Introduction to JP Feher's Cleveland Guardians' Blog
March 30, 2023
March 30, 2023
Play Ball
Announcement: The new name on my blog for the team, formerly CBT (Cleveland Baseball Team)is, ta da, the Guardians, aka the Gs or maybe the Guards. I just can’t go on beating a dead horse.
The Cleveland Guardians’ 2023 baseball season commences this evening in Seattle. Unlike last year at this time, when great uncertainly surrounded the team’s prospects, fans expect a robust team, hoping, at least, for a continuation of the incredible finish to the 2022 season. Incredible? Sure, going 22-6 to finish the regular season, knocking off Tampa Bay in the first round of the playoffs, then taking the $$$ NY Yankees to the fifth game of the second round before succumbing.
Here’s what I wrote at this time last year:
Newpapers report that the team will have the youngest and lowest paid roster in the major leagues. So I don’t have high expectations for this year’s club, but I infer there is a strategy before any games are played. With excellent starting pitching on the current club and several bright prospects in the queue, numerous infield prospects on the current roster and more, maybe the best ones, in the minors. I foresee a season to find a few, hopefully an excess of real new offensive infielders, so that with an excess of young talent, trades can be arranged to find real outfield talent in trades or free agency.
Here are the young or youngish players on the opening 28 man roster that comprise the up and comers and what their original organization was: Owen Miller, Padres; Andres Gimenez, Mets, Ernie Clement, Cleveland; Yu Chang, Cleveland. Each of these players can play multiple infield positions. All of these players spent time in Cleveland last year, most struggled offensively. So let’s see if any of them can hit credibly this year. Waiting in the wings with the Columbus Clippers is Gilbert Arias, possibly the best of them. He has been an impressive hitter at all minor league levels and was impressive in spring training. I imagine that team management anticpates a shake out of the current roster by June, or sooner, then finding a starting role for Arias. Outside the group of infielders is an intriguing rookie, left handed Steven Kwan. Slight of build, a true contact hitter, more walks than strikeouts, who has had high averages in his 3 minor league seasons, but only reached Triple A at the end of 2021. Crossing fingers with this guy. Realistically though, the majors are a tough nut to crack.
What a difference a year makes – serendipity. Miller, Clement and Chang didn’t work out: all now with different teams. But Andres Gimenez blossomed: .300 at bat, Gold Glove winner, all star 2nd baseman. He just signed a seven year contract for around $100M. If he plays as well in the coming years as he did last year, the deal will be a success for the team. Arias is now the backup infielder. The Guardians no longer have worries about the infield.
But, surprise of surprises, the Gs no longer have outfield concerns either. I’m not going to waste time extoling the virtues of left fielder Steven Kwan – you’ll be reading a lot about him in the coming months. For those who don’t know, he, like Gimenez, batted near .300 and won a Gold Glove : his baseball IQ must be around 180. The out of the blue (in a good way) shocker was the arrival and success of Oscar Gonzalez. He was not protected on the Gs’ forty man roster as the 2022 season began, therefore he could have been signed by any major league team. No takers. The only reason he was promoted to the Gs’ roster from Columbus was the injury, then performance failure, of Franmil Reyes. Once Gonzalez settled in, he played like a genuine talent, including excellent fielding. The knock on him prior to his major league appearance was that he was a hit or miss swinger, lots of power but poor plate discipline. Although he didn’t have many homers in 2022, he consistently hit the ball hard, with lots of doubles, while maintaining a reasonable strikeout rate. Rookie phenom, dreaded sophomore slump? Lets hope not.
Cleveland’s pitching staff performance in 2022 was a mixed bag. It continues to have major question marks. The top three starters, Shane Bieber, Triston McKenzie and Cal Quantrill were fine, but starters four and five, Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale struggled mightily with inconsistency and injury, having a 6-18 won-loss record These five continue to comprise the starting staff, although McKinsey starts the year on the IL, out for up to eight weeks. The relief crew turned out to be a team strength last year, featuring the lights out closer, Emmanuel Clase. The relief staff continues with the same personnel.
From all I’ve written above, there’s cause for optimism. At its best, the 2022 team was great fun to watch: good pitching, excellent fielding, terrific baserunning, the best contact hitting and lowest strikeout rate in the majors. However, one must never ignore the classic caveat: past performance is never a guarantee for future success. Let’s not forget that the 2022 Gs had some horrible swoons, like being swept by lowly Detroit in a four game series in early July.
Speaking of swoons, that brings us to where we are today, facing the Seattle Mariners in a four game set in Seattle with another three when Cleveland opens at home next week. In late August and early September last year Cleveland played seven games against Seattle in a ten day stretch. To say it didn’t go well for the Guardians would be an understatement - Seattle took six of seven with dominant pitching, sweeping the Gs in Cleveland. It was after that series that the Gs showed true grit, getting off the proverbial mat to play its best baseball of the year, crushing division rivals Chicago and Minnesota to win the AL Central crown.
For the fourth year in a row Shane Bieber, who else, will be the starting pitcher for the Guardians’ first game. Coming off a major injury in 2021, Bieber had an excellent year in 2022, getting better as the year progressed, though never regaining wipe out capability with his heater. He’s look great in spring training. The second game of the series could be problematic for the Gs because Seattle has scheduled 2021 Cy Young winner Robbie Roy to pitch. Last year Roy shut out Cleveland twice, striking out 10, walking none, while allowing just 9 hits in 14 innings. Until his injury intervened, Triston McKinsey was slated to face Robbie Roy. Inserted in his place is Hunter Gaddis. Wow! think I. Although I know it’s not in manager Francona’s DNA to throw out the white flag, how else would you describe putting Gaddis out there against Robbie Roy, given his record last year. I’m reminded that after a brief stay at Triple A Columbus, Gaddis’ first major league appearance was against Houston last year on August 5th, a day after Cleveland was shut out by Justin Verlander. In that game he got as far as retiring one batter in the fourth inning, but gave up eight earned runs. His only other appearance was on September 15 against the White Sox, with what I suppose might be reckoned marginal improvement by completing the fourth inning while surrendering seven earned runs. So I’m not sanguine regarding the Gs’ chances on Friday in Seattle. To be fair to Francona, Gaddis made the team, bless his soul, and his role is to fill in as needed. Ergo, a starter is incapacitated, pencil in Gaddis. There are 6 other contests where the Gs will have a better shot at Seattle. Should they win 3 of the 7 games, that will be a cause for joy.
Playing seven out of the first ten games against Seattle seems like a tough assignment, but the good news is that the first series is in Seattle. It may not be warm there, but the stadium has a retractable roof. Had Cleveland played at home today, the game time temperature would have been in the high 30s with a Northern breeze. That might be okay for rugby or curling, but it’s a disaster for baseball. In recent years Cleveland has opened its season in some horrible weather. Two years ago Cleveland played Detroit in Detroit, losing the game 3-2, primarily the result of Miguel Cabrera’s first inning homer, a fly ball that apparently cleared the wall in right field, lost in a low flying snow squall.
First pitch in two hours.