OK, LIKE the other teams in the Guardians' farm system, the Clippers had a bad record at 68-79.
UNLIKE all the other teams in the farm system, at least at the end of the year but, for the most part, all year, this team was full of real, priority prospects and some guys who are fringe prospects. But, on the position player side, very few organizational soldiers.
So, let's dig into the top prospects who passed through Huntington Park during 2023. Get some coffee. This is going to be a long article and I am not even including Juan Brito who was up for only a week. In the International League the average player age this year was 26+ years old.
1. Brayan Rocchio (22) - Columbus Clippers POTY, Rocchio can play and his nickname is 'The Professor' which implies to me he is a student of the game. He should be the starting SS for the Guardians next year. However, like Nolan Jones last year, at all depends on what our braintrust, and I use that term loosely, decides on his worth. They are just as likely to trade him for a bag of balls as they are to start him at SS next year.
2. Bo Naylor (23) - This is a no-brainer here. He has continued to rake in the majors but played half a year in Columbus. If he continues in the majors the way he has started, in 5 years, looking back, I might say I rated him one spot too low.
3. Tanner Bibee (24) - Now this isn't really fair but he did start the season at Columbus so here he is.
4. Gavin Williams (23/24) - Again, a no-brainer even though he spent a lot of time in Cleveland.
5. Logan Allen (24) - Just like the last two guys, Allen was a star at this level and did well in Cleveland, too.
6. Kyle Manzardo - I really hate putting this guy here. There are so many questions about him from his shoulder to his terrible splits against lefties to his limitation to being a DH/1B. if he can hit 25/30 HRs a year with a .350 OBP and an .810 OPS I would be happy.
7. Joey Cantillo (23) - People want to throw this guy into the fire right now. Well, I have seen most of his starts and he is not ready. He needs more polishing. He needs to reduce his percentage of non-competitive pitches significantly. He just needs to learn how to PITCH. He has talent and time is on his side as he has two option years left and he is already in AAA.
8. Jhonkensy Noel (21/22) - Like Cantillo, this guy just needs to play more. It is hard to deny his potential as marked by his HR totals last year as a 20/21 year old and this year, in AAA, being 4-5 years younger than average for AAA and STILL hitting 27 bombs and has experience playing 4 positions (1B, 3B, LF, RF). Time is NOT on his side, however, as he only has one more option year left and so would have to be DFA'd if they tried to send him to the minors in 2025
9. Jonathon Rodriguez (23) - Most observers would not rate him this highly, but I still love this guy and hope, somehow, our hitting 'brain trust' (tongue firmly planted in cheek) can get the most out of his ability. He hits for power, he has a great arm, he even hits for a decent average by using the whole field and runs well for a power hitter. Although he has never been rostered, he was drafted at such a young age that he can be a 6-year minor league free agent if we don't add him to the roster.
10. Angel Martinez (21) - Martinez is another one of our MIF prospects. He has lots going for him but I think the difference between him being a starter on this team and being a bit player will be the development of above average power. As his walk rate is not great and he is not a significant base stealer, it will he his power that sets him apart from the Rocchios and Tenas of the world.
11. Jose Tena (22) - Tena has made it to the majors at 22 years old but he is slightly less of a prospect than is Martinez. His walk rate needs a lot of work, his base stealing is only marginal and he is not as good of a defender as is Rocchio or Martinez. He also needs to develop more power. Basically, he looks like an old school utility infielder but utility infielders today have to be able to play a little OF and hit for a little power, have a little speed and not deliver a lot of empty at bats. These are the areas he needs to work on but, given his age, there is plenty of time. What there isn't plenty of is minor league options. After this year he will only have one option left, meaning that he has to be kept on the roster permanently in 2025 or he will have to be DFA'd. There is still plenty of time for up and down with him as he is in the majors and has all of 2024 to refine his game to make him a useful MLer.
12. Cody Morris (26) - The first of the guys who might be DFA'd this off-season, Morris had street cred as he was a consensus top 20 prospect for the Guards this spring and has the potential to start, set up or be an opener. Injuries destroyed his 2023 but he should be on the roster next spring. He has one option year left and so could be sent to the minors in 2023 without going through waivers. I think there is still lots in the tank with this guy and DFAing him or undervaluing him as a throw-in to a trade would be a mistake. He has one option year left so, at his age, he helps keep our options open and our ML salary down and provides the above versatility. In Cleveland, you keep this guy and spend your dollars elsewhere.
13. David Fry (27) - The typical late bloomer who found his schtick as a catcher/corner infielder/corner outfielder guy with some pop, he is obviously not a rookie any more...but he was when he came up through Columbus this year. He is my prototype for the 26th player on your roster and I hope he has a long career in Cleveland in that role, one that is hard to find someone CHEAP for.
14. Tim Herrin (26) - Smply put, Herrin is a late bloomer. He is still perfecting his craft as a lefty reliever. His inclusion on the 40-man roster was a reach but, as it turns out, a good gamble. He should retain his roster spot and be good LH reliever insurance at AAA or the second lefty in the pullpen in Cleveland, depending on what the new manager wants and the roster allows. He is a luxury as due to his late development he has 2 option years left.
15. Hunter Gaddis (25) - Don't know if roster machinations in the off-season will cause Gaddis to be DFA'd but he is certainly a candidate. But just like he was called up to be a spot starter or long man depth on several occasions this year, He has 1 option year left so he fits in nicely as a depth option at AAA.
16. Bryan Lavastida (24) - Still young for the IL, he found his hitting stroke this year after a lost 2022. You are talking the backup catcher here and Cam Gallagher and Austin Hedges have set the hitting bar low for catchers in Cleveland. Yeah, the latter two are HUGELY better at defense than Lavastida but the same was true for William Contreras in Milwaukee but working with him made him an all--star catcher this year so, there is that. Lavastida needs to be added to the roster or would be Rule 5 eligible this year. If he is DFA'd again he could be lost but he does have 1 option year remaining. To me, I roster him and go into ST with Bo Naylor, Fry and Lavastida as my 3 catchers for the season. He isn't the best but we are talking backup catcher here and homegrown and cheap with hitting potential is what plays here.
17. Cade Smith (23/24) - Smith is likely to win the Kevin Kelly award for most likely Cleveland minor league reliever to be selected in the Rule 5 draft. We simply do not have any 40-man roster room for him and he was shaky at the end of the season in Columbus. His K/IP numbers are hard to deny and it is likely some team will take a shot at him in the Rule 5 but, as they say, you can't protect everyone.
18. Daniel Schneeman (26) - The Alex Call of 2023, Schneeman has no path to the major leagues with the Guardians but, if they are lucky, no other team will think he is worth a ML Rule 5 pick and we will have him for another year. He had a breakout year in 2023 and there is some question as to whether he will continue his success next year as he faded toward the end this year. Still, I think that he would have gotten at least a cup of coffee with 8 or more teams this year so I think there is some value there. If he continues his ascent next year he will, as Francona has been known to say, kick down the door for some team in 2024. Let's hope he survives the Rule 5 and it is Cleveland's door he kicks down. He is certainly versatile and is willing all the time to improve his versatility. I wonder if he would be willing to add catching and 1B to his 2B/SS/3B/CF resume. If they had sent him to the AFL this fall, they could have worked on that, you know. I still seem him playing in the majors some day, maybe even going all Andruw Manasterio on some team.
19. Micah Pries (25) - I would have bet dollars to donuts he would have made his ML debut this year. But that was not to be. Still, I think there is something there if he can just get consistency in AAA. But that was not there this year and his PT faded as more prospects were brought up to AAA without concomitant promotions to Cleveland. He is versatile being able to play LF/RF/1B and shows power and SOME OB skills as well as a little speed and hitting ability. I think a good year at AAA next year gets him a cup of coffee at the ML level somewhere. Maybe not in Cleveland but maybe Tampa would trade us Junior Caminero for Pries and Schneeman. No wait, that is us that would do a trade like that.
20. Raynel Delgado (23) - A surprise selection in the 6th round of the 2018 draft, his progression up the minor league ladder has been slow. Frankly, he had disappeared into organizational soldier territory until his promotion to Columbus this year when he seized the 2B spot and ran with it until Brito came up that last week. He shows a good walk rate and showed more power this year although some of that could be attributed to hitter-friendly Huntington Park. Nevertheless, there is something there as success at the AAA level at age 23 is hard to ignore. Again, he won't be rostered but may be a Rule 5 target or a continuing breakout candidate for next year.
21. Luis Oviedo (24) - He can be a 6-year minor league free agent AGAIN this year and I am not sure that he would re-sign with Cleveland or even if they would want him but he clearly has a heavy fastball but not the command to be successful in the big leagues. Like his as AAA depth with the hope he finds it.
22. Anthony Gose (32) - Out all season with Tommy John surgery, he was still under minor league contract to Cleveland and, with it being a 2-year deal, will be with Cleveland in 2024 unless he is selected in the Rule 5 draft. No word how his rehab is going but he should be a depth reliever in Columbus in 2024 if he makes it through the Rule 5 this winter. Like his chances of playing in the majors again.
23. Nic Enright (26) - The longest of all long shots before he got drafted in the Rule 5, there is a chance he could have been playing in the playoffs this year like Kelly will if he hadn't gotten sick. His season was a mess because of his illness and I think we should just do a flush and forget, remembering that his Rule 5 selection gave me some hope that he would eventually find his way to the majors. So, let's hope next year is better and Enright comes back strong and can deliver strong enough performances that he gets his ML shot in 2024.
24. Andrew Misiaszek (25) - Out with arm surgery all year, he should be back next year to Columbus.
25. Nick Mikolajchak (25) - Like Misiaszek, out all this year with arm surgery, he should be back next year to add to the strong bullpen that Columbus should have. We should be able to avoid the AAAA relievers next year and fill these roles with our own guys. For a prospect geek like me, that works.
So, there you have it. I had to dig pretty deep, diving into the injured list to make, essentially, a whole roster of prospects and even bending the rules to include Gose just so that we don't forget him, but these are the guys who played for or passed through Columbus this year. Maybe the absolute best group EVER to put on the Clipper uniform, in terms of prospect potential. The lineup the last week or so was beyond belief for a prospect geek like me. Let's hope the next time we see it is in Cleveland in 2025 (sprinkled, of course, with Ramirez and Josh Naylor and, hopefully effective Beiber and Quantrill and our current young relievers).
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