1. Do you realize if Clase had not blown 4 saves we would be in first place by a game now? When your team is sucking and you need a spark to win, what in the freakin' heck do you think your closer blowing games like this does to your team morale? I mean, can a guy throwing 96-97 really be hurt? Don't know but something isn't right and, on a team where success is achieved by walking a thin line, we CANNOT afford to have our closer blow close games like this.
2. The end does not justify the means. Naylor's track record about his ineptitude facing lefties outweighs, by a million times, any success he had in one game. It was the stupid play to let him start and leave Freeman and Fry stay on the bench. What message is Francona sending to the players? 'Hey, I hate rookies so much that I am not going to give you a chance when you are most likely to be successful and, instead, I am going to play a guy with a hugely smaller chance of being successful just because he is a veteran.' Sounds like the message I heard tonight. What about you and, more importantly, what about the players? I guess if you sit these guys on the bench for a week to 10 days and then put them in for a game they are likely to fail. Talk about self-fulfilling prophecy!
3. When we sent Owen Miller to Milwaukee we were supposed to get a PTBNL back. So who and when? The 'when' is easy. The trade has to be completed by June 15th, 6 months after Miller was traded to Milwaukee. The who is more difficult. Normally there is a list players that the Guardians would get to pick from. Sometimes there are two lists, one if Miller would produce little or nothing for Milwaukee, another list if he was a more productive, or even a pivotal player. Well, right now Miller is hitting .323 for the first place Milwaukee Brewers. I would think we are clearly in 'productive' territory here. So the player we get back should have SOME significance. For example, if J.C. Mejia got us David Fry...well, you know what I am saying here, right? Maybe a guy making his ACL debut like 2022 international signee like OFer like Luis Lara or a 2022 draftee like catcher Matt Wood. I would be looking for a low minors guy who might take a 2-3 years to develop instead of someone we have to roster right now.
3. Surprise, surprise, rookie pitchers become less effective after a couple of starts and, generally, much less effectve after teams start to get 'a book' on the guy. We are seeing that with Bibee, Battenfield and now Logan Allen. This shouldn't really surprise anyone and it shows that the road may get rocky for these guys, and the Guardians, before it gets smoother. Hope not but, in anticipation of that, the offense needs to get pumped up to account for that.
4. Get Brayan Rocchio to the majors now. He is a switch hitter and, I think, will at least provide us with some base hits and some speed. At least Freeman and Fry can provide some offense. Gabriel Arias needs to be sent down. Get Bo Naylor to the majors now. He can't be any worse than Gallagher or Zunino and they should DFA the former. If Brennan continues to struggle give Palacios a chance. None of these moves has to be permanant (except the Gallagher DFA) but we need to keep trying players until something clicks. Francona is so veteran-centric that it is hurting the team right now.
5.On a more positive note, let's talk about the minors
a. Hunter Stanley looked OK tonight. He was still throwing 93 in his last inning and extended up to over 90 pitches. He didn't have wipeout stuff but it played well and he kept the damage to a minimum. Remember, not counting the AFL last year, this 2021 draftee had exactly FOUR games of professional experience entering 2023. For him to have ANY success at AA this year is surprising and heartening and there is a lot to like as this guy is JUST an 11th round draft pick. Maybe the Guardans Finishing School for College Pitchers is still alive and well...at least for some guys.
b. Keep an eye on Wuilfredo Antunez. Unlike former Carolina League bashers like Alexfri Planez, Antunez is a contact-first guy. I like his game more and more every time I see him.
c. Zach Plesac with another product, albeit not dominant start.
d. Alonzo Richardson may develop but, right now, he doesn't miss a lot of bats, just not allowing hard contact. The production is not bad but he just doesn't seem to be dominant.
6. Right now it looks like oft-injured Tyler O'Neill may in the doghouse in St. Louis. Maybe it is time for a change-of-scenery trade. How about Peyton Battenfield and Richie Palacios for O'Neill, who hits right-handed. It is important to note that when the Cardinals started winning it coincided with when O'Neill went on the IL. Also the upside is there for the Cardinals and the downside doesn't damage the Guardians if O'Neill craters.
7. I am a die hard Guardians' fan and have been for most of my life. I have faith Francona will pull them out of this slide. I really do. As I get older I realize that I have fewer and fewer seasons left in my life to root for my team so forgive me if I never give up on them in any season...and certainly not in this one. I have faith it will be a magical year for the Guardians, just like last year was. I still think it is not out of the question and would be the greatest baseball moment in my life if the Guardians and Cardinals made it to the WS this year and the Guardians won in 7 games.
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