Thoughts on Tuesday's split squad games and Sam Hentges

ROLLING MY EYES AND GNASHING MY TEETH

First, this is what you get when you only have one lefty in your pen.  Hentges has shoulder inflammation which makes the start to his 2023 season uncertain.  AJ Puk or Gregory Soto.  We could have EASILY matched what it cost in players to get these guys and it wouldn't have, in my opinion, created even a ripple in our prospect depth.

Andrew Chafin, Matt Moore and others were signed.

We stuck with Tim Herrin, a surprise addition to our roster in November.

We did not plan well, at all.

So what is left in free agency:  Will Smith, Zach Britton, Brad Hand, Sean Dolittle, Mike Montgomery, Jose Alvarez, Jake Brentz, Seth Romero and a bunch of AAAA relievers.

Plus there is always the panic trade in which we give up more than what we would have had to give up for Puk or Soto.

Just frustrating to me that there was a weakness and we did nothing to address it all winter and now we are at this point.  You cannot run a team so thin that an injury just makes you really weak.  Obviously an injury to Ramirez hurts a lot and to Bieber or McKenzie.  But, as much as I like all the rest of the guys on this team, clearly, to me, Hentges is the most difficult to replace besides those 3, including, and just in my opinion, replacing Clase.  I know we have the 3 batter rule so situational lefties are not very important any more but counting on Hentges being your only viable lefty in the bullpen was really not a smart move.  

You have a window of opportunity, guys.  You needed to do a better job making sure we didn't run into a very easily rectified (cash for a free agent or a very reasonable trade for a lefty reliever).  Arrrgh.

GAMES ON TUESDAY

• Speaking of Tim Herrin, a couple of bad pitches and hard hit balls ruined his day.  But this is exactly what you would expect for a rookie who likely needs more seasoning.
• Logan T. Allen is apparently channeling our previous Logan Allen looking at his performance yesterday.  Worried that he has reached his ceiling in AA and is not able to get people out...or he has an injury that he had last season and it just isn't going away.
• Battenfield's line looked good...for a reliever.  Guardians: get the message.
• Carver for Vargas seemed a bit odd to me.  Carver showed yesterday what happens if you are a one trick pony and that trick isn't working.  When you have a 100 mph fastball like Vargas, you MAYBE can get away with some inconsistency.
• Brito is 2-5 with 3 walks.  However his two hits were of the slap variety.  Think Richie Palacious with more plate discipline.  Gotta love the production but for this trade to work in the Guardians' favor, or to be an even trade, Brito needs to show power.  
• David Fry with another hit, a bases-loaded double.  while playing 3B.  
• Josh Bell with his first HR.  Not to be a worry wart but it appeared it was an off-speed pitch that he just waited on.  You gotta be able to hit the fastball out in the majors so we will see.Yet, a HR is a HR and I doubt Owen Miller hits that ball out.
• Shame about Valera.  Hope it is only a short-term thing.  Lampe got a couple of knocks in emergency duty.  Wish I had seen the game to see if he just slapped at the ball or if he was really driving the ball.  By Gameday the description just looked like he was slapping at it.
• Triston McKenzie did well.  Mikolajchak with a bounce back outing.  Cade Smith looked like he will need a lot more work to reduce the hard contact rate.
• They continue to play Juan Escobedo.  I wonder what their plans are for him? ML player or a coach within their system.
• Toussaint - AAAA reliever.  Again, you shop in the bargain basement department and you likely will get crappy clothes that don't fit right.
• Hard to tell about anyone else because, after 4 innings, you are likely playing in/pitching in garbage time.

On to Wednesday!