Cleveland Sports Forum

Cleveland Guardians Spring Training Prospect Report 3/18/24

Crooked Number in the First Pushes Guardians Past White Sox

MATTHEW KENNELL

MAR 19



Game 24 - Cleveland Guardians 8, Chicago White Sox 5

Starters:

SS Brayan Rocchio: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBIs -

Rocchio had six total bases in the first two innings with a leadoff double to start the game (and a six-run first) as well as a solo homerun in the second. He added a run-scoring groundout in the top of the third. He has six hits in his last 12 spring at-bats.

1B David Fry: 2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI -

Fry’s first inning double plated Straw and he came around to score later in the frame. Five of his nine hits in spring training have gone for extra bases with an OPS nearing 1.000 in 11 games.

RF Chase DeLauter: 1-for-2, R, HR, 3 RBIs, BB, GDP -

DeLauter left the yard for the third time this spring training as the 22-year-old continues to rake for the team. He has a hit in each of his last four games and is 10-for-21 in total with a 1.512 OPS.

3B Daniel Schneemann: 0-for-2, BB -

Schneemann drew a walk in a quiet day at the dish.

LF Deyvison De Los Santos: 1-for-3, R -

A single in the third resulted in a run scored for De Los Santos as he continues to build his resume for a spot on the Major League roster.

2B Jose Tena: 1-for-3, 2B -

A Tena double in the third set up De Los Santos to score on the next batter in line, Rocchio.

Reserves:

SS Jose Devers: 0-for-1, K

CF Jake Fox: 0-for-0, HBP - Removed from the game due to injury

CF Lexar Saduy: 0-for-0, CS

1B Will Bartlett: 0-for-1, K

2B Nate Furman: 0-for-0, BB

3B Raynel Delgado: 0-for-1, GO

LF-CF Lorenzo Cedrola: 1-for-1 -

A single through the left side of the infield

RF Micah Pries: 0-for-1, K

Relievers:

RP Trey Benton: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, K -

Benton left two stranded by getting the final two outs of the fourth inning.

RP Tanner Burns: 0.2 IP, H, 2 ER, 3 BBs, 0 Ks

RP Tyler Zuber: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BBs, 2 Ks

RP Tyler Thornton: H (2), 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, K -

A strikeout and flyout with two in scoring position and the tying run at the plate for Thornton.

RP Erik Sabrowski: S (1), 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, K -

Sabrowski put the game to bed with a pair of flyouts and a strikeout to earn his first save of the spring.


Dressed but did not play:

C Joe Donovan

INF Jose Pastrano

P Lenny Torres

<

Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter hits his fourth home run of the spring on Tuesday in a game against the Rockies.


Guardians go 0-1-1 against Brewers, Rockies thanks to Chase DeLauter’s late homer

Updated: Mar. 19, 2024, 8:19 p.m.|Published: Mar. 19, 2024, 7:55 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Guess who saved the day for the Guardians? Well, saved a tie at least.

Yeah, got that right -- Chase DeLauter.

It looked like the Guardians were going to lose both ends of Tuesday’s split-squad day against the Brewers and Rockies. The Brewers rallied for three runs in the ninth to beat the Guardians, 8-5, at Goodyear Ballpark.

On the other side of Phoenix in Scottsdale, things were looking even worse. The Guardians fell behind 6-0 in the first inning, but DeLauter brought them all the way back with a two-out, three-run homer in the ninth inning to tie the Rockies, 8-8. That’s how game ended ended as the Guardians are now 10-13-2 in the Cactus League.

DeLauter is the story of camp.

Cleveland’s 2022 No. 1 pick out of James Madison went 3 for 4 with a homer and three RBI. This spring DeLauter is hitting .520 (13 for 25) with four homers and 10 RBI in Cactus League play.

Will Brennan, with one out in the ninth and Cleveland down 8-5, walked. Micah Pries kept the rally going with a two-out single to get DeLauter to the plate. DeLauter hit an 0-1 curveball over the fence in right center off Nick Mears to tie the game.

In the Guards’ loss to the Brewers, former Cleveland catcher Eric Haase broke a 5-5 tie with a leadoff homer in the ninth off Eli Morgan for the lead. It was the fourth homer Morgan has allowed this spring.

The Brewers went on to score two more runs off Morgan, who has an 11.74 ERA this spring.

Logan Allen started for Cleveland and went five innings. He entered the fourth with a 3-0 lead, but allowed a game-tying two-run homer to Sal Frelick with two out.

The Guardians reclaimed the lead 5-3 on Steven Kwan’s double and Jose Ramirez’s RBI ground out in the fourth. Allen protected that lead through the the fifth as he struck out five and walked three.

Milwaukee tied the score at 5 in the sixth as Willy Adames hit a two-run homer off Emmanuel Clase. It was the second homer Clase has allowed this spring.

Hunter Gaddis continued to pitch his way toward a spot in the bullpen with two scoreless innings in relief of Clase. Gaddis struck out four and could be a late-inning replacement for Trevor Stephan, James Karinchak or Sam Hentges, who are injured.

Cleveland out-hit the Brewers, 11-6, but three of their hits were home runs.

Jaime Barria started against the Rockies and had a brutal first inning. It didn;t help that middle fielders Jose Tena and Gabriel Arias made errors.

The Rockies opened the inning with four straight singles. The big hit of the inning was Charlie Blackmon’s two-run single to make it 6-0. It was Blackmon’s second single of the inning as the Rockies sent 11 batters to the plate.

The Guardians scored all their runs in the last three innings.

Lenny Torres Jr., touching 98 mph, retired the Rockies in the ninth to protect the tie. He walked one and struck out two.

<

Looks like Rocchio is getting his act together. Average up to .270 with 4 doubles and a homer as of late. Picked up hiis fourth double this afternoon.

Brayan Rocchio, who is trying to win the shortstop's job for the Guardians, homered and doubled in his first two at-bats Monday against the White Sox at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.

[Followed up that outing with a pair of hits today including a double]

It’s still a coin flip at shortstop: Guardians spring training breakfast

Updated: Mar. 19, 2024, 3:51 p.m.|Published: Mar. 19, 2024, 9:37 a.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you’ve spent all spring trying to pick a winner at shortstop for the Guardians, you should rip up your tickets and go home. The main contenders, Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio, never left the gate.

Then they go and have a game like Monday’s exhibition against the White Sox. What’s a talent evaluator to think?

Rocchio, hitting leadoff and playing short, started the game with a double to ignite a six-run inning. Arias, after being knocked down by a viral infection earlier in the camp, contributed to the big inning with a home run.

In the second, Rocchio responded by starting the inning with his first home run of the spring.

Other than that, Rocchio and Arias have been mostly spectators in the desert. At least between the lines. They’ve allowed the rest of the field — Tyler Freeman, Angel Martinez and Jose Tena — to close on them. Lately, Freeman has been fighting a virus and Martinez has been hobbled by a bruised toe.

Arias, who had the job handed to him after Amed Rosario was traded at the deadline last year, is hitting .160 (4 for 25) with one double, one homer and two RBI. He has eight strikeouts and two walks.

Rocchio is hitting .242 (6 for 33) with three doubles, one homer and two RBI.

Manager Stephen Vogt has said all spring that game performances aren’t the only thing that will determine who wins a position. The ability to adjust and stick with those adjustments, the quality of work in practice and a player’s track record are taken into account.

All that is a good thing because right now it’s a coin flip on who will be Cleveland’s opening day shortstop.

Tough goodbye

The Guardians sent prospect Kyle Manzardo to minor league camp on Monday. The organization was excited about acquiring him from the Rays last year for Aaron Civale. When he recovered from a shoulder injury and performed well in the Arizona Fall League, many believed he had a chance to make the big league club this spring.

Here’s what Vogt told him Monday.

“It’s never fun when you tell someone they’re going to minor league camp,” said Vogt. “I tried to tell Kyle that he had a great camp. I really enjoyed his work. He really dove into the defense and baserunning. We all know he can hit and we saw flashes of that this spring.

“His at-bats are great. It’s just the understanding that he needs to go get consistent at-bats and continue to develop in that way.”

Manzardo hit .381 (8 for 21) with two RBI in 21 games. He’s expected to start the season at Class AAA Columbus.

The demotion means Rule 5 pick Deyvison De Los Santos has the inside track to be Josh Naylor’s right-handed complement at first base and DH.

Monday’s game

The Guardians hit three home runs and Tanner Bibee, with help from the re-entry rule, pitched 4 1/3 innings in a 8-5 spring win over the White Sox at Camelback Ranch.

DeLauter and Arias hit consecutive homers to highlight a six-run first inning by the Guards. Cleveland started the inning with six straight hits.

Rocchio opened the game with a double and scored on a single by Myles Straw. David Fry doubled Straw home and Austin Hedges moved Fry to third with a single. DeLauter followed with a three-run homer.

Bibee (2-1, 6.00) worked his way through three scoreless innings. He pitched himself into a one-out jam in the fourth when Trey Benton relieved and retired two straight to strand runners on first and second. Bibee came back for the fifth and retired the side in order.

Of course, there is no re-entry rule in the regular season.

The Guardians, 10-12-1 in the desert, finished with 12 hits. Rocchio, Hedges and Fry had two each.

Bryan Shaw, the pitching machine, worked a scoreless eighth inning for the White Sox. Shaw is the Guardians’ franchise leader in appearances.

Tuesday’s games

It’s a split-squad day for the Guardians. They will play the Brewers at Goodyear Ballpark at 4:05 p.m. ET. WTAM will carry the game.

Cleveland will send another team to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale to play the Rockies at 4:05 p.m. MLB.com webcast will carry the game.

LHP Logan Allen (1-1, 21.6) will start against the Brewers and RHP Colin Rae (0-0, 2.55). Veteran Jamie Barria (0-1, 10.13) will make his first start of the spring against the Rockies and RHP Dakota Hudson (1-1, 6.74).

Allen is in line to start the third game of the regular season on March 30 against the A’s in Oakland. He’s had some control issues in his first three starts of the spring, walking six and striking out six, but he’s allowed just two earned runs in 8 1/3 innings. The opposition is hitting .154 against him.

Lineup vs. Brewers at Goodyear:

LF Steven Kwan, 3B Jose Ramirez, 1B Josh Naylor, RF Ramon Laureano, 2B Andres Gimenez, C Bo Naylor, CF Myles Straw, SS Brayan Rocchio, DH Deyvison De Los Santos and LHP Allen.

Lineup vs. Rockies at Salt River Fields:

CF Estevan Florial, SS Gabriel Arias, RF Will Brennan, 1B David Fry, C Austin Hedges, LF Chase DeLauter, 3B Daniel Schneemann, 2B Jose Tena, DH Dom Nunez and RHP Barria.

<

Cleveland Guardians Spring Training Prospect Report 3/19/24

JUSTIN LADA AND ARTHUR KINNEY

MAR 20

Game 26 - Cleveland Guardians 8, Colorado Rockies 8

STARTERS

Chase DeLauter (LF-CF): 3-4, 3 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K -

DeLauter, who now has a 1.640 spring OPS, spent all day doing Chase DeLauter things (namely, hitting the ball where the fielders were not). In the top of the ninth, however, he took it to another level with a clutch three-run blast to right-center that gave the Guardians a tie that they would not relinquish.

Daniel Schneemann (3B): 2-4, 1 R, 1 BB -

Schneeman, both yesterday and over the course of the spring as a whole (1.010 OPS), has been impressive albeit somewhat overshadowed by DeLauter’s breakout performance.

Jose Tena (2B): 0-2, 1 K, 2 E -

Tena, the only prospect starter to not play the entire game, struggled both at the plate and in the field on Tuesday.

NOTABLE RESERVES

Micah Pries (1B): 1-1, 2 R, 1 BB -

Pries’ best game of the spring (first hot since opening Day and first time reaching base twice) played a huge role in the Cleveland nine’s comeback (walk to lead off the eighth and a base hit an inning later to provide DeLauter with his second baserunner).

Raynel Delgado (2B): 1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K -

Hopefully, Delgado doesn’t have to play in a minor league game today as yesterday’s contest was his ninth major league game in as many days. Yes, his playing time was extremely limited in some of them, but that’s still a heavy load in Spring Training. He clearly wasn;t fatigued, however, as he shone in the three games of that stretch in which he had multiple plate appearances, going a combined 3-5 with a homer, three runs scored, four driven in and a walk while only striking out once (.600/.667/1.200 slash line).

ALSO PLAYED

NOTE: Both players made their on-field 2024 Spring Training debuts on Tuesday. Ramirez also made his major league spring debut.

Angel Zarate (LF): 0-1

Micael Ramirez (PH-C): 0-1, 1 K

RELIEVERS

Alaska Abney: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 HBP, 1 K -

Abney got the Guards Out of a rough first, albeit by an equally rocky road (no pun intended) as he allowed all three inherited runners to score. Of Note: This was the first outing this spring by a Minor League Camp pitcher who wasn’t invited to the early-spring Depth Camp.

Nic Enright: 0.1 IP, 2 H -

Enright was similarly ineffective in mop-up duty, allowing his lone inherited runner to score.

Jack Leftwich: 1 IP, perfect, 1 K -

Leftwich remains unscored upon this spring on only two hits and a walk in 5.2 innings (five strikeouts) following this perfect eighth.

Lenny Torres Jr.: 1 IP, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 E -

Torres’ first major league spring outing of his career was not without drama as the potential winning run reached second with only one out, but he struck out the next two batters on foul tip third strikes to save the tie.

DRESSED BUT DID NOT PLAY

C Zac Fascia

IFs Alex Mooney and Kahlil Watson

OF Pres Cavenaugh

Ps Tyler Brown, Mason Hickman, and Zach Jacobs



Game 27 - Milwaukee Brewers 8, Cleveland Guardians 5



STARTERS

Brayan Rocchio (SS): 2-4, 2B -

We’re at the point where guys are playing full games now, especially in a split-squad situation. It wouldn’t shock me if we went into the regular season with Arias and Rocchio splitting SS reps until we just see one of them do a little more to run with the position.

Deyvison De Los Santos (DH): 0-4, 2K -

With Kyle Manzardo going to start the year in Triple-A, expect that De Los Santos will start the year with Cleveland.

ALSO PLAYED

Gabriel Rodriguez (3B): No at bats

Juan Benjamin (2B): No at bat

RELIEVERS

Jordan Jones: 0.1IP, H

DID NOT PLAY

INF Angel Genao, Yordys Valdez, Angel Martinez

C Michael Berglund, Eric Rodriguez

OF Esteban Gonzalez

P Jason Bilous, John Doxakis, Randy Labaut

<

Guardians Prospect Chase DeLauter Is On Pace For A Historic Spring

By Logan Potosky | Last updated 3/20/24[/b]

So far this spring, one player in the Cleveland Guardians organization who has impressed is outfield prospect Chase DeLauter.

Ahead of the 2024 season, the 22-year-old is Cleveland’s top-ranked prospect by both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America, and the club’s third-ranked prospect by The Athletic. He is also on each publication’s Preseason MLB Top 100 Prospects list (ranked 29th by Baseball America, 31st by MLB Pipeline, and 81st by The Athletic).

He has certainly lived up to these billings through 13 games in the 2024 Cactus League.

DeLauter is currently on pace to become the first Guardians player to hit at least .500 with at least 25 at-bats in spring training since 2018, when Gio Urshela (.500, 21-for-42) achieved the feat. Two other Cleveland players to reach these marks are Michael Brantley (.500, 25-for-50) in 2014, and Lonnie Chisenhall (.500, 13-for-26) in 2011.

At the moment, DeLauter leads all MLB Spring Training players (minimum 25 at-bats) in batting average (.520, 13-for-25), on-base percentage (.600), slugging percentage (1.040), and OPS (1.640), and ranks third in average exit velocity (107.7 mph).

In terms of the Guardians’ spring training player pool, the 2022 first-round pick leads the team in home runs (four), RBI (10), and runs scored (nine). He has also drawn five walks, while striking out just four times.

After nine injury rehab games last season, DeLauter shined in his first professional season with both High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron.

In a combined 48 games, he hit .366 with 68 hits, 19 doubles, four home runs, 35 RBI, and a .944 OPS. He was also named both a 2023 Guardians Organization All-Star and a 2023 Arizona Fall League Fall-Star.

DeLauter has continued this success with a strong spring, during which he has faced some Major League pitching.

<

Chase DeLauncher ????

Top Guardians Prospect Keeps Turning Heads In Spring Training

By Andres Chavez March 20, 2024

Cleveland Guardians prospect Chase DeLauter has been among the most impressive players in the organization during spring training play.

The 2022 first-round pick homered again on Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies, and the team’s official Twitter account highlighted his powerful swing and gave him a new nickname.

“Chase DeLauncher seems like an appropriate nickname at this point,” they tweeted, with a video of his compact, sweet swing.

It might not be the prettiest swing of all time, but you can’t deny it’s powerful, short, and effective.

The timing mechanism, the leg and hip movement, and the timely explosion are all on point.

DeLauter is so good that in his first professional season last year, he hit .355/.417/.528 with a .945 OPS between three levels, peaking at Double-A.

Despite having an impressive spring with a .520 batting average and a 1.640 OPS (and four home runs), the player is expected to open the season in Double-A.

Service-time implications surely had something to do in this decision, but it’s true that he could use some development time in the upper minors.

One thing is certain, though: if he keeps hitting like this, DeLauter will prove he is ready for The Show at some point in the second half.

The Guardians, who will have a lot of competition to win the AL Central or earn a playoff spot, will certainly need his offensive contributions this year should he continue to develop as nicely as he has.

Cleveland appears to have a future star in DeLauter.

He should be ready to provide solutions for the Guardians’ offensive issues.

“Chase DeLauncher seems like an appropriate nickname at this point,” they tweeted, with a video of his compact, sweet swing.

https://twitter.com/CleGuardians/status ... raining%2F

<

Guardians right-hander Carlos Carrasco, competing for the fifth spot in the rotation, allowed three runs in six innings Thursday against Kansas City at Goodyear Ballpark.


Opportunistic Guardians veteran celebrates birthday with strong start in 8-5 win over K.C.

Updated: Mar. 21, 2024, 9:38 p.m.|Published: Mar. 21, 2024, 7:54 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When Carlos Carrasco signed a minor league deal with the Guardians in January, he knew he had to be opportunistic to make the pitching staff.

Yes, he had deep roots in the organization. Eleven years of roots to be exact before spending the last three seasons with the Mets.

On Thursday Carrasco was at his opportunistic best. On his 37th birthday, he pitched six good innings in the Guards’ 8-5 spring win over the Royals at Goodyear Ballpark.

Carrasco (1-0, 2.57) allowed three runs, just one of them earned, and two hits. He struck out four and walked one.

This spring he’s made five appearances, three of them starts. In 14 innings Carrasco has nine strikeouts, six walks, while allowing eight hits and four earned runs. The opposition is hitting .160 against him.

Carrasco’s main competition is right-hander Tyler Beede. Like Carrasco he’s in camp on a minor league deal. He’s also pitched well this spring.

Opportunity presented itself to both pitchers when Gavin Williams tweaked his right elbow on March 7. Williams, one of the three rookie starters who kept the Guardians out of serious trouble last year, played catch at 75 feet on Wednesday, but will open the year on the injured list.

When and if Williams returns, Carrasco and/or Beede could easily slip into the an injury-riddled bullpen.

The Guardians entered the fourth with a 2-0 lead. Ramon Laureano’s two-out single scored Steven Kwan in the first. Jose Ramirez started the third with his fourth homer of the spring.

The Royals scored three in the fourth for a 3-2 lead. Carrasco walked Drew Waters to start the inning. Nick Loftin singled him to second and Nelson Velazquez sent another single to left to score Waters.

Loftin and Velazquez advanced on a groundout back to the mound. Austin Nolan, with the infield in, sent a grounder to Gabriel Arias at short. Arias made an offline throw home as Loftin scored and Velazquez went to third on the throwing error.

Tyler Tolbert’s sacrifice fly gave the Royals the lead.

Cleveland reclaimed the lead, 4-3, with two runs in the fourth. Arias hit a leadoff double and scored on Kwan’s single. Kwan came around to score on a walk, ground out and Josh Naylor’s sacrifice fly.

The Guards made it 6-3 with single runs in the fifth and sixth. Kansas City scored twice off lefty Tim Herrin, competing for a spot in the pen, in the seventh to make it 6-5. But Kwan doubled home Myles Straw and scored on Andres Gimenez’s single for an 8-5 lead in the bottom of the inning.

Kwan went 2 for 4 with two runs and two RBI. The Guardians out-hit the Royals 14-6. Gimenez, Brennan, Bo Naylor and Arias joined Kwan with two hits each.

Lenny Torres Jr. walked one and struck out three in the ninth for the save. He was consistently throwing between 96 and 97 mph.

The Guardians are 11-13-2 this spring.

Next: Shane Bieber (1-0, 2.38) will face Texas on Friday at 4:05 p.m. at Goodyear Ballpark. Bally Sports Greats Lakes and WTAM will carry the game.

This will be Bieber’s final start of the spring before pitching the season opener on March 28 at Oakland Coliseum. Texas will start LHP Cody Bradford (0-2, 3.94).

Scott Barlow, Cade Smith, Anthony Banda and Jack Leftwich will follow Bieber to the mound.

<

Infielder Jose Tena was optioned to Class AAA Columbus on Thursday in the Guardians' latest round of spring roster moves.

GUARDIANS

Guardians make another series of roster moves, but offer little clarity on key questions

Updated: Mar. 21, 2024, 10:08 p.m.|Published: Mar. 21, 2024, 1:58 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Guardians continued to trim their roster in spring training as the March 28 season-opener nears.

They made several moves on Thursday, but none of them provided clarity to the three big questions facing the Guards’ final 26-man roster.

The Guardians optioned infielder Jose Tena to Class AAA Columbus. Tena was on the outer edge of the competition for shortstop.

The main competitors remain Gabriel Arias, Brayan Rocchio and Tyler Freeman. Angel Martinez is in the mix as well, but he’s dealing with a bruised foot. Freeman, meanwhile, has been slowed by a viral infection.

Tena, who made is big league debut last year, played in 18 games this spring. He hit .219 (7 for 32) with four at-bats.

RHP Jack Leftwich was reassigned to minor league camp. Leftwich had a good spring with the big league club. He was used mostly in relief, but he did make make 14 starts in Class AA Akron last year.

Oller made seven appearances, going 0-1 with a 7.04 ERA.

The following players were re-assigned to the minors, but will stay in big league camp: LHP Anthony Banda, RHP Jaime Barria, C Dom Nuñez, INF Ray Delgado, 1B/OF Micah Pries, OF Lorenzo Cedrola.

<

Cleveland Guardians Spring Training Prospect Report 3/21/24

MATTHEW KENNELL

MAR 22

Game 28 - Cleveland Guardians 8, Kansas City Royals 5

Notable Reserves:

PR-CF Joe Lampe: 0-for-0, R -

Lampe was the first to enter the game as a reserve for the team as a pinch runner in the seventh. The entirety of the Guardians everyday lineup was in the game for nearly seven full innings. Lampe scored from second on a single by Andres Gimenez.

Relievers:

RP Tim Herrin: H (3), 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BBs, K -

Herrin ran into some trouble when he entered in the seventh. He started the frame with a strikeout, but then went double-single-wild pitch-single to end his day prematurely.

RP Alaska Abney: H (1), 0.1 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 0 Ks -

Abney allowed an inherited runner to score on a double, but was able to induce a flyball to help get out of the seventh.

RP Anthony Gose: H (2), 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 0 Ks -

Gose settled things down in the eighth inning by utilizing his defense. He recorded groundout-flyout-groundout to wrap up his effective outing.

RP Lenny Torres Jr.: S (1), 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 3 Ks -

After a walk to begin the ninth, Torres was unhittable for three consecutive strikeouts to earn his first save of the spring.

Also Played:

2B Dayan Frias: 0-for-0 -

Defensive replacement

SS Daniel Schneeman: 0-for-1, K

3B Raynel Delgado: 0-for-1, K

PH-DH Barrett Riebock: 0-for-1, K (Spring Debut)

1B Deyvison De Los Santos: 0-for-0 - Defensive Replacement

LF Micah Pries: 0-for-0 - Defensive Replacement

RF Lorenzo Cedrola: 0-for-0 - Defensive Replacement

Dressed but did not play:

C: Wilmer Hernandez

INF: Rafael Ramirez

P: Bradley Hanner, Davis Sharpe, Jordan Jones, Erik Sabrowski

<

Shane Bieber made his final Cactus League start of spring training for the Guardians on Friday.

Guardians slam Rangers, 10-0, as Shane Bieber whiffs seven in final spring tune-up

Updated: Mar. 22, 2024, 7:13 p.m.|Published: Mar. 22, 2024, 6:37 p.m.

By Joe Noga, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Shane Bieber looks like he is ready to go for the Guardians when the regular season gets underway next week in Oakland.

Bieber was sharp Friday in his final Cactus League tune-up, tossing six shutout innings against Texas in a 10-0 exhibition win at Goodyear Ballpark.

Steven Kwan punctuated the victory with a grand slam as the Guardians scored seven times in the fifth. Kwan drove the second pitch he saw from Rangers righty Michael Brewer over the fence in right center field for his first home run. Kwan is now batting .319 with an .862 OPS and 10 RBI in 15 spring games.

Bieber will tie Corey Kluber and Stan Covaleski with his fifth consecutive opening day start when the regular season begins in Oakland on Thursday. He dominated a Rangers split-squad lineup that was missing most of its regular starters. Bieber allowed a one-out single to Josh Smith in the first, but promptly picked Smith off at first base as Josh Naylor applied the tag. He then struck out Justin Foscue to end the inning.

Bieber finished with seven strikeouts and allowed just two hits and a walk in six frames. In four official Cactus League starts, Bieber was 2-0 with a 1.56 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings.

Austin Hedges put Cleveland in front in the second with a two-out RBI double off the base of the wall in left against Texas starter Cody Bradford. Estevan Florial followed with a broken-bat single to center that scored Hedges and give the Guardians a two-run advantage.

Cleveland loaded the bases with two out against Bradford in the fourth and scored a run on reliever Triston Polley’s wild pitch that allowed Tyler Freeman to scamper home. Freeman, who learned earlier in the day that he had made the opening-day roster, collected a pair of hits and reached base three times in his first three at-bats.

Florial drove in another run with a bases-loaded walk in the fifth after Andrés Giménez plated a pair with a hard smash that got past Rangers first baseman Jared Walsh. Cleveland totaled five hits and drew six walks in the first five innings on the way to an early six-run advantage.

Rangers righty Diego Castillo hit Freeman with a pitch and issued two of his three walks to load the bases, setting the stage for Kwan’s knockout blast.

Scott Barlow struck out the side in the eighth after Cade Smith and Davis Sharpe combined to hold the Rangers hitless in the seventh. Lefty Anthony Banda allowed a pair of hits and a walk to load the bases in the ninth, but got Anthony Crim on a pop to third to end the game.

Next:

The Guardians make their last Cactus League road trip when they visit Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale on Saturday to face the Diamondbacks. Right-hander Tanner Bibee (2-1, 6.00) will start, while righty Zac Gallen (1-1, 4.00) takes the mound for Arizona. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET. The game will air on WTAM 1100 AM and the Guardians Radio Network.

Perhaps the last spring training outing ever for Bieber as a Guardian - but wow is he ever locked in!

Chicago Cubs Predicted to Land Former Cy Young Winner at Trade Deadline

The Chicago Cubs could have an improved rotation at the trade deadline this year if this prediction comes to fruition.

BRAD WAKAI

FEB 27, 2024 7:00 PM EST
[ Read This Article From Sports Illustrated Last Month ]

CHICAGO CUBS

When Marcus Stroman left the Chicago Cubs for free agency after the 2023 season, there was a void that needed to be filled before the upcoming year began.

The front office was able to accomplish that by signing Japanese star Shota Imanaga to a team-friendly contract.

He's expected to be paired alongside ace Justin Steele at the top of their rotation, with Jameson Taillon, Kyle Hendricks and likely Javier Assad rounding out the remainder of their order.

This is a good rotation on paper, but many Cubs fans would feel much more confident if they were able to land another upgrade.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report thinks that's going to happen ahead of the trade deadline when they acquire former AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians.

The 28-year-old has been one of the top starters in the MLB since his first All-Star selection in 2019.

He's coming off a down season in 2023 where he was dealing with an elbow inflammation issue that forced him onto the 60-day injured list in the summer.

Bieber still finished the year with a 3.80 ERA across 21 starts, posting an ERA+ of 110 over 128 innings pitched.

It likely wouldn't take a whole lot for Chicago to land the right-handed star either.

He's playing the final year of his contract before he hits free agency, so the Cubs shouldn't have to ship out a ton to land major pitching help.

In fact, Miller thinks it could even take one player to get it done.

"Maybe a one-for-one swap for Tauchman? Or Cleveland adds a second player to the deal to get one of those prospects? We'll let them work out the specifics, but a couple months of Bieber pitching in Wrigley Field is a reasonable expectation," he predicts.

It truly isn't that farfetched.

If Chicago is in contention for the playoffs this season unlike in years past, the front office will likely look to make upgrades to their roster.

Only having to give up someone like Mike Tauchman to get a deal done that adds a pitcher the caliber of Bieber would be a huge win.

[ Tauchman?? Really?? I think they can do better than that! ]

<

The Chicago Cubs Can Flip Some Outfield Depth for Cleveland Guardians Pitcher Shane Bieber

FROM: HEAVY ON CHICAGO CUBS

Miller also projected that the Cubs could flip some of their notable outfield depth in a trade for Bieber, who is set to earn $13.125 million this season before becoming an unrestricted free agent for 2025.

“They’ve got Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Mike Tauchman and Pete Crow-Armstrong all under team control for at least another three years, plus the recent re-signing of Cody Bellinger and highly touted outfield prospects in Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcántara,” Miller added.

Miller wrote that Tauchman alone could be enough to wrest Bieber from the Guardians in a one-for-one swap. In a six-year MLB career, the outfielder has a relatively pedestrian .239/.340/.377 slash line, but he’s owed just $1.95 million for 2024 before hitting his second year of arbitration.

If the Guardians are seeking to flip their veterans with an eye to the future, they may include another player along with Bieber and acquire a prospect like Caissie or Alcántara, two top-five members of the Cubs’ farm system from 2023.

Caissie is a 21-year-old corner outfielder who slashed a powerful .289/.399/.519 in 439 at bats in Double-A last season. And Alcántara plays centerfield and right field, slashing .284/.345/.466 as he ascended through the ranks in 391 at bats across the Arizona Complex League, High-A and Double-A in 2023.

<

Cleveland Guardians Spring Training Prospect Report 3/22/24

ARTHUR KINNEY

MAR 23

Game 28 - Cleveland Guardians 10, Texas Rangers 0

STARTER

Brayan Rocchio (SS): 0-3, 1 BB, 2 K -

The lone starter with intact rookie status went hitless for the first time since March 10, but still extended his on-base streak to six games with a walk on the day he found out that he had made the Big Club’s Opening Day roster.

NOTABLE RESERVES

Deyvison De Los Santos (PR-1B): 0-2, 1 R -

De Los Santos scored as a pinch runner in the fifth before failing to reach on his own in two at-bats. Not the performance that you want when you’re one of the few players still fighting for a spot, but given his potential and Rule 5 status, it seems hard to believe that his roster fate will hinge too heavily on Spring Training performances.

Raynel Delgado (3B): 0-0, 1 BB -

Delgado’s eighth-inning walk (which I’m watching on the re-air as I type this) was all that stood between the Cleveland backups and a collective .000 OBP on Friday.

ALSO PLAYED

Micah Pries (RF): 0-1, 1 K

Lorenzo Cedrola (LF): 0-1

Connor Kokx (PH-CF): 0-1

Daniel Schneemann (SS): no plate appearances

Christian Cairo (2B): no plate appearances

RELIEVERS

Cade Smith: 0.2 IP, 1 HBP -

Smith recovered from a leadoff plunking with a pair of flyouts before being pulled for…

Davis Sharpe: 0.1 IP, perfect -

Sharpe made it three flyouts in a row in his first major league game action since February 26.

DRESSED BUT DID NOT PLAY

C Manuel Mejias

IF Christian Knapczyk

OF Isaiah Greene

Ps Jaime Arias, John Doxakis, Bradley Hanner, and Jordan Jones

<

BOX SCORE

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/rangers-vs- ... dium=email

Kwan Grand Slam - 7 Run Inning - Bieber Fans 7

https://www.mlb.com/guardians/video/ste ... efault-vtp

<

Is there a path for the Guardians to keep Shane Bieber beyond this season? Hey, Hoynsie!

Updated: Mar. 23, 2024, 10:24 a.m.|Published: Mar. 23, 2024, 5:28 a.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Do you have a Guardians question that you’d like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? You can subscribe to Subtext here, text Hoynsie at 216-208-4346 for a two-week free trial or email him at [email protected].

Hey, Hoynsie: Do you think there is a chance that Shane Bieber and the Guardians could work out an agreement that keeps him in Cleveland? -- John Kyle, Westfield Center.

Hey, John: They’ve been through this dance before. Now Bieber is six months away from free agency. Players work hard to get to this position. Unless there has been a dramatic change in the approach the two sides have taken in the past, I don’t see an agreement that would keep Bieber in Cleveland past this season.

Hey, Hoynsie: Now that Myles Straw is hitting way above his weight, is he the opening day centerfielder? His speed and defense are not a question. -- Carl, Las Vegas.

Hey, Carl: It doesn’t look that way. There are reports that Straw has been placed on waivers to try and lure another team to claim him and what remains of his five-year $25 million contract. If he doesn’t get claimed, Straw can be outrighted to Class AAA Columbus. He can also reject the outright because he has more than three years in the big leagues and become a free agent, but he would forfeit his contract.

Hey, Hoynsie: If the Guards want to keep Deyvison De Los Santos, wouldn’t it make sense to work out a trade with the D-Backs so they could send him to the minors to continue his development? -- Jim Z., Durham, New Hampshire.

Hey, Jim: That would be ideal. It depends on how much Arizona values De Los Santos and how badly it wants him back. What if Arizona agrees to a trade but asks for Kyle Manzardo? If you’re the Guardians what do you do then?

As of Friday the Guardians were still trying to decide if they’ll carry De Los Santos on the 26-man roster. When they make that decision, then they’ll consider their alternatives.

Hey, Hoynsie: Infielder Angel Martinez has really shined in spring camp, do you think we will see him get regular opportunities at some point this season in Cleveland? -- Matt Scott, Malvern.

Hey, Matt: It all depends if a trade, injury or poor performance creates an opportunity. Martinez has had a great spring, but hasn’t played since March 14 after he fouled a ball off his right foot.

He has a bone bruise and received a cortisone shot. Hopefully, Martinez is all right and will go to Class AAA Columbus and put himself in a good position for a promotion. He’s an exciting player, especially with the bat.

Hey, Hoynsie: Who are the leading candidates to open the season in the bullpen with so many injuries? -- Patrick Grijak, Garfield Heights.

Hey, Patrick: This is subject to change, but I think the first four jobs go to Emmanuel Clase, Nick Sandlin, Scott Barlow and Eli Morgan. That leaves four openings and I’m going with Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin and Cade Smith. The last spot in the pen will be filled by Carlos Carrasco or Tyler Beede.

The Guardians said Friday that Carrasco and Beede have made the team. One will start and one will be in the bullpen.

Hey, Hoynsie: The Guardians should be able to sign J.D. Martinez to a below market contract. Don’t you think he would boost the entire lineup? -- Roger Amoroso, Macedonia.

Hey, Roger: You’re preaching to the choir. But the Guardians have said time and time again this offseason that they want to give their own players a chance to see what they can do. [Martinez is off the board - on his way to New York - Mets]

Hey, Hoynsie: Do the Guardians look like a team that could surprise some people and make a run like 2022? -- Ed Brandyberry, Coraopolis, Pennsylvania.

Hey, Ed: I hope you’re right, but I think this is going to be a challenging season.

Hey, Hoynsie: I understand the desire for the Guardians to find out if their young players can hit, but doesn’t leadership understand that fans need to see a little pop in the lineup to make them want to pay to see the team? -- Arthur Flicker, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Hey, Arthur: I’m sure they do, and I don’t think last year’s free agent experience with Mike Zunino and Josh Bell scared them away from the process. I get the impression that they feel this team is not one or two hitters away from being dominant, and that they’d rather find out about their own talent.

Hey, Hoynsie: Have you heard anything about the Guardians offering potential extensions to some of their players? -- Matt, Marion, Iowa.

Hey, Matt: This is the time of year the Guardians usually announce extensions. I’m sure they’ve tested the waters on some players, so stay tuned.

Hey, Hoynsie: Is the reason for having Kyle Manzardo start the season in Class AAA Columbus more to do with him not being ready to face major league pitchers, or is it about the organization manipulating his service time? -- Andy Mees, Sandusky.

Hey, Andy: To say it was strictly a roster manipulation move is wrong. The Guardians have done that with some players, but they certainly didn’t manipulate Steven Kwan and Tanner Bibee’s service time.

Manzardo had a good camp, but I think part of the reason they sent him down was because they didn’t see an opportunity for him to play every day in Cleveland with the way the roster is currently built. Perhaps that will change during the year, but the front office wants to see him get extended playing time this season.

<