But we need to remember how I got to that prediction.
- Bet that Ramon Laureano was the pre-PED suspension guy (he wasn't)
- Bet that Cal Quantrill was not as good as his results showed he was (they were wrong)
- Bet that Scott Barlow was going to be a good setup man and backup closer (he wasn't)
- Bet that Estevan Florial was more than the AAAA prospect he looked like up to this season (he wasn't)
- Bet that their internal pitching options didn't require them to add SP this off-season (they came up short)
Lots of things went right for the Guardians this year, giving them a solid CFer, best bullpen in baseball, and a rotation of five guys with, essentially, no backups, stayed together long enough to get them to this point. Finally, we have had the advantage of playing good teams when they were playing badly and having Vogt push almost every right button.
But we should not be deluded into thinking that 43-23 is who this team is right now. We need to keep getting better and, if guys continue to struggle they should be moved off the active roster and replaced by other guys deserving of a chance.
Here are some things we should do by tomorrow and why:
1. Send Gabriel Arias to AAA - Arias does a great impersonation of Oscar Mercado. Every time we think he has buried himself, Arias hits a HR or makes a great defensive play. But he needs to be sent out. His body of work over 2 years and how his performance has degraded through this season, on both sides of the ball, tell even the most casual Guardians' fan that he is not helping this team. Plus, with the addition of LHH Daniel Schneeman, the Guardians have two guys who can play SS, not counting Andres Gimenez. Arias is not helping this team. Send him to Columbus for more polishing.
2. Send Will Brennan to AAA - Before 2022, his entire body of work screamed that he was a 4th OFer, at best. Then the 100 RBI year at Columbus happened followed by a successful cup of coffee in Cleveland. But the underlying stats said he was likely a 4th outfielder. He has now had about a season and a half to show that he was more than a 4th outfielder and he hasn't done it. Not even to the level that he is worth the roster spot as a platoon player. He needs to be sent to Columbus to give him time to re-prove himself.
3, Bring up Jonathon Rodriguez - Yes, Rodriguez had his shot and, unlike Schneeman, didn't grab it and run with up, looking more like Oscar Gonzalez at his worst instead of Oscar Gonzalez at this best. But, to JRod's credit, he went down to Columbus and has been raking. In the 1-1 swap of Brennan for Rodriguez, we have a net zero change in RFers. JRod was sent out on June 2nd so he would be eligible to be recalled tomorrow.
4. Bring up Jhonkensy Noel - Noel is no Arias on defense but he doesn't need to be. We have Rocchio and Schneeman to play SS and Tena only a phone call away, not to mention having Angel Martnez and Juan Brito at AAA. What Noel brings is the ability to play 1B, LF and RF at a passable level and even 3B in an emergency. Plus, he makes the perfect DH platoon with Manzardo and good insurance if Manzardo or Josh Naylor get injured. Noel has so much potential, offensively, and he is very hot at AAA right now so now is a good time to call him up. He deserves a chance and this team needs a 2022 Oscar Gonzalez-like spark right now.
If we do these two things we:
- Balanced the position player roster better. Counting switch hitters in both groups we would have:
- 8 LH batters (Ramirez, Rocchio, Josh and Bo Naylor, Schneeman, Gimenez, Kwan, Manzardo)
- 7 RH batters (Ramirez, Rocchio, Fry, Freeman, JRod, Noel, Hedges)
- Stayed the same, essentially, versatility-wise
- Catcher (BNaylor, Hedges, Fry)
- First base (JNaylor, Manzardo, Noel, Fry)
- Second base (Gimenez, Schneeman, Freeman)
- Shortstop (Rocchio, Schneeman, Gimenez, Freeman)
- Third base (Ramirez, Fry, Schneeman, Freeman, Noel)
- Left Field (Kwan, Fry, Noel, Rodriguez, Schneeman)
- Center Field (Freeman, Schneeman)
- Right Field (Fry, Noel, Rodriguez)
- Added the potential for more power (and RH power) and a Schneeman-like spark to our lineup to take the pressure off of Jose, Josh and, especially, Fry.
We have an off-day today. We have time to make these changes. JRod and Noel deserve a chance to show themselves. Maybe they succeed and make themselves viable pieces for the rest of the season or valuable trade chips. Maybe they fail and go back to the minors for more seasoning.
These moves make perfect sense and, IMO, they could provide the same kind of spark Schneeman did when he was called up instead of keeping the same underperforming guys (Brennan and Arias) and hoping for an unexpected improvement that hasn't shown up for 1.5 seasons. With our roster and how the FO has made this whole season a house of cards, that same FO now needs to gamble on our prospects and make these changes.
We have an off day. Let's use it effectively! I think this team needs a constant influx of talent, and the next couple of waves before the deadline should be from inside the organization.
Next time we'll talk about what we can do from outside the organization to help keep the good times going and sustain the good run we are on through the end of the season so we have a better chance to make the playoffs.
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