3 Moves That Could Hurt The Guardians' Momentum Heading Into The Playoffs

 C-O-U-L-D

Not W-I-L-L

By all accounts this clubhouse is tight and focused and all about the team.  Good.  Let's hope it stays that way.  The Guardians obviously cherish those kinds of players...if they can, indeed, P-L-A-Y.

But camaraderie is fickle thing.  You have to believe in the guy next to you.  You have to believe in the guy in front of you for you to be able to handle a smaller role.  And you have to believe in the guys running the show (i.e., the manager, the coaches and the front office).

I see some things over the past couple of weeks that make me wonder if the Guardians are starting to do things to get a new spark.  Things that M-I-G-H-T kill the spark they already have.

Let's talk about these and what effect they may have.  BTW, no player would ever say they would have a negative effect but even questioning a move results, I think, in a negative effect.

So here goes:

1. Bringing up Gabriel Arias and sending down Tyler Freeman - Look, Freeman didn't have the greatest debut.  I mean, compare the start to his ML career to the starts that Brennan and Kwan have had.  Heck, compare it to the start that Nolan Jones had!  I love Tyler Freeman's game.  I think he will be a quality major league starter or, at least, a supersub who can contribute at multiple positions and provide offense.  But his start offensively was so-so and he made some rookie mistakes on defense.   In a nutshell, he was not indispensable to this team in the upcoming playoffs.   That being said, Arias has the stigma that when he went to the minors he pouted.  Plus his numbers don't look that good.  Plus he has limited experience in the OF and at 1B, two positions that Francona pointed out were why he was called up and Freeman was sent down.   If it had been Brayan Rocchio I get it.  Throw something against the wall and hope it sticks with your utility infielder.  But Arias?  With the attitude he displayed when he was sent down the last time?  You have to trust the people in front of you who are better than you and you have to want to put the team first to excel as a rookie backup, especially in the playoffs.  I just don't know if it sends a good message that a guy who pouted and didn't put up numbers is the guy you pick for your post-season roster over other guys with talent who busted it all season and didn't complain (to the best of my knowledge).  Add that to the fact that Arias has FOUR errors so far in limited action (seems like he is getting one a game now!) and botched another play today that was scored as a hit, I just don't see the positives outweighing the negatives that would cause a team to want to put him on THIS post-season roster.

2. DFAing Bryan Shaw and adding Bo Naylor - Again, everyone with eyes knows how valuable Shaw was this season in Francona's attempt to compete while not burning out his pitching staff.  Lots of decisions that appeared that he was OK with throwing a game or two away.   Well, almost every time he did that there was Shaw.  Picking up the ball.  Giving a professional effort.  Saving the pitching staff.  But they decided to DFA him and WOW, hasn't it blown up in their faces so far!!!!  Naylor 0-6 with 5 Ks.  I mean, the worst first two games by any Guardians rookie this year...by far.   And against a Royals team that is not that strong and a starting pitcher that the rest of the team was hitting around pretty good.   I didn't see the need for Naylor before and I still don't.  And to risk the negativity in the clubhouse that might be caused by unceremoniously dispatching a warrior like Shaw?  I don't see it and I don't get it.  Hopefully it becomes more apparent to all of us in the next 4 games and, if the situation presents itself, in the playoffs, why Bo Naylor had to be added to the roster because, right now, when it counts, it doesn't look like Bo knows baseball enough to help THIS Guardians team THIS year in the playoffs.

3. Bringing back Zach Plesac - Hey, in a perfect world Zach Plesac realizes what an immature punk he has been and the ephiphany comes to him from his last injury and he goes to Tito and says "man, whatever you need in the playoffs I am there for you, skip." And then proceeds to do it as professionally but technically much better than Shaw was able to do it.  That makes sense.  Hey, it is the move (Plesac over Shaw on the post-season roster) I would have made so how can I question it?  But it isn't my questioning it that might cause clubhouse strife.  I can imagine a scenario where the Guardians veterans think Plesac has repeatedly let them down with his immature behavior not only this year, but last year...and the year before.  When they have finally gotten their team mojo together they might wonder how briinging back Plesac this season helps them win in the playoffs.   I mean, Francona is a genius, to be sure.   But Andrew Miller was the consummate professional in 2016 which made Francona's using of him in an extraordinary fashion work.   It would be nice to think Plesac would embrace a role like that and run with it.  But, based on past experience, it might not be in his DNA to be that selfless...or that professional.   So, when the dust settles and the roster is set for the playoffs, I hope Plesac accepts and excels in whatever role Francona gives him.  Because, once the playoffs start it is not about "me", it is all about "we".  

Let's hope all of our role players that make the ML playoff roster(s) understand that.  They only have to look back to Ryan Merritt and Andrew Miller and guys like that.  They only have to look at Rajai Davis and guys like him who rose to the moment when it presented themselves.  Anything less than that will not help us make a deep playoff run this year.  Something this team IS capable of if everyone is pulling in the same direction and performing their assigned tasks to their optimum.

Bryan Shaw - I just don't get it

 First, Bryan, thanks for all of your efforts over the years.   Some fans didn't appreciate you but you gave lots of great moments to the fans of Cleveland's baseball team.   Thank you again.

Now, to today.  I don't know what others are saying but I don't get this.  There was no way that Shaw was going to be on the Guardians next year except for some catastrophic injury to one of their relief pitchers.  I get that.  Still, I can't imagine why we would get DFA him right now.

Bo Naylor can't play in the post-season unless Will Brennan does not.  Naylor brings nothing to the table that Brennan doesn't, if I can use a double negative.  Both hit left-handed.  Naylor doesn't really know this pitching staff.  

I just don't get it.  What the Guardians did has a chance to disrupt the clubhouse at a critical time.  Keeping him for 5 more days and then just not rostering him for the post-season and keeping him around for moral support would have likely worked.  

So, once again, I don't get it.  

I love that the Guardians are looking internally for any edge they can get in the playoffs but Naylor is not that edge.  Brennan is a better fit both in terms of need and in terms of fit.  

If the Guardians think that Naylor can help them in the post-season I think they are mistaken.

And losing Bryan Shaw at this time has a chance to hurt the Guardians psyche.

No positives for the post-season and potential negatives.   The very definition of a nonsensical move.

I don't get it.

Bo Naylor or no Bo Naylor?

 No Bo Naylor this season unless...

1. One of our catchers suffers a serious injury that could land them on the 60 day DL (definitely would happen in this case)

2. One of our other players is placed on the 60-day DL (might happen in this case)

Look, any Guardians' fan who follows the majors is intrigued with a guy likme Naylor.  A 20 HR, 20 SB guy who is a catcher is unique.   The issue, when you look at it, is that he doesn't really add that much offensively to our major league team right now.  Defensively, the famil

iarity that Hedges and Maile have with this staff is priceless and more valuable to this team than any hypothetical offensive jolt Naylor could bring this post-season.

Yes it would be great for Bo Naylor to get his feet wet in the majors in this last series.  However, our 40-man roster crunch, our great (knock on wood) health at this moment and MLB's 28-man roster limit for September all lobby against this being a possibility. 

The questions that I think we should be asking are: 

• Wlll Bryan Shaw make the roster for the first post-season series?
• Will Eli Morgan make ANY post-season roster this year
• Will Zach Plesac pitch for Cleveland again this year?

I think those answers should be no, no and yes, but it depends on Tito and the front office and who they think will help them the most in the post-season.  

If you have been reading this blog you know that I don't think there is a necessity for Shaw or Morgan but the reality is whether the FO thinks Plesac can help this team out of the bullpen for the first two series. 

I personally think a tandem start of Morris (3 innings) and Plesac (5-6 innings) would be dynamite. But that is just my opinion.  

What do the next 9 games mean?

 So we have clinched early.  The waters (White Sox and Twins) parted as we marched to the division championship and they marched towards maximizing their draft position for next year.

So we are left in an unusual position: 9 games with apparently nothing real to play for.  I guess we still have a statistical chance of overtaking the Yankees but that is all but impossible as the Yankees would likely have to lose out and we would have to win out (their magic number is 2 to capture the second best record in the league over either Cleveland or Toronto). 

So, what do we play for?  What are our goals in this last stretch?  Well, first, we have a great manager who knows his team, knows the playoffs and knows what his team needs to do to get ready for the postseason.  So anything I say is probably not real relevant but welcome the the world of blogging!  So, let's go:

1. We need to get the rotation and bullpen set.  Right now this comes down to see whether Plesac will be part of the first series or not, keeping guys healthy and seeing if Shaw or Morgan will be part of the first series.   

2. We need to verify that Will Benson will not be part of the post-season roster and that Will Brennan will be.  It would also help if we could get George Valera or Brayan Rocchio a few ABs in these last 9 games.  Yes, they likely won't see the roster in the post-season but if the need arrives, they should at least have accomplished the "firsts" all rookies have to go through. 

This, and not losing the momentum of our current stretch WHILE getting guys rest seem to be the biggest other challenges Francona has.

Win or lost in each of the next 9 games and win or lose in the playoffs, I think our manager will give the team the best chance for post-season success.

Roster moves going forward: how do we set up the post=season roster

 OK, semi-legal disclaimers: This post is my opinion and is subject to change based on events that may happen between now and the post-season AND which team is our first round matchup.

So, with that out of the way, here goes:.  Hide the young ones, this could be painful

Catchers (2) - Hedges and Maile - NOTE: Barring an injury which could allow us to bring up Naylor, this is it for the post-season, no matter how long it goes. I see the two of these guys being used EXACTLY as they were during the regular season.  That is, the duties being split between them.)

Infielders (7): Ramrez, Rosario, Gimenez and Naylor as the starters.  Freeman, Arias and Miller as the reserves. (NOTE: I would rather not see Miller but aside from Arias showing us in the last 9 games that he can play 1B, I don't know what else to do.).

Outfielders (5): Kwan, Straw and Gonzalez as the starters.  Brennan and Palacios as the reserves. (NOTE: I think Palacios benefits here by being an extra bat which is needed more than an extra bullpen arm in a short (3 game) series)

Starters (4): Beiber, McKenzie, Quantrill and Civale (NOTE: In a best of 3 or best of 5 you don't really need 5 starters.)

Bullpen (8): Clase, Stephan, Karinchak, Hentges, De Los Santos, Plesac, Sandlin, Morris, (NOTE: In a 3 game series I think you can use a short bullpen.  You will likely need, at most, one long man and I think I put Plesac on the roster in that role and leave off Morgan and McCarty.  In a longer series I think you go with 13 pitchers and only 13 positions players.so we can add McCarty back in.  I think Morgan is the odd man out either in a short or long series. Note that both of these scenarios leave out Shaw.  If you REALLY want Shaw you have to leave off Sandlin and Sandlin has been more effective.  This is the most painful call for the Guardians but gives them the best chance of winning, in my opinion.)

So there you have it.  Shaw and Morgan get left off and we go with 12 pitchers in the 3 game series and then debate whether we go with 12 or 13 pitchers if we make it to a 5 game series.  If we add a 13th pitcher it is McCarty with Palacios getting left off.

Again, just my thoughts which are deopendent on factors (health, opponent) that are not clear yet.  I wish we had a secret weapon to put on the roster in that last roster spot (Jones, Valera, Naylor, Rocchio) but I just don't see that happening for a variety of reasons, the biggest of which is that these guys either aren't on the 40-man right now or aren't performing well enough at AAA to justify being brought up.

AL Central Champions - The things (including the dumb ones) I have said in the last year post.

 First, let's take a moment to take this all in.  The 2022 Cleveland Guardians are the AL Central Champions.  Youngest team in baseball.  Great to watch.  Way to represent Cleveland, guys, and congratulations on a great accomplishment.  

Reading the AJ Pierzynski comment about the White Sox winning the division by 20 games, let's look back at some of the things (including the dumb things) I said about this team in the past year.

Nov. 4, 2021 - about rostering Kwan - "But, still, unless something drastically changes about his game, and the only thing that could really improve to move that needle is his power, the guy is just and under-sized tweener who doesn't project to be any better than a good 4th outfielder on a good team if he reaches his ceiling.   Could he be more?  Absolutely if something drastically changes.   But, from my experience that is not likely to happen."

Yeah, that puts me right up there with AJ, I think.  But there is more.

March 28 - "Looking at Kansas City's roster, we're screwed"

March 30 - "6. In all the years I have followed the Indians this is clearly the most difficult team to predict I have ever seen.  Will the starters remain healthy and will the lineup hit?  And, if both those things happen, will the bullpen keep from blowing games before they get to Clase?   I am not going to make a guess at their final record but my hope is that the Guardians get back on the right side of .500 by the end of May and never look back."

March 30 - 2. I look at Steven Kwan and how he takes what the defense gives him and then I look at Bradley, Mercado and Zimmer and I just say to myself "Why?"   Bradley and Zimmer should be doing whatever they can to get hits and that includes slapping the ball the other way to get hits when they are shifted against.  Starting Kwan in the outfield with Rosario and Straw is almost made mandatory by how bad this offense is.   

3. This is a huge year for Gimenez and the Indians.   His hitting philosophy should be more like Kwan than Lindor.

4. I know people will think I am crazy but two of the most important players on this team, in terms of making this lineup productive, will be Yu Change and Owen Miller.  Chang is penciled in at second base and Miller will play first when Bradley sits.   If Bradley remains a pathetic hitter, Miller will get more chances at first base.

5. The key for this team is the bullpen.   It is beyond me how they could let every good reliever be signed and even let the questionable relief veterans go to other teams as minor league free agents.  I mean even Blake Parker just signed with the Cardinals on a minor league deal a few days ago.  I know we have roster problems but we need more bullpen arms."

March 13 " Here are the expendable guys I see:

Logan Allen (the elder)
Owen Miller

Oscar Mercado

Bradley Zimmer

Ernie Clement

Yu Chang"

There are lots more comments, many of them stupid, that I made during the last year about the Guardians but I will say this.   They had a plan.  They stuck to the plan.   They (especially Francona) made the plan work.  No one gave them a chance because, frankly, this (having this young of a team and this young of a roster and sticking with it all year) had even been done, let alone ever worked.  

People are excited about the rest of the season and the playoffs, and rightly so.  But I am also excited about the 3-5 years after that.  If this year's draft doesn't totally tank, that number will be closer to 5 than to 3.  For a guy who was, is and will be, all about the prospects, this is truly baseball Nirvana. 

Enjoy it brother Cleveland fans.  Enjoy the heck out of it!

And then the waters parted!

 Sorry for the biblical reference.  I am not trying to be irreverent, but this is what it seems like.  

I can see the casting now.  Francona with a long white flowing beard portraying Moses.  Antonetti portraying Aaron, Chernoff....you get the idea.

The light speed that led the Guardians to go from a magic number of 13 after Sunday's loss to a magic number of 3 after Friday's win is just amazing. 

As are the total collapses by the Twins and White Sox, with the Twins apparently stopping any attempt to win games after Monday and the White Sox after Tuesday.

A race, in reverse, for a better draft choice by these two teams?   Who knows.  

But, whatever the reason, we'll take it.

The storybook season continues and maybe adding Brennan will be the extra spark we need to provide some consistency to this offense.

With Clement gone and, likely, Miller and Shaw gone after this season, the plan is in place for next year.  

All that is left is to play out this magical ride and take it where it wants us to go!