trade or waiver claim, though the extent of his struggles might give any interested teams a second thought.  The 28-year-old righty has a 5.50 ERA and 10 homers allowed over 54 Triple-A innings as well this season, and while McCaughan’s past Triple-A track record has somewhat comparable bottom-line stats, those numbers were at least posted when pitching with Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Guardians Activate Eli Morgan, Designate Zak Kent

By | at

The Guardians announced some roster moves today, including the official signing of Matthew Boyd to a Major League deal, and then Boyd’s placement on the 15-day injured list as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery.  Right-hander Eli Morgan was also activated from the 15-day IL, while righty Darren McCaughan was optioned to Triple-A and righty Zak Kent was designated for assignment.

Debuting in the majors as a starter in 2021, Morgan has found a lot more success since moving to the bullpen, posting a 3.54 ERA in 145 innings for the Guardians from 2022-24.  That includes a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings this year, though that impressive number is heavily tempered by a 5.47 SIERA, as Morgan’s secondary metrics include an 11.1% walk rate and a 15.6% strikeout rate.  That K% is well below his 26.5% mark from 2022-23, though Morgan might be able to more fully get on track now that he has recovered from a month-long bout of elbow inflammation.

Cleveland acquired Kent from the Rangers this past March, in a trade that sent some extra international bonus pool money to Texas.  Kent had spent his entire career in the Rangers’ system since being a ninth-round pick in the 2019 draft, but his time with Triple-A Columbus has consisted of just three appearances.  Kent hasn’t pitched since April 14 due to a right elbow strain, so today’s transaction is likely a way for the Guards to move Kent off their 40-man roster and potentially move him to the big league 60-day IL.

This would give Kent the first MLB service time of his career, as he has yet to make his proper on-field big league debut.  The righty has some solid minor league numbers (including a 2.73 ERA over 66 career Triple-A frames), but he has been hampered by injuries in each of the last three seasons.

Guardians Place Will Brennan On Injured List

By | at

The Guardians placed outfielder Will Brennan on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 25, with rib cage inflammation. Infielder José Tena is up from Triple-A Columbus to take his spot on the active roster. Cleveland also optioned Xzavion Curry and recalled Darren McCaughan.

Brennan has been Cleveland’s primary right fielder, starting 43 of their 78 contests. He’s having a solid season, hitting .256/.314/.415 across 226 plate appearances. Brennan has already established a personal high with eight home runs while keeping his strikeout rate to a tidy 11.9% clip. The Guards have shielded him from lefty pitching, giving him all but 29 plate appearances with the platoon advantage.

It’s not clear how long Brennan will be out of action, but he’ll at least miss the next week-plus. The Guardians kick off an important divisional series in Kansas City tonight. Daniel Schneemann handles right field alongside Tyler Freeman and Steven Kwan. Schneemann will probably pick up the majority of the right field work with Brennan on the shelf, at least against righty pitching. The 27-year-old rookie is hitting .280/.379/.520 through his first 58 big league plate appearances.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top