Guardians Prospective
@CleGuardPro
The following Cleveland #Guardians minor league players have elected free agency.
INF Aaron Bracho
INF Raynel Delgado
OF Alexfri Planez
C Bryan Lavastida
C Dom Nunez
C Micael Ramirez
RHP Jerson Ramirez
RHP Lenny Torres Jr.
RHP Wardquelin Vasquez
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Re: Minor Matters
13277Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 11/7/2024
Scoreboard:
Arizona Fall League - Glendale Desert Dogs 5, Surprise Saguaros 1
Guardians Prospects:
Chase DeLauter (DH): 0-4, 2K - The good news is that after being pinch ran for earlier this week, DeLauter was back in the lineup. Unfortunately he was 0-4 with two strikeouts here. To be fair, both were looking and the first one he looks like he might have gotten jobbed on. I don’t mind the looking strikeouts if they’re borderline. The current Guardians hitters often swing at borderline pitches too much just to avoid the strikeout and can’t really do damage with it. Sometimes that can force a fielder into an error, but often an 80 MPH groundout on a pitch you shouldn’t be swinging at does little damage. Just otherwise the balls DeLauter put in play here did nothing. But at least he’s healthy, which again is his entire point of playing in the AFL.
Milan Tolentino (2B): 1-3, BB, 2 SB, 2K - Tolentino reached base twice and stole a base both times. He’s up to 11 in the AFL. His single was 106 off the bat, so there is that. But he’s still hitting below .200 in the AFL. Output isn’t everything in the AFL, but if you’re really struggling, it’s not the best sign.
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© 2024 Justin Lada
Scoreboard:
Arizona Fall League - Glendale Desert Dogs 5, Surprise Saguaros 1
Guardians Prospects:
Chase DeLauter (DH): 0-4, 2K - The good news is that after being pinch ran for earlier this week, DeLauter was back in the lineup. Unfortunately he was 0-4 with two strikeouts here. To be fair, both were looking and the first one he looks like he might have gotten jobbed on. I don’t mind the looking strikeouts if they’re borderline. The current Guardians hitters often swing at borderline pitches too much just to avoid the strikeout and can’t really do damage with it. Sometimes that can force a fielder into an error, but often an 80 MPH groundout on a pitch you shouldn’t be swinging at does little damage. Just otherwise the balls DeLauter put in play here did nothing. But at least he’s healthy, which again is his entire point of playing in the AFL.
Milan Tolentino (2B): 1-3, BB, 2 SB, 2K - Tolentino reached base twice and stole a base both times. He’s up to 11 in the AFL. His single was 106 off the bat, so there is that. But he’s still hitting below .200 in the AFL. Output isn’t everything in the AFL, but if you’re really struggling, it’s not the best sign.
Next Year in Cleveland is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
© 2024 Justin Lada
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Minor Matters
13278That's a compartively short list of minor league free agents compared to some teams who load up on veteran talent since they are poor at development.
On the list we have two top 5 round draft picks: Torres who's had lots of injury trouble; Delgado who actually had a pretty solid last 4 months in Columbus and should be popular and might make the majors somewhere; Bracho a hot prospect very briefly; and Lavastida who made the G's opening day roster when a couple years back when we were short on healthy backstops; and Planez who sometimes interested fans for his power potential.
On the list we have two top 5 round draft picks: Torres who's had lots of injury trouble; Delgado who actually had a pretty solid last 4 months in Columbus and should be popular and might make the majors somewhere; Bracho a hot prospect very briefly; and Lavastida who made the G's opening day roster when a couple years back when we were short on healthy backstops; and Planez who sometimes interested fans for his power potential.
Re: Minor Matters
132792024 Cleveland Guardians Defensive Prospect of the Year
Doing defensive prospect of the year for me is one of the harder ‘awards’ to put together, because defensive highlights are just harder to spot on MilLB TV because camera angles can be hard to get a good clip and then they don’t show up on highlights and I can’t be at every game in person.
So this is usually a category where I try to rely a little on whatever publicly available data I can find along with the looks I’ve had as well.
Next Year in Cleveland is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
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The other piece of it is usually omitting positions like left field and first base even with quality defensive performances there just due to low value from those positions. Then I also wonder the predictability and overall impact value of being a strong defender, or giving the appearance of being a strong defensive prospect in the minors.
With that being said, here’s a list of who I think are the Guardians prospects with the best defensive tools, weighted a little for impact of position, and the best defender.
C Kody Huff: Huff threw out an impressive 33% of would-be base stealers in Double-A (33/99). He finished head and shoulders better than any other catcher in Double-A in Baseball Prospectus’ catcher DRP (defensive runs prevented) at 15.8 (second place was 9.7). He was also first in framing runs (11.3), and second in throwing runs (3.9). He did finish sixth in blocking runs (0.7). This tracks with clocking him at a (.) pop time in my looks. He’s a (one) leg catcher, which is popular these days for low framing and easier blocking, plus in most cases less health issues. Dan Szymborski’s defensive ratings for all minor leaguers had Huff at +8.6. The data and live looks here all make a strong case for Huff’s defensive prowess. He was voted best defensive prospect in the California League in 2023 by league managers. This should easily have Huff on track as a defensive minded backup catcher in the majors by 2025 or 2026. He’s also continued to put up some strong exit velocities in the AFL this year, which is also interesting to watch even though it has nothing to do with defense.
OF Jaison Chourio: This is a harder one I’m including where I don’t really have numbers. Not concrete ones anyway. My personal evaluation here likes Chourio’s expected range and relies on his speed to cover center field. Baseball Prospectus’ DRP has him as a negative defender (-0.8). However, Clay Davenport’s Davenport Translations have him as a +2 in center and an even 0 in right. Then, Chourio was also named the best defensive outfielder by non-Lynchburg managers in the Carolina League, as recorded by Baseball America. That’s all enough for me to put him on this list. I think he could stay in center but could wind up in left field, mostly because his arm may not be one of this carrying defensive tools and would be better suited for center or left.
SS Angel Genao: This is another one where some publicly available metrics won’t agree with me, and that’s OK. My eyes were always very focused on Genao and I saw Lake County exclusively in person this year. He’s got a 55 arm, at least and I’d give him at least a chance to be an average defensive shortstop in the future. There’s some question that his body could push him over to third base. He grew quite a bit from 2023 to 2024. He needs some more consistency at the position, so he’s not a finished product. But remember, an average defensive shortstop is a lot more valuable than an average defender at any other position save for center or catcher.
Honorable Mentions
1B CJ Kayfus: Dan Szymborski’s numbers also had him as one of the best defender’s at his position in the minors. And seeing him in person, I agree. There’s range and good hands, and good at scoops at first. He also showed some good range in left. He’s just not on the main list because it’s hard to really value defense at first base among this group.
C Cooper Ingle: Baseball Prospectus’ DRP likes him here too, mostly for framing. Ingle was at times battling a shoulder issue in 2024 so I wonder how much that impacted his throwing, but he definitely had issues throwing runners out.
C Jacob Cozart: Listing him here because he was 7-for-15 throwing runners out in his short time at Lake County. He has the makings of a good receiver, a one-knee catcher looking to steal the low strikes and I think he will be a good blocker.
Cleveland Guardians 2024 Defensive Prospect of the Year
C Kody Huff: The 33% caught stealing rate at Double-A, plus finishing atop the DRA leaderboards for all defensive players at that level as well. And this isn’t a surprise, given that managers also named him the best defensive catcher in the Cal League a year ago. A lot of the value here is framing and throwing. You wonder how much longer framing is going to matter, in which case blocking should become more important. But clearly Huff has a lot of value in his arm, which is more important these days. And as I pointed out in the intro, this is a complicated title for me to write about because it’s hard to discern how much defense can be a carrying tool as a prospect. And the places where defense can carry you are catcher, short and center. And then I have to ask, how MUCH does it matter in the case of a player who is most likely to be a backup in Huff? But knowing how much Cleveland values catcher defense also biases me to pick him here as well to believe that the defense is impactful enough to give him some predictive value at the major league level in Cleveland, leading me to choose him here.
Doing defensive prospect of the year for me is one of the harder ‘awards’ to put together, because defensive highlights are just harder to spot on MilLB TV because camera angles can be hard to get a good clip and then they don’t show up on highlights and I can’t be at every game in person.
So this is usually a category where I try to rely a little on whatever publicly available data I can find along with the looks I’ve had as well.
Next Year in Cleveland is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Subscribed
The other piece of it is usually omitting positions like left field and first base even with quality defensive performances there just due to low value from those positions. Then I also wonder the predictability and overall impact value of being a strong defender, or giving the appearance of being a strong defensive prospect in the minors.
With that being said, here’s a list of who I think are the Guardians prospects with the best defensive tools, weighted a little for impact of position, and the best defender.
C Kody Huff: Huff threw out an impressive 33% of would-be base stealers in Double-A (33/99). He finished head and shoulders better than any other catcher in Double-A in Baseball Prospectus’ catcher DRP (defensive runs prevented) at 15.8 (second place was 9.7). He was also first in framing runs (11.3), and second in throwing runs (3.9). He did finish sixth in blocking runs (0.7). This tracks with clocking him at a (.) pop time in my looks. He’s a (one) leg catcher, which is popular these days for low framing and easier blocking, plus in most cases less health issues. Dan Szymborski’s defensive ratings for all minor leaguers had Huff at +8.6. The data and live looks here all make a strong case for Huff’s defensive prowess. He was voted best defensive prospect in the California League in 2023 by league managers. This should easily have Huff on track as a defensive minded backup catcher in the majors by 2025 or 2026. He’s also continued to put up some strong exit velocities in the AFL this year, which is also interesting to watch even though it has nothing to do with defense.
OF Jaison Chourio: This is a harder one I’m including where I don’t really have numbers. Not concrete ones anyway. My personal evaluation here likes Chourio’s expected range and relies on his speed to cover center field. Baseball Prospectus’ DRP has him as a negative defender (-0.8). However, Clay Davenport’s Davenport Translations have him as a +2 in center and an even 0 in right. Then, Chourio was also named the best defensive outfielder by non-Lynchburg managers in the Carolina League, as recorded by Baseball America. That’s all enough for me to put him on this list. I think he could stay in center but could wind up in left field, mostly because his arm may not be one of this carrying defensive tools and would be better suited for center or left.
SS Angel Genao: This is another one where some publicly available metrics won’t agree with me, and that’s OK. My eyes were always very focused on Genao and I saw Lake County exclusively in person this year. He’s got a 55 arm, at least and I’d give him at least a chance to be an average defensive shortstop in the future. There’s some question that his body could push him over to third base. He grew quite a bit from 2023 to 2024. He needs some more consistency at the position, so he’s not a finished product. But remember, an average defensive shortstop is a lot more valuable than an average defender at any other position save for center or catcher.
Honorable Mentions
1B CJ Kayfus: Dan Szymborski’s numbers also had him as one of the best defender’s at his position in the minors. And seeing him in person, I agree. There’s range and good hands, and good at scoops at first. He also showed some good range in left. He’s just not on the main list because it’s hard to really value defense at first base among this group.
C Cooper Ingle: Baseball Prospectus’ DRP likes him here too, mostly for framing. Ingle was at times battling a shoulder issue in 2024 so I wonder how much that impacted his throwing, but he definitely had issues throwing runners out.
C Jacob Cozart: Listing him here because he was 7-for-15 throwing runners out in his short time at Lake County. He has the makings of a good receiver, a one-knee catcher looking to steal the low strikes and I think he will be a good blocker.
Cleveland Guardians 2024 Defensive Prospect of the Year
C Kody Huff: The 33% caught stealing rate at Double-A, plus finishing atop the DRA leaderboards for all defensive players at that level as well. And this isn’t a surprise, given that managers also named him the best defensive catcher in the Cal League a year ago. A lot of the value here is framing and throwing. You wonder how much longer framing is going to matter, in which case blocking should become more important. But clearly Huff has a lot of value in his arm, which is more important these days. And as I pointed out in the intro, this is a complicated title for me to write about because it’s hard to discern how much defense can be a carrying tool as a prospect. And the places where defense can carry you are catcher, short and center. And then I have to ask, how MUCH does it matter in the case of a player who is most likely to be a backup in Huff? But knowing how much Cleveland values catcher defense also biases me to pick him here as well to believe that the defense is impactful enough to give him some predictive value at the major league level in Cleveland, leading me to choose him here.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Minor Matters
13280Special congratulations to Kody Huff for being both a winner and earning honorable mention.
I looked through the BA Top 30 as of the end of the season where each position player listed gets a rating for defense and for arm strength
Huff doesn't make the top 30 so I have no numbers on him but I've always seen him described as a big league backup quality defender.
Of those on the list, on the 20-80 rating scale, those who rate highest are
First Number is "defense" Second Number is "arm"
DeLauter 55/660
Chourio 55/55
Genao 55/55
Halpin 55/55
Cozart 55/50
Jake Fox 55/50
Robert Arias 55/50
JRod 50/60
Kahlil Watson 50/60
Alex Mooney 50/55
Bazzano, Brito and Kayfus are all rated 50/50.
The only sub-50 defender on the list are George IL Valera with a 45 and a 50 arm; and Ralphy Velazquek 45 with a 55 arm, not that relevant for the 1st baseman he's become but there is a chance he'll move to LF.
I looked through the BA Top 30 as of the end of the season where each position player listed gets a rating for defense and for arm strength
Huff doesn't make the top 30 so I have no numbers on him but I've always seen him described as a big league backup quality defender.
Of those on the list, on the 20-80 rating scale, those who rate highest are
First Number is "defense" Second Number is "arm"
DeLauter 55/660
Chourio 55/55
Genao 55/55
Halpin 55/55
Cozart 55/50
Jake Fox 55/50
Robert Arias 55/50
JRod 50/60
Kahlil Watson 50/60
Alex Mooney 50/55
Bazzano, Brito and Kayfus are all rated 50/50.
The only sub-50 defender on the list are George IL Valera with a 45 and a 50 arm; and Ralphy Velazquek 45 with a 55 arm, not that relevant for the 1st baseman he's become but there is a chance he'll move to LF.
Re: Minor Matters
13281Travis Bazzana (2B, Australia): The lone Guardians prospect playing in this month’s Premier12 international tournament wrapped up his pre-tourney exhibition slate this weekend (was unable to procure boxscores in time for this column) and will begin hi tournament on Wednesday at 5 AM US ET against Japan. The tournament is airing on DAZN ($15 to subscribe for a month with a Black Friday discount which should be available for the duration of the tournament as it ends before Thanksgiving).
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Minor Matters
13282Arizona All Star type game. Our only representative Allan Hernandez with 1 scoreless inning, no hits walks or strikeouts, 10 pitches and done.
Re: Minor Matters
13283Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more
Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 11/11/2024
Matthew Kennell
Nov 12
READ IN APP
Scoreboard:
Arizona Fall League - Scottsdale Scorpions 5, Surprise Saguaros 2
Guardians Prospects:
Kody Huff (DH, Surprise): 1-for-4, R, SB - Huff’s single with two outs in the top of the sixth kept the inning alive and he came around to score thanks to a stolen base, walk, and two wild pitches while serving as the team’s designated hitter.
Milan Tolentino (SS, Surprise): 0-for-2, R, 2 BBs - Despite not getting a hit, Tolentino reached base twice on walks to show patience with runners on ahead of him.
Andrew Misiaszek (RP, Surprise): 1.0 IP, H, 0 R, BB, K - Misiaszek was tasked with the bottom of the seventh after a leadoff single and the opponents would load the bases with a single and walk, but he was able to get out of the jam without any further damage.
Alaska Abney (RP, Surprise): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 3 Ks - Unlike Misiaszek, Abney entered and went 1-2-3 with strikeouts. It only took 12 pitches (nine strikes) to get through the bottom of the eighth.
Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 11/11/2024
Matthew Kennell
Nov 12
READ IN APP
Scoreboard:
Arizona Fall League - Scottsdale Scorpions 5, Surprise Saguaros 2
Guardians Prospects:
Kody Huff (DH, Surprise): 1-for-4, R, SB - Huff’s single with two outs in the top of the sixth kept the inning alive and he came around to score thanks to a stolen base, walk, and two wild pitches while serving as the team’s designated hitter.
Milan Tolentino (SS, Surprise): 0-for-2, R, 2 BBs - Despite not getting a hit, Tolentino reached base twice on walks to show patience with runners on ahead of him.
Andrew Misiaszek (RP, Surprise): 1.0 IP, H, 0 R, BB, K - Misiaszek was tasked with the bottom of the seventh after a leadoff single and the opponents would load the bases with a single and walk, but he was able to get out of the jam without any further damage.
Alaska Abney (RP, Surprise): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 3 Ks - Unlike Misiaszek, Abney entered and went 1-2-3 with strikeouts. It only took 12 pitches (nine strikes) to get through the bottom of the eighth.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Minor Matters
13284No one thinks of him as a major prospect but one of our relievers in Arizona was one of the
"stars of the Arizona League All Star game"
Allan Hernandez, RHP (CLE)
A sleeper prospect drafted in the 12th round out of a Miami high school in 2019, Hernandez delivered the lone 1-2-3 inning of the night. He needed just 10 pitches to navigate a perfect fourth while working with a mid-90s fastball and a mid-80s slider.
"stars of the Arizona League All Star game"
Allan Hernandez, RHP (CLE)
A sleeper prospect drafted in the 12th round out of a Miami high school in 2019, Hernandez delivered the lone 1-2-3 inning of the night. He needed just 10 pitches to navigate a perfect fourth while working with a mid-90s fastball and a mid-80s slider.
Re: Minor Matters
13285From Mandy Bell, the Guardians writer at MLB.com for the past several years
It was another year of the Guardians leaning heavily on their farm system.
This was the youngest team in baseball in 2022 -- the year in which it saw 17 players make their Major League debuts. It was the third youngest by the end of the 2024 season. With their success in each of these seasons, the Guardians continue to prove that age is just a number.
But what does that mean moving forward? Has the pipeline run dry yet? Let’s take a deeper look.
3 players who forced their way onto the radar this year
RHP Andrew Walters (Guardians’ No. 21 prospect according to MLB Pipeline)
It started with a near immaculate inning during the Spring Breakout game in March. It ended with him being part of Cleveland’s postseason bullpen. He owned a 1.35 ERA in 17 games with Double-A Akron. He struggled for a brief moment when he was promoted to Triple-A Columbus, but proceeded to lock in and pitch to a 2.97 ERA in 33 games. The Guardians had no choice but to get him into big league action, and now they know they have an exciting reliever for years to come.
Andrew Walters
1B C.J. Kayfus (No. 6 prospect)
In 40 games with High-A Lake County, Kayfus hit .338 with a 1.015 OPS. He was promoted to Double-A Akron and slowed a little, hitting .263 with an .836 OPS, 10 homers and 55 RBIs in 67 games. But overall on the season, he finished in the top five of all Guardians Minor Leaguers in the following categories:
• Hits (4th, 118)
• Doubles (3rd, 26)
• Triples (T-3rd, six)
• Extra-base hits (3rd, 49)
• Runs scored (5th, 70)
• RBIs (2nd, 92)
• Average (5th, .291)
• Slugging percentage (3rd, .511)
• OPS (3rd, .904)
LHP Parker Messick (No. 18 prospect)
Messick’s season just kept getting better. After a strong start in High-A Lake County, leveled up with Double-A Akron, owning a 2.06 ERA in 14 appearances (13 starts) with 85 strikeouts in 65 2/3 innings. And for an organization that’s thin in the starting pitching department, building up this pipeline is critical.
2 possible breakout players to watch in 2025
2B Travis Bazzana (No. 1 prospect)
How can’t we have high expectations for this past year’s No. 1 overall pick? Bazzana has unbelievable contact ability and lightning-fast bat speed that should translate well through each level of professional baseball. He has the ability to hit for some power, already has experience helping High-A Lake County win a title with his eyes set on the Majors for 2025. Can he pull it off? His performance will dictate the outcome.
RHP Franco Aleman (No. 30 prospect): The Guardians had the best bullpen in baseball this past season and they have another arm waiting for his chance on the big league mound. Aleman owned a 1.99 ERA in 25 games with Triple-A Columbus this season, striking out 34 batters in 22 2/3 innings in a season that was hindered by a right lat strain. Because Aleman will probably be added to the 40-man roster this offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, it makes his path to the Majors even easier.
1 big question for next season
What is the future for No. 10 prospect right-hander Daniel Espino?
We’ve been here before. This was Cleveland’s former top prospect before tendinitis in his knee turned into right shoulder soreness in 2022. Then that shoulder soreness required shoulder surgery, forcing him to miss the entire ’23 season. Just before the ’24 season began, he realized his shoulder wasn’t recovering the way he needed it to, leading to yet another procedure in the same area. He missed all of ’24.
If he would’ve stayed healthy, Espino would’ve made his Major League debut by now. His fastball is elite, sitting at 95-98 mph and topping out at 103 mph. He could’ve been the missing starter this organization is desperately in search of. Instead, he’s a soon-to-be 24-year-old righty who knows he’s one more setback away from wondering if this dream can ever become reality.
Next season needs to be a step forward for Espino. We don’t know what his projected timetable is to be back to game action just yet. But he needs to get back on the rubber and face hitters in a game for the first time since April 29, 2022. If that can happen, everything else should fall in place after that.
It was another year of the Guardians leaning heavily on their farm system.
This was the youngest team in baseball in 2022 -- the year in which it saw 17 players make their Major League debuts. It was the third youngest by the end of the 2024 season. With their success in each of these seasons, the Guardians continue to prove that age is just a number.
But what does that mean moving forward? Has the pipeline run dry yet? Let’s take a deeper look.
3 players who forced their way onto the radar this year
RHP Andrew Walters (Guardians’ No. 21 prospect according to MLB Pipeline)
It started with a near immaculate inning during the Spring Breakout game in March. It ended with him being part of Cleveland’s postseason bullpen. He owned a 1.35 ERA in 17 games with Double-A Akron. He struggled for a brief moment when he was promoted to Triple-A Columbus, but proceeded to lock in and pitch to a 2.97 ERA in 33 games. The Guardians had no choice but to get him into big league action, and now they know they have an exciting reliever for years to come.
Andrew Walters
1B C.J. Kayfus (No. 6 prospect)
In 40 games with High-A Lake County, Kayfus hit .338 with a 1.015 OPS. He was promoted to Double-A Akron and slowed a little, hitting .263 with an .836 OPS, 10 homers and 55 RBIs in 67 games. But overall on the season, he finished in the top five of all Guardians Minor Leaguers in the following categories:
• Hits (4th, 118)
• Doubles (3rd, 26)
• Triples (T-3rd, six)
• Extra-base hits (3rd, 49)
• Runs scored (5th, 70)
• RBIs (2nd, 92)
• Average (5th, .291)
• Slugging percentage (3rd, .511)
• OPS (3rd, .904)
LHP Parker Messick (No. 18 prospect)
Messick’s season just kept getting better. After a strong start in High-A Lake County, leveled up with Double-A Akron, owning a 2.06 ERA in 14 appearances (13 starts) with 85 strikeouts in 65 2/3 innings. And for an organization that’s thin in the starting pitching department, building up this pipeline is critical.
2 possible breakout players to watch in 2025
2B Travis Bazzana (No. 1 prospect)
How can’t we have high expectations for this past year’s No. 1 overall pick? Bazzana has unbelievable contact ability and lightning-fast bat speed that should translate well through each level of professional baseball. He has the ability to hit for some power, already has experience helping High-A Lake County win a title with his eyes set on the Majors for 2025. Can he pull it off? His performance will dictate the outcome.
RHP Franco Aleman (No. 30 prospect): The Guardians had the best bullpen in baseball this past season and they have another arm waiting for his chance on the big league mound. Aleman owned a 1.99 ERA in 25 games with Triple-A Columbus this season, striking out 34 batters in 22 2/3 innings in a season that was hindered by a right lat strain. Because Aleman will probably be added to the 40-man roster this offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, it makes his path to the Majors even easier.
1 big question for next season
What is the future for No. 10 prospect right-hander Daniel Espino?
We’ve been here before. This was Cleveland’s former top prospect before tendinitis in his knee turned into right shoulder soreness in 2022. Then that shoulder soreness required shoulder surgery, forcing him to miss the entire ’23 season. Just before the ’24 season began, he realized his shoulder wasn’t recovering the way he needed it to, leading to yet another procedure in the same area. He missed all of ’24.
If he would’ve stayed healthy, Espino would’ve made his Major League debut by now. His fastball is elite, sitting at 95-98 mph and topping out at 103 mph. He could’ve been the missing starter this organization is desperately in search of. Instead, he’s a soon-to-be 24-year-old righty who knows he’s one more setback away from wondering if this dream can ever become reality.
Next season needs to be a step forward for Espino. We don’t know what his projected timetable is to be back to game action just yet. But he needs to get back on the rubber and face hitters in a game for the first time since April 29, 2022. If that can happen, everything else should fall in place after that.
Re: Minor Matters
13286Another pitcher whose spent all his time on the IL the past two seasons is Justin Campbell, 2nd round pick in 2022 who signed for $1,7Million and hasn't thrown a professional pitch yet 6-7 righty. In 2023 he had ulnar nerve decompression surgery; in 2024 he had Tommy John surgery. Since recovery from TJ is at least a year there's no certainty he'd be ready by the start of the 2025 season if he recovers
It won't be long before he's Rule 5 eligible without an inning on his statsheet.
He was taken a round ahead of Messick who got $1.3M and may be worth it.
One round after DeLauter who has been injured most of the time, but has a bit of experience under his belt.
It won't be long before he's Rule 5 eligible without an inning on his statsheet.
He was taken a round ahead of Messick who got $1.3M and may be worth it.
One round after DeLauter who has been injured most of the time, but has a bit of experience under his belt.
Re: Minor Matters
1328711th round high school pick Jacob Zibin signed for a far above slot $1.2M as a 10th rounder in that same draft; only 17, we knew he's take a long time but he had very impressive stuff; but he's had the same experience as Campbell but with his surgeries in reverse order:
2023 TJ
2024 ulnar nerve transposition.
2023 TJ
2024 ulnar nerve transposition.