DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Cleveland Guardians 2024

He was the #5 prospect in Arizona’s farm system. Good power, plays 1B, 3B, and they think maybe RF. He is 20 years old.

1B - Manzardo
DH - Naylor
RF - De Los Santos, maybe

If we aint spending money. We’ve upgraded a little already. Now trade Straw.

Sporting News
MLB Draft prospects 2024: Top 10 players to know, ranked from Nick Kurtz to Jac Caglianone
Story by Edward Sutelan •


MLB teams will learn on Tuesday in what order they will be making their picks in the 2024 MLB Draft. Who they take with those picks, however, they won't know for some time.

Unlike last year, there is no clear-cut top guy from the start of the draft process till the end. LSU's Dylan Crews was widely expected to be the top pick in the 2023 draft the moment the 2022 draft ended, and though he wound up going second behind college teammate Paul Skenes, many still believed him to be the best player available.

There isn't that clear and obvious No. 1 choice early, in part because much of the 2024 MLB Draft class is loaded with players expected to play at non-premium positions moving forward. In particular, there is a wave of slugging first basemen that all have a chance to go in the top 10 picks. And, at least before the 2024 high-school and college baseball seasons have begun, the class seems college-heavy at the top.

Last year, Wake Forest was the best team in college baseball during the regular season, all the way up to a thrilling College World Series semifinal matchup against LSU that wound up ending the Demon Deacons' season. If college baseball fans thought Wake Forest was going away, one look at the top 10 draft picks will show this team is still loaded.


Heading into the draft lottery, Sporting News is taking a look at the top 10 MLB draft prospects in the 2024 class. Here's a look at the names you need to know.



1. Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest

Wake third baseman Brock Wilken went 18th overall in 2023. His slugging corner infield companion should go significantly higher. In his sophomore campaign, Nick Kurtz put on an impressive display of patience and discipline at the plate (63 walks to 50 strikeouts) with exemplary power (24 home runs, .784 slugging percentage). The 6-6, 230-pound first baseman is a standout defender, and there is a belief he might be athletic enough to play in the outfield if a team wants to try him there. As things stand, he's the most well-rounded, polished bat in the 2024 class. Spencer Torkelson is the only college first baseman in draft history to go first overall (in 2020 to the Tigers), but Kurtz has what it takes to join him at the top.

2. J.J. Wetherholt, SS, West Virginia

Kurtz might be the better all-around hitter, but J.J. Wetherholt is the better pure hitter. The West Virginia shortstop hit an impressive .449 in 2023 and walked 26 times to just 22 strikeouts, reaching base at an incredible .517 clip. When on base, he was a force, swiping a team-leading 36 bags in 44 attempts. He's not without power either as he led the Mountaineers with 16 homers. The offensive tools are all there. The question is the defensive home. If teams believe he can stick at short, he's likely to be the first overall pick in the draft. If he's forced to move to second, he might go a bit lower, though he is still likely to top Alek Manoah and Chris Enochs (both 11th overall) as the highest-drafted WVU player.

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3. Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest

Chase Burns is a similar prospect to Iowa's Brody Brecht. The stuff — an upper-90s, low-100s fastball and a filthy slider — ranks among the best in college. But the stuff didn't always translate to outs at Tennessee as he posted a 4.25 ERA and a 1.139 WHIP in 72 innings, often coming into games in relief as he lost his rotation job after a stellar freshman year. He opted to transfer to Wake Forest, where he'll get a chance to work in one of the more advanced pitching labs in college baseball. Burns, at present, is likely not the No. 3 prospect in the draft class. But this is a bet that Wake Forest will work its magic with him and vault him to the top of the class.

4. Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida

There's not going to be a more famous player in the 2024 draft class than Jac Caglianone. His exploits in his sophomore season with Florida were legendary, and earned comparisons to Shohei Ohtani. The left-handed hitter slashed .323/.389/.738 with 33 home runs and pitched to a 4.34 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 74.2 innings with a fastball that could reach 99 mph from the left side. Much like Wetherholt, his draft value will come in what teams decide to do with him. Caglianone lacks polish as both a hitter (17 walks, 58 strikeouts) and a pitcher (55 walks, 14 HBP), but offers light-tower power at the dish and plus stuff on the mound. If a team has him drop one (most likely pitching) and focus on honing his skills in the other, the 6-5, 217-pound standout could reach his sky-high potential.

5. Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State

In 2018, the White Sox selected a 5-8, contact-oriented second baseman from Oregon State fourth overall in Nick Madrigal. Six years later, a player with a similar profile (batting from the left side rather than the right) is again among the top prospects in the class. Travis Bazzana posted an impressive .374/.500/.622 line in 2023 with 59 walks to 47 strikeouts. Bazzana has more pop and speed than Madrigal, having launched 11 homers and stolen 36 bases, giving him an enticing profile. The 5-9, 170-pound second baseman impressed in the Cape Cod League, earning the summer league's MVP, helping to back up his prowess against top-tier arms with a wooden bat. Even if he's limited to second, his bat should be enough for him to go near the top of the draft.

6. Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa

If teams are looking for an arm with upside, few have more of it than Brody Brecht. The stuff is outrageous, with a fastball that can reach triple digits and a slider in the upper-80s with high swing-and-miss rates. And at 6-4, 205 pounds with an easy delivery, he looks the part of a potential ace. The question will be whether he can hone his command. Though he fanned 109 batters in 77 innings and held batters to just a .143 average, he also walked 61 batters. The upside is enough for him to be the top pick in the draft. Another year of command issues could drop him outside the top 10.

7. Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina

After the 2022 season, it appeared Vance Honeycutt was on the Crews trajectory. That he would have three years in college, after which he'd be the clear top draft prospect in the 2024 class. As a freshman, he slashed .296/.409/.672 with 25 homers and 29 steals. But he regressed as a sophomore, hitting .257/.418/.492 with 12 home runs and 19 steals. He did cut down on the strikeouts, going down from 90 strikeouts to 51 and increased his walks total from 41 to 49. If Honeycutt can put it together in 2024, it could look something like the power-speed upside with the improved approach, which makes him a top-tier prospect. If his junior year looks more like his sophomore season, he could drop out of first-round consideration.

8. Tommy White, 3B, LSU

Tommy White shined at NC State in 2022 with a 27-homer season and an impressive 1.182 OPS in the ACC. He wanted to take on the challenge of an SEC schedule, and he shined once again after transferring to Baton Rouge, posting a 1.158 OPS with 24 homers, including one that powered LSU past Wake Forest in the College World Series. White is the rare slugger who makes a ton of contact, though he still didn't walk much. It's likely he gets moved to first base at the next level, but that bat should play even at the less desirable defensive position.

MORE: Why did Tommy White transfer from N.C. State to LSU?

9. Charlie Condon, 1B, Georgia

The Bulldogs redshirted Charlie Condon in 2022, meaning 2023 was his first taste of college baseball. He didn't show any signs of rust. Condon blasted SEC pitching to a .386/.484/.800 slash with 25 home runs and 33 walks to 45 strikeouts. The power didn't show up as much in the Cape Cod League, and there are some swing-and-miss issues, but few doubt his ability to hit for power at the next level. Like with several players on this list, the defensive home will be a question. The 6-6, 211-pound slugger could patrol the outfield, but it's more likely he'll go to first, where he'll have more pressure on the bat.

10. Seaver King, SS, Wake Forest

Seaver King put together a standout .411/.457/.699 slash line with 11 home runs and 13 stolen bases at Wingate as a sophomore, then tore up the summer leagues. His dynamic athleticism and ability to make contact made him one of the top transfer names of the summer, and he wound up being one of two huge transfers to land at Wake Forest along with Burns. King will be tested again in the ACC, but he's shown he's ready for the challenges. His combination of defense at shortstop with his promising bat should make him one of the top shortstops in the class, which usually leads players to the top of the draft.



https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ot...nick-kurtz-to-jac-caglianone/ar-AA1l2IMN

Draft experts make the first 10 picks of 2024
December 5th, 2023


The second annual MLB Draft Lottery took place at the Winter Meetings on Tuesday, with 17 teams having varying odds of landing the first pick in the 2024 Draft. The Guardians came away with the No. 1 overall pick for the first time in franchise history, followed by the Reds and Rockies rounding out the top three.

Complete Draft coverage | Top high school Draft prospects | Top college Draft prospects | 2024 Draft Order
Which players will these lottery winners be interested in selecting? On a recent episode of the MLB Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo broke down their top 20 college and top 20 high school player rankings and took their shot at making the first 10 picks of the 2024 Draft. It’s a college-heavy class, and of the players identified as potentially going in the top 10 of next July’s Draft, nine came from that crop.

One note: Callis and Mayo made their picks before the Draft order was determined, meaning these predictions are less about connections to the teams making the selections and more about the general expectations surrounding the players themselves.

1. JJ Wetherholt, INF, West Virginia
Mayo: “Unbelievable hitter. Won the batting title last year. Hit almost .450. Power showed up. Stole a bunch of bases. I think he’s going to go out in the spring and show that he can play shortstop. He’s played mostly second base before. I don’t know if this might be splitting hairs over some of the other guys at the top of the college list, but his ability to show he can handle a premium position is what kind of gave him the very slight edge over the (next) guy.”

2. Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest
Callis: “The interesting thing, as a whole, is I don’t think there is a clear-cut No. 1 pick in this Draft. If Wetherholt doesn’t stick at short, a lot of the top college guys don’t play premium positions, so it’ll be interesting to see how they shake out. There has only been one college first baseman who went No. 1 overall, and that was Spencer Torkelson. Kurtz could join him. I think he’s got the best combination of hitting ability and power in this Draft. He hit 24 homers as a sophomore while walking more than he struck out. He plays a quality first base. He moves well enough [that] I think you could try him on an outfield corner. Wake was obviously loaded last year. They finished third. They lost a tough extra-inning game in the semifinals to LSU, which went on to win the national championship, and they had two first-rounders last year. They could have five this year. No team has ever had more than three.”

3. Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State
Mayo: “He can really hit. There is power and speed. Stole a bunch of bases. Hit .370 and slugged .622 last year at Oregon State, and then went to the Cape, won the batting title and the MVP award, had an OPS over 1.000. Walked more than he struck out last spring. He just seems to be getting better and better, and I think the power-speed combination will continue to show up at Oregon State this year and put him in right here in this area of the first round.”

4. Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest
Callis: “He was third in Division I last year in strikeout rate (14.3 per nine innings). Tennessee [where Burns transferred from] had a weird year after their great year, which fell short in Omaha. They were the best team in the country in 2022. Chase Dollander and Chase Burns had odd years, and they kind of began piggybacking each other. They remade the rotation later in the year and Burns would often come in in relief of Dollander, who rarely went five innings last year in a strange spring. Wake has the pitching labs. But I don’t know if they’re going to make Chase Burns better, because he already has a 95-97 mph fastball that tops out at 102, and a 85-87 mph slider that, according to our friends at Synergy, generated a 61 percent swing-and-miss rate last spring. He already has two of the best pitches in the country.”

5. Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida
Mayo: “Two-way player at Florida. He’s really interesting even if we are not sure what he is. Most people like him as a hitter. There are holes on each side. He has a ton of power, but tends to chase a little. Big, huge lefty. On the mound, he’s up in the upper 90s and misses a lot of bats. But, some command issues. We’ll see what he is. 6-foot-5, 245 pounds. He’s a lot of fun. I think it’s great for college baseball to have a legitimate two-way guy at that level, at the very least.”

6. Charlie Condon, 1B/OF, Georgia
Callis: “I still don’t quite understand why he didn’t play at all in 2022. He redshirted, and then came out last year and hits .386 with 25 homers and leads the SEC with an .800 slugging percentage and ties for the lead on the U.S. collegiate national team with three homers in 10 games. I guess I’m getting guys who combine hitting ability with power, kind of similar to Nick Kurtz. I don’t think he’s the defender … not that we’re drafting for first-base defense early in the Draft. Shoot, that means three of our first six picks here are first basemen. But these guys can all rake.”

7. Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa
Mayo: “I’m going to roll the dice and say Brody Brecht is going to figure things out. In the Draft, if a college arm with that kind of stuff starts figuring out command and feel a little more, they shoot up. He’s extremely athletic. Earned a scholarship as a wide receiver but focused on baseball. Fastball hits triple digits. Really nasty slider. If he had some polish, I think he is going to move up. This is a little bit of a risk pick, but some of the bats on your list also had some question marks on them.”

8. Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina
Callis: “I’m going to roll the dice a little bit, too. I don’t want to take three first basemen … [Honeycutt] is a tough one to figure out. I do think he might have the most physical upside among all the players on this list. He’s a potential five-tool center fielder. You can dream 20-20. You can maybe dream 30-30. He’s the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He’s definitely a center fielder. … He struck out 30 percent of the time as a freshman; he cut that to 20 percent as a sophomore, so that’s good. But he also hit .257 with a .910 OPS. He didn’t do that much damage. He hit 12 homers and had 19 steals. There’s a lot of talent in there. The bat? I think there is a question.”

9. PJ Morlando, Summerville (NC) HS, OF
Mayo: "He can really hit, and has a track record, probably as much if not more than anybody in that class. Hit really well for Team USA in international competition. Left-handed hitter. Bat speed, a lot of power. He’s probably a corner outfielder, but if he shows that he can play center, that helps his profile and might sneak him more into the top 10. But I think he’s really going to hit, and typically, high school hitters with that type of profile tend to do well come Draft time.”

10. Tommy White, 3B, LSU
Callis: “Probably winds up at first base in the long run, so we’ve now drafted four first basemen in our top 10, which shows you how its a little bit of an unusual Draft in that regard. Tommy White is another guy who isn’t just a masher. He can hit, [and] he hits for power. Transferred from NC State to LSU last year and helped win the national championship. Hit the game-winning home run in the semifinal game against Wake Forest. Hit .374 with 24 homers. Led Division I with 105 RBIs. I just think he’s going to hit.”



https://www.mlb.com/news/top-draft-pick-predictions-for-2024-draft

My buddy coaches a HS team near Charleston, SC and faces PJ Morlando a couple times per year. Said he is the real deal. Doubt he climbs to number 1 overall, however.

https://www.mlb.com/video/morlando-wins-high-school-hr-derby

Yankees get Soto .. lol wow

Thank You dad for raising me as a Yankees fan. Back in ‘83 playing baseball in our backyard “Reggie Jackson steps in”… A Ron Guidry glove for my birthday back then, a Joe Torre autographed ball from my wife back in ‘03, etc. etc. Times are down for the Yankees but we’ll be back. Hopefully the Indians can do something for you guys this year.

10 years/ $700 million?????

Man, they better hope he has a fountain of youth hidden somewhere.

The Reds spent 87 million on 3 players this offseason and I thought that was alot (at least for them)

We'll never be able to compete with these large market teams.

Best we can hope for is our teams opening up a small 1 or 2 year window to win with young players before we lose them, the game is ruined.

that's a wild contract ...

j/c...

Clubhouse glue guy. Also, much needed defense.

Yankees trade former top-100 prospect Estevan Florial to Guardians for right-hander
By R.J. Anderson

The Cleveland Guardians obtained outfielder Estevan Florial from the New York Yankees on Tuesday in exchange for right-hander Cody Morris. Both teams announced the trade.

Florial, 26, will enter the spring without minor-league options -- in other words, the Guardians cannot demote him without first exposing him to waivers. He's a former top-100 prospect with good power and speed whose stock has slipped because of hit-tool concerns. Florial has struck out more than 30% of the time during various big-league stints. Last season, he batted .284/.380/.565 in 101 games at the Triple-A level, as opposed to just .230/.324/.311 in 19 MLB contests.

Whereas the Yankees no longer had an apparent spot for Florial on their roster -- not following an offseason that has seen them obtain Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo, and Trent Grisham -- he should compete for a spot on the Guardians' Opening Day roster. As it stands, Cleveland's outfield depth chart includes Steven Kwan, Myles Straw, Ramón Laureano, and Will Brennan. Cleveland's crop of outfielders ranked last in the majors in OPS last season, posting a .654 mark that was 18 points below the next worst team.

Morris, 27, has appeared in 13 big-league games over the last two seasons, amassing a 3.41 ERA (116 ERA+) and a 1.78 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He threw four pitches at least 10% of the time during his stay in the majors, including a mid-90s fastball, a cutter, a curveball, and a changeup.

Morris still has minor-league options remaining, giving the Yankees the flexibility to store him in Triple-A if they so desire.


https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/...n-florial-to-guardians-for-right-hander/

Report: Former White Sox ace Chris Sale on the move in surprise blockbuster trade
Peter Marzano
Sat, Dec 30, 2023 at 2:50 PM EST·2 min read


In a surprise blockbuster trade, former Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale is on the move, concluding a seven-season tenure with the Boston Red Sox.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Atlanta Braves are acquiring Sale in exchange for infielder Vaughn Grissom.

The trade follows an offseason filled of curious moves for the Atlanta Braves so far, which has seen them take on and unload multiple contracts for veteran players while staying on the outside looking in on the free agent market, sans an acquisition of former White Sox pitcher Reynaldo Lopez.

Sale, a seven-time All-Star, will get a chance to be a mid-rotation starter for a World Series contender in his age-35 season, with the Braves clearly buying in on the lefty having more left in the tank despite his age and a history of recent injury issues.

After missing all of the 2020 season and appearing in just 11 games across the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Sale returned to make 20 starts in 2023, posting a 6-5 record with a 4.30 ERA.

Sale walked just 29 batters and struck out 125 in 102.2 innings of work in his return season, showing that the hard-throwing southpaw did not want to hang up the cleats quite yet.

Sale was among the game's most dominant pitchers from 2012 to 2018, making the All-Star team in each season and finishing top 5 in Cy Young Award voting in six straight seasons from 2013 to 2018.

As for Grissom, the trade marks an unceremonious end to his tenure in Atlanta, as the Braves part with a player they surely envisioned as part of their expansive young core of talent.

Grissom, 23 next week, has appeared in just 64 MLB games across the past two seasons, with mostly solid results at the plate.

While power hasn't quite arrived at the big league level for Grissom yet, he has still posted a .287/.339/.407 slash line in his limited MLB experience.

Primarily a second baseman with experience at shortstop as well, the trade demonstrates the Braves' confidence in a middle infield of Ozzie Albies and Orlando Arcia.

Grissom's fit is much more apparent on the Red Sox, who had a middle infield that hit well below average in 2023 and also lacked consistency in terms of personnel.

While Trevor Story's return from injury should give the Red Sox more stability at shortstop, Grissom should slot in as the second baseman in Beantown in 2024.



https://sports.yahoo.com/report-former-white-sox-ace-195041940.html

Ranking 6 Guardians prospects who could debut in 2024, and their potential impact
Updated: Jan. 05, 2024, 9:39 p.m.|Published: Jan. 04, 2024, 5:39 p.m.
By Joe Noga, cleveland.com


CLEVELAND, Ohio — Already one of the youngest rosters in Major League Baseball, the Guardians could get even younger in 2024 with several top prospects already on the 40-man roster and inching closer to their big league debuts.

In November 2021, Cleveland added 11 players to its 40-man, representing a 28% turnover and starting the clock on several prospects. Six of those players remain with the organization, including two-time Gold Glove Award winner Steven Kwan and former top prospect Tyler Freeman, as well as Jose Tena and Brayan Rocchio, who was named the club’s Triple-A Player of the Year for 2023.


Three more top prospects: George Valera, Jonathan Rodriguez and Jhonkensy Noel, are among a group of 40-man additions who have not yet been summoned to the majors. Whether due to injury, timing or performance these five players have been slower in their progression. But that is likely to change in 2024 provided none of them are packaged in any potential trade scenarios.

Below is a ranking of six Guardians prospects currently on the 40-man roster and their potential impact at the big league level in the upcoming season.


6. Jhonkensy Noel, OF

An international signee in 2017, Noel made a splash in 2021 with a breakout year and earned a spot on the 40-man roster with demonstrable power at three different minor league levels. He backed that up by leading all Cleveland farmhands with 32 home runs in 2022 and spent the entire season at Columbus last year where his numbers leveled out. Still just 22 years old, Noel should be good for 25-30 home runs and somewhere north of 80 RBI in a season, while also striking out around 140 times.

With limited range in the outfield, Noel will need to focus on becoming a complete hitter and cutting down on his strikeouts in order to seize a big league opportunity. With more veteran options ahead of him a either corner outfield spot and at designated hitter, it could take an injury or trade in order to make that happen this year. But Noel’s right-handed bat and willingness to move away from his comfort zone at a corner infield spot make him an intriguing option for a lineup that still needs an injection of power at some point.


5. Angel Martinez, SS

Another switch-hitting shortstop option, Martinez is the son of former big league catcher Sandy Martinez and still just 21 years old. After signing the young infielder out of the Dominican Republic in 2018, Cleveland has pushed him at every level. He reached Double-A at 20 and made an appearance in the Arizona Fall League after the 2022 season.

Between Akron and Columbus last year, Martinez hit .251 with a .715 OPS, 14 home runs and 79 RBI in 525 at-bats. After arriving at Triple-A, he hit .281 with 24 extra-base hits despite being the youngest everyday player in the International League. Martinez led all Cleveland minor leaguers with 90 singles last year. The club has Martinez on the fast track and could give him a chance to prove himself if a big league opportunity opens up.


4. Juan Brito, 2B

Acquired from Colorado in exchange for Nolan Jones last offseason, Brito played at three levels in 2023 and enters the season as Cleveland’s No. 6 overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and No. 5 via Baseball America. He showed flashes in spring training last year of a disciplined approach at the plate, leading the Guards with 10 walks in just 14 exhibition games.

But it was Brito’s bump in power production in 2023 that moved him up the prospect rankings. He hit .276 with 10 home runs and 60 RBI while posting an .817 OPS in 315 at-bats for Akron. Brito struck out just 63 times in the 87 games he played for the RubberDucks and walked 48. That earned him a five-game cup of coffee at Columbus to close out the year and the inside track for a shot at second base in the big leagues. But Gold Glove winner Andres Gimenez currently resides there for the Guardians. So unless a position change is on the horizon for one or both, Brito could be blocked for a bit.


3. Joey Cantillo, LHP

The only player from the 2020 trade that sent Mike Clevinger to San Diego who has not yet made his big league debut, Cantillo did not cash in on the promise of a breakout 2022 campaign with the kind of numbers at Columbus in 2023 that would put him in position to compete for a roster spot coming out of spring training.

Cantillo was lights-out for Akron in 2022, with a 1.93 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings. But a shoulder injury toward the end of the season limited him, and when he arrived at Columbus in 2023, he struggled to make adjustments, registering a 4.64 ERA while striking out 111 and walking 55 in 95 innings. Opponents, who never hit above .180 against Cantillo in Akron, posted a .245 average against the lefty in 20 appearances for the Clippers.

The Hawaii native, now 24, is poised for a bounce-back season and could be among the first arms the organization calls upon if it needs to once again tap into its starting pitching depth. Ranked as the club’s No. 11 prospect by MLB Pipeline, Cantillo has seen an upswing in his velocity over the last few seasons and still has a devastating changeup that Baseball America ranks as the best in Cleveland’s farm system.


2. George Valera, OF

Since signing with Cleveland out of the Dominican Republic in 2017, Valera has been one of the most heralded prospects the club has had, and his arrival was once hoped to be the solution to the Guardians’ longtime search for power and consistency in the outfield. Injuries have slowed the 23-year-old’s progress, but he still possesses the qualities that made him one of Cleveland’s highest-rated prospects both at the plate and in the field.

Valera had surgery in spring training to repair a broken hamate bone in his right hand and later injured his hamstring, causing him to debut later in the season at Triple-A. From there, he started slowly and never really got going, hitting .220 with 11 home runs and 38 RBI in just 79 games. The 2023 season also saw Valera run afoul of an umpire and get ejected during a benches-clearing brawl in Nashville.

If Valera can stay healthy and regain the focus that saw him bat .250 with 52 extra-base hits and 74 walks during his age 21 season between Akron and Columbus, he has a chance to debut at some point during the 2024 season and perhaps answer the questions that have plagued Cleveland’s outfield for more than a decade.


1. Johnathan Rodriguez, OF

Despite the acquisition of Estevan Florial from the Yankees last month, Rodriguez could force himself to the front of the pack in what is becoming a crowded outfield competition among Cleveland’s young prospects. Rodriguez, currently ranks No. 24 among Guardians prospects by MLB Pipeline is regarded with the top outfield arm in Cleveland’s minor league system by Baseball America, and hit a scintillating .286 last season between Akron and Columbus.

Along the way he racked up 29 home runs and 88 RBI while drawing 59 walks and striking out a whopping 163 times. He led the organization in total hits, average, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, OPS and extra-base hits (59).

Rodriguez was named an Eastern League All-Star and MLB.com tabbed the 24-year-old as Cleveland’s Hitting Prospect of the Year. At 6-foot, 224-pounds, Rodriguez can hit for power to all parts of the ballpark. He was added to the 40-man roster in November.


https://www.cleveland.com/guardians...s-prospects-who-could-debut-in-2024.html

It takes my computer a minute or so to get his posts.

Bieber signed his arbitration deal....$13MM

I suspect I will catch several Braves spring training games. My wife and I have to keep heading down here to Venice to deal with mother-in-law issues. The poor woman is 97 and won't just die, she just keeps getting meaner and meaner and causing problem after problem for us. Pretty sad.

Anyway, the Braves train maybe 8-9 miles down the road from my current location. I love Florida in March. You don't have to drive far to catch many different teams. I liked it when the Indians trained in Winter Haven. I caught many games there, and followed them around when they were on the "road". If we have to come down for a few weeks you can bet I will travel around on day trips to watch some games.

MLB trade candidates: Four teams, including Dodgers and Orioles, with interesting depth pieces to move
Logjams on these depth charts could create some deals before Opening Day

By R.J. Anderson

Last week, the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to an overlooked trade that sent infielder Michael Busch to the midwest as part of a four-player swap. As we wrote elsewhere, Busch's inclusion in a deal felt inevitable. Though he was unable to crack the Dodgers lineup, he's a promising left-handed hitter who clearly belongs in a big-league lineup somewhere.

The Busch trade got us thinking about other teams with surpluses that demand clarity. In turn, we decided to highlight four teams with logjam situations that could precipitate trades between now and Opening Day 2024. (Fanatic readers might recall that we engaged in a similar exercise last spring.) Bear in mind that we make no guarantees about these teams actually making moves.

Now, let's get to it.

1. Baltimore Orioles: Position players
Stop us if you've read this before. The Orioles have an abundance of young position players either already at the big-level or drawing close to it.

Baltimore's collection includes reigning American League Rookie of the Year Award recipient Gunnar Henderson; three of the top 25 prospects in the minors in shortstop Jackson Holliday (No. 1), outfielder Colton Cowser (No. 21), and infielder Coby Mayo (No. 22); and a slew of others who are notable for whatever reason. Don't believe us? We could tick off Heston Kjerstad (the No. 2 pick in 2020) and Enrique Bradfield (last summer's first rounder). We could also mention Samuel Basallo, one of the game's top catching prospects.


OK, you surely get the point by now. We'll stop.

Henderson and Holliday's presence in particular should allow the Orioles to leverage their depth to trade for a pitching upgrade. Maybe that means moving Jordan Westburg, who held his own last season during his introduction to the majors. Maybe it means packaging smooth-fielding shortstop Joey Ortiz and/or pure-hitting second baseman Connor Norby. We don't know.

We do know that the Orioles need to make a move at some point, lest they fail to optimize their roster in pursuit of a World Series championship despite having an embarrassment of position prospect riches.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers: Pick your position
Even with Busch elsewhere, the Dodgers still have a number of players they could deal without ostensibly missing them later on. That group includes infielder Miguel Vargas, outfielder Andy Pages, and a collection of pitchers ranging from Gavin Stone to Landon Knack and Kyle Hurt. (For brevity's sake, we omitted the best of the pitching bunch with the assumption they'll remain.)


The Dodgers have had the most exciting winter of any team, signing Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Teoscar Hernández and trading for Tyler Glasnow and Manuel Margot. Could they make a run at another starting pitcher? What about a shortstop? From our perspective, the Dodgers are still well positioned to do basically whatever they want this offseason.

3. Cincinnati Reds: Infielders
The Reds did something unexpected earlier this winter: rather than subtract from their infield glut, they added to it by signing Jeimer Candelario. Otherwise? The Reds haven't done a thing to decluster their depth chart.

We have to assume that will change at some point. As it stands, the Reds have Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain penciled in up the middle with Noelvi Marte and Candelario at the corners. That leaves Spencer Steer in left, Jonathan India at designated hitter, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand on the pine.


Keep in mind, the Reds still have a number of notable infield prospects climbing the ladder. Take your pick between recent top-50 draft picks like Cam Collier, Sal Stewart, and Sammy Stafura, and intriguing trade acquisitions, such as Edwin Arroyo and Victor Acosta.

As with the Orioles, the Reds could use an impact starter if they're serious about completing their conversion from rebuilder to contender. We'll see if Cincinnati's front office can find a sensible deal over the next month.

4. Cleveland Guardians: Middle infielders
We'll stay in Ohio and on the infield with the Guardians' messy depth chart. They have José Ramírez and Andrés Giménez locked in at third and second. Kyle Manzardo should be the solution at first base sooner or later. That leaves the shortstop position as the one landing spot for a plethora of young options, ranging from Gabriel Arias to Tyler Freeman to Brayan Rocchio and beyond.


The Guardians have a clear need for offense, particularly from their outfield. If we're being charitable, it's possible they want to see how some of their outfield prospects -- George Valera and Chase DeLauter included -- can take to the big-league level over the coming months. Still, it feels wasteful to field a mediocre lineup when they have this many interesting infield options in tow.

And oh, by the way, the Guardians have the No. 1 pick in this July's draft. Two of the top three prospects -- JJ Wetherholt and Travis Bazzana, believed to be Cleveland's preference at this point in time -- are collegiate second basemen who ought to reach the majors in a hurry. The Guardians, then, have all the reason in the world to figure out their infield sooner than later.


https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/...s-with-interesting-depth-pieces-to-move/

Going to be in AZ again this March, I’ve got two days/nights to get to Goodyear. Sat/Sun 3-8/9. Gonna try harder this year to get there

Good for you , enjoy and report ! lol

j/c...

Cookie!

Sad day for my daughter and me. Loved watching him pitch. Inspired my daughter to be a fastpitch softball pitcher, and wear 28 proudly for 8 years.

Corey was a good pitcher. Other than a very few, like Nolan Ryan who lasted way longer than the average cat., pitchers arms give out. There is tremendous stress put in the arm throwing that hard.

A few of the good ones can hang on, clunking around for 4-5 years, showing just enough once in a while to give hope and a chance, but in the end it is curtains.

I think he and his agent were smart enough to have a plan that with maybe some minor budgeting he and his family are well secured.

People think about the millions made, and it is a lot of money, but when you hang it up in your late 30's and that income stops, it might have to last you 40-50-60 years. It shrinks faster than anybody can plan. If you didn't plan along the way, you might be in a tough spot at some point.


Speaking of Nolan Ryan, I think it is on Netflix, but "Facing Nolan" is an outstanding documentary. Give it a look....I promise if you like baseball....even if you don't, you will like it. "Big Tex" was a once in very long time pitcher. Maybe even ever.