The Cleveland Guardians announced a roster move on Thursday. They sent struggling outfielder George Valera to Triple-A Columbus after he posted a 46 wRC+ in a handful of games after returning from a calf injury.
The Guardians, however, did not immediately say who is taking Valera’s place on the active roster. The move, according to Cleveland.com’s Paul Hoynes, will be influenced by the Athletics’ rotation for the weekend series.
It probably means that if they send out a lot of lefties, Cleveland probably will bring up a righty hitter. If they use a majority of righties, however, they will probably promote a lefty batter.
4 Candidates For 1 Roster Spot
Hoynes went through the candidates to be called up on Friday, and he listed four names: Petey Halpin, Nolan Jones, Stuart Fairchild, and Khalil Watson.
Halpin had an amazing spring training, but among the listed candidates, he is the one having the least impressive season in Triple-A with an 88 wRC+. The lefty does have two homers and nine steals.
Jones, another left-handed hitter, is playing well with a .291 batting average, five homers, and 20 RBI. He is sporting a nifty 140 wRC+ and is trying to prove he can still have a place on the Guardians after being a below-average hitter in each of the last two seasons.
Watson is another left-handed hitter who is currently hitting .247 with four homers, 12 RBI, and eight steals in Columbus. The 23-year-old, like Jones, has a 140 wRC+.
Fairchild is the wild card here. A big candidate to make the Opening Day roster, he ended up being assigned to Columbus as the Guardians prioritized CJ Kayfus and other pieces for the start of the season.
Fairchild is hitting .316 with three homers and four stolen bases in Columbus. His 161 wRC+ shows he is absolutely locked in at the plate. He is a righty and could be a weapon against lefties.
The problem with Fairchild is that he is not on the 40-man roster and would require a move by Cleveland, and the same applies to Jones. Watson and Halpin are on it.
Kayfus is another candidate, but he is more of a long shot and hasn’t played in the minors since April 24.
The move should be announced early on Friday, before the start of the game.
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