The Cleveland Guardians need an offensive spark.
They need a left-handed hitter who can provide any sort of offense from the outfield, and they also need an exciting player who can get the fans to believe in the team again.
They happen to have all of that in Chase DeLauter.
That’s why insider Joe Noga can’t fathom why the Guardians have yet to call him up.
Noga recently put the Guardians on blast and talked about how they already have room for their superstar prospect.
“Now we’re at the point where [president Chris] Antonetti said, ‘We just need an opportunity for Chase to come up.’ There have been multiple opportunities since he said that and still Chase DeLauter is a Columbus Clipper,” Noga said on “The Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast.” “It’s confounding, it’s confusing. I don’t understand what has to happen in order to get this kid up and get him in a Guardians uniform. Lane Thomas, Kyle Manzardo, possibly now Nolan Jones, all out of the equation. The door has been flung open multiple times for Chase DeLauter. When are we going to see him?”
Of course, it’s not fair to put all that weight on DeLauter’s shoulders.
The team and its fans cannot expect him to be the savior.
Then again, he looks more than ready to at least get a look, and it’s not like the Guardians have much more to lose.
Even if this season isn’t a success, giving him major-league plate appearances could do wonders for his development.
DeLauter was always expected to get the nod at some point this season, and he’s played well enough at Triple-A to make everybody feel like he’s ready for a bigger challenge.
Granted, injuries have always been a concern with him, and that might be a reason the organization is taking things slowly.
Yet, it feels like the Guardians have nothing to lose and a lot to gain by giving him a chance.
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