1. Looking at the last 5 games (and discounting Plesac's first inning of his start last Friday), here is the combined line for our last 5 starting pitcher performances by Plesac, Bieber, McKenzie, Civale Quantrill:
21 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 26 K, 3 HP, 1 WP 1.29 ERA
Now, I know this is spring training but that's some pretty darn good pitching, especially when you consider 2 of those walks and 2 of those HBPs came in the second inning today after which Quantrill righted the ship.
2. Did you ever notice that the guys playing at the end of the Guardians' exhibition games in recent weeks were guys unlikely to be on Columbus roster? In fact, most of these kids up to this series with Arizona were kids likely to be left in extended spring training and then play in the ACL this season. In today's game the guys who played may have been guys who have not yet been assigned to a team. Escobedo, Valdes, Holland, Bracho and Cairo have struggled on occasion in the past. Gabriel Rodriguez is coming off an injury, Naranjo struggled for two years at Lake County and Cavenaugh is a first-year player who might have had a hard time, as an outfielder, finding a team to play on with our glut of outfielders. Yesterday, Brito, Burgos, Bartlett, Lipscomb, Delgado, Tollentino and Durango are likely to all be playing A+ ball or below this coming season.
Certainly, none of these guys look like shoe-ins to play at either Akron or Columbus this year. I don't know if this is how they do it every year but I would have certainly liked to see Bibee, Williams, Burns and some of stud minor league pitchers in a game or two. It does look like they are trying to focus on getting these guys into their minor league routines as opposed to defocusing them with a one-off in a major league exhibition game. For an organization that hardly lets any of their draftees play the year they are drafted, this falls in line with them wanting these guys spending 100% of their time exactly in their development with no interruptions.
3. The extensions to Gimenez, Stephan and, hopefully, Kwan would give us a core in the future. I don't believe that a Bieber extension is out of the question and, although unlikely, I don't know that a Rosario extension is, either.
4. Are we seeing Arizona mirages or does Myles Straw look like he is following the organization's suggestions of swinging harder this year. It is good to see him hitting with authority and pulling the ball in so doing.
5. As far as McKenzie, I am hoping that the Guardians are being cautious with their projections. I see no reason why they would sandbag us with a long projection but a number of people are thinking that 8 weeks may be an extreme projection for this sort of injury.
6. Let's hope there are no more lingering injuries that we don't know about. Jose screwed himself into the ground pretty good the other day trying to hit a low-and-in pitch that almost clipped his knee. While he does this all the time when I saw the replay I just winced and hoped he didn't catch a spike.
7. Well, we are at the end. I can't wait for Thursday and to see who is assigned to which minor league team. I dred that some guys who we used to count among our best prospects will be cut soon. I have guys in mind who I think are at risk but I will keep my fingers crossed I am wrong.
5.
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