The Cleveland Guardians finally got some good news about Juan Brito.
The young prospect had an injury-riddled season.
But according to Zack Meisel of The Athletic, the team will now get a fourth-year option on him:
“The Guardians expect to gain an extra option year on prospect Juan Brito, who missed most of the season with thumb and hamstring injuries. Brito, a switch-hitter, was in competition for the club’s second base job last spring,” Meisel wrote.
Teams usually have just three option seasons with their prospects.
The player is considered to be on an optional assignment when he’s a part of the team’s 40-man roster, but he’s demoted to the minors while not rehabbing from any injury.
If this weren’t to be the case with Brito, he would have to be placed on waivers before being able to be sent back to the minors next season, and the Guardians would risk losing him.
Now, with this fourth option, which is usually given to players who missed plenty of time with injuries, the Guardians could option him and help him develop at Triple-A Columbus without having him go through the waiver process.
This will certainly help the team keep some more flexibility when they’re putting together their roster for next season.
They’ve always seemed to have high hopes for Brito, and rightfully so, but they also have a bit of a logjam in the middle of the infield.
Daniel Schneemann was the best utility man on the team, and he’s going to continue being a valuable piece.
Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio also showed that they’re both worth keeping around, even if it’s not as everyday players.
Last but not least, they will also most likely give rookie star Travis Bazzana a chance, so it’ll be interesting to see how they deal with Brito as well.
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