Thoughts for a Monday

1.  In the off-season we should sign McKenzie, Quantrill and Beiber to extensions.   The first two should be relatively cheap due to their age.  Beiber's won't be cheap but his is as important as the other two as he is such a role model.   This will all have to be done delicately because, unless they are willing to take hometown discounts, I don't see us risking long term deals on Plesac or Civale at this point although I would love it if they were all locked in for a few more years.

2. George Valera promoted to AAA.  It's about time.

3. Alex Call was picked up off waivers. I hear the Vegas odds are now at a million to one of Reyes making it through waivers.  I am guessing Washington, also, for Reyes.

4. Speaking of Reyes, it will be interesting if the back story ever comes out.  You just don't DFA a guy with another option left when he is coming off as productive a career as he has had so far.  Not one real hiccup.   Something is going on here that basically told the Guardians this guy was NEVER getting any better while in Cleveland.  Such a shame.  I wish Franmil all the best but I think we will be looking at another Gio Urshela here with all of us gnashing our teeth for years to come that we let Reyes go for nothing.

5. When talking about our prospects I have this to say:

a. Valera - He oozes ability.  He clearly needs more refining as he s often fooled and it doesn't seem, to me, that he can outmuscle the times he is fooled.  He needs work on that.  I don't think he is on a steep trajectory right now but he is progressing well.

b. Rocchio - Again, oozes ability but I think he needs to spend time around Rosario and Jose.  I just don't see that overwhelming desire to play hard and get better that I would like to see.    Not that this dims his prospect star at all but it certainly doesn't add to possibility that he would be in the majors by mid-season of next year, if at all next year.

c. Tena - Ditto for Rocchio but Tena looks like he is doing it all on natural ability at this point.  And I have seen him get thrown out stealing on balls that I thought he should have been able to go in standing up.  

d. Payeton Battenfield - Wow, what do you say here?  The guy is dominating at AAA but they called Gaddis up instead.   Due to his lack of velocity I wonder if they his promotion to the 40-man this winter is as set in stone as I once thought it was.

e. Tanner Burns - Speaking of low velo, Burns was 91 mostly in his last start and sometime was only htting 89 mph.  No matter how good your command is, no way you can put away ML hitters with his stuff.  Something has to improve.

f. Tanner Bibee - The opposite side to the Burns coin, Bibee is 95-97 all the time.  I think, right now, he has passed every other pitching prospect n the organization except for Daniel Espino and Gavin Williams.  He just looks so dominant to me.   

g. Logan T. Allen - Shis struggles and low K numbers at AAA are a red flag to me.  I hope it improves as he adjusts to this level but he, like others, are no longer on a fast track to the majors, at least in my opinion.

h. Bo Naylor - Has stuff to learn but appears to be on a steeper path than all the other position players still in the minors.    I hope he makes the team out of spring training next year and, gven their aggressive promotions this year, I think that is really possible.

i. Cody Morris - I love him as a bullpen arm, starting this September.  

j. Hunter Gaddis - He is, to me, a bullpen arm.   Even though he was barely missing the zone in his first start which really dug him a hole, I think his stuff plays better out of the bullpen.  I know it sounds like blind optimism but I think he will be just fine and have an extended big league career.

k. Xzavt ion Curry - I see him as another bullpen arm.   He is so short and I just feel that the bullpen is where we can maximize his tools.

l. Joey Cantillo - If he could stay healthy he would be knocking on the major league door.  His numbers are eye-popping but his injury history makes it anything but a slam dunk he will be added to the 40 this winter.

m. Gabriel Rodriguez - If he finishes the season playing like he is right now, he makes this winter tougher.   Still, looking at what a (relative) disaster that putting Noel on the 40 man last winter is becoming, I wonder if the Guardians will ever be inclined to do this again.

n. Alexfri Planez - His HR numbers are eye-popping until you see how he screws himself into the ground because he is swinging so hard.   The talent is there but the learning curve is likely to be a long, bumpy one.  Think Akil Badoo if he had never been called to the majors.