The Indians added 10 prospects to their roster this month and also DFA'd 10 players who were on the roster before these additions. Let's talk about the loss of those players, the impact on the roster and the implications for the upcoming Rule 5 draft if, indeed, that really happens.
1. Players DFA'd
Nick Wittgren - This was not Wittgren's best season and, in anticipation of having to pay him in arbitration, the Indians decided to DFA him. He became a free agent and is currently looking for employment. Clearly Wittgren's innings will have to be replaced. While he didn't always perform well this year, the innings he pitched were important and not just garbage, mop-up innings so they have to be replaced by someone who is effective. That would imply a veteran.
Francisco Perez - He did not impact this year's team at all. His innings, the few he had, were garbage innings for the most part. The hope is that he would have had a larger role in 2022 but that won't happen, at least not with the Guardians. Being a former starter he could have given us multiple innings both as an opener and as a bridge reliever. We will need to find a person to fill that role. As it would not be a high leverage role we could fill it with someone from the minors but I don't see that person presenting himself right now. We'll see, but I hope we don't try to fill this role with a veteran from outside the organization. It won't be worth the dollars or the roster spot.
J.C. Mejia - I saw him as a 5th-8th inning guy this year. Clearly his 2021 season wasn't what it could have been and I think the Indians lost faith that he could finetune things to be effective. I disagree but the bottom line is that his role will have to be filled, likely from outside the organization. The only silver lining here is that his trade may bring back a low level prospect if he performs well for his new team.
Cam Hill - Hill's injury and really his ceiling as a 6th inning, garbage time reliever is easily replaced. This is not a bg loss as it stands right now.
Scott Moss - Like Mejia, you always hate to lose guys who have not reached their potential or exposed themselves as being easily replaceable assets. You would like those guys to be stashed at AAA so if their performance or health has an epiphany, your team is the one that will collect on that. Since he didn't provide anything n 2021 his loss, on paper, should not impact 2022. On paper!
Harold Ramirez - Like Wittgren, he had his moments. The issue is we have a number of prospects who likely can take his playing time and be at least as effective. If his loss is really a probblem, this team is in bigger trouble in the outfield than I think.
Justin Garza - What happened to Garza (no waiver claim, being outrighted to the minors) is what I hoped would happen to Moss and Mejia...and Perez. In that light, I think Garza may be able to pick up the multiple, bridge/garbage innings next year. However, if he does he will bump someone else off the roster and I would rather see a veteran upgrade with Garza being at AAA as insurance.
Alex Young - A midseason pickup I did not understand, Young was outrighted to the minors. If he chooses to stay with the Guardians he will add just what he added this year, an emergency presence who can be DFA'd again without having to lose a higher value prospect.
Kyle Nelson - Interesting that he was actually claimed on waivers. His 2021 was forgettable in the majors and the minors and he never seemed like a dominant prospect. Rather, he seemed to be an overachiever whose overachievement seemed to run out this year. He is a lefty and has had some minor league success but is exactly the kind of guy you take off your roster when you have a need.
Daniel Johnson - Johnson has gotten plenty of chances and hasn't improved. He is exactly the kind of guy you want at AAA, someone who still has the chance to have an epiphany and is young enough for that to vault him into a starter-level player. Unless he does, however, there will always be an up-and-coming tweener (cough! Steven Kwan. cough!) who will be the nice, new, shiny, piece who will get the first crack. Even at that, excellent performance at AAA might not be enough to get him another major league shot as AAAA players look good at AAA as they get older.
Analysis - All-in-all, the Indians lost some valuable AAA, homegrown depth and a couple of guys, Wittgren and Ramirez, who are easily replaceable. If we can get it done, guys like Bryan Shaw and Blake Parker can be had on minor league deals. Knowing that our bullpen is, on paper, really short right now, I would like to see us sign about four more guys that caliber instead of the other minor league vetrerans we signed last year.
Impact on the Rule 5 draft - The main guy impacted by all this is Joey Cantillo. If Kyle Nelson gets a major league deal it likely means Cantillo could be at much higher risk of getting selected in the Rule 5 as teams obviously have roster space for guys like Nelson and Moss and even Perez. Cantillo is, in my opinion, a better prospect with more long-term upside so teams may choose to take a chance on him if major league roster space exists for guys who are much more like fringe prospects.
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