The Cleveland Guardians are a team to keep an eye on when it comes to cheap young players with a high upside. That’s always been their M.O., and it’s not going to change any time soon.
Stephen Vogt’s team has its fair share of needs ahead of the upcoming season. However, perhaps the most evident one is the need for more firepower in the outfield.
With that in mind, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report had a somewhat interesting proposition for this team. In his latest column, he made a case for them to go after J.J. Bleday:
“JJ Bleday was a top-100 prospect for MLB Pipeline as recently as 2022, yet he always had the profile of a high-ceiling, low-floor kind of talent. Bleday also has a sharp approach at the plate that will play anywhere, and he can handle himself in all three outfield spots. He’s a good pick-up as a platoon option or fourth outfielder for teams in need of affordable impact,” Rymer wrote.
This makes perfect sense. The Guardians wouldn’t have to give up that much money to get their hands on this young player. Also, he’s not going to demand a starting job right out of the gate, and he could be a rotational piece to earn his spot.
The Guardians have plenty of young talent to build their team around Jose Ramirez. That being said, they also need to make sure they get some proven players who can take care of business when things aren’t going their way. As much as talent matters, they also need to balance things with some experience.
Still, if things go right for this organization, they can have multiple stars in the outfield in no time from now. Chase DeLauter, George Valera, C.J. Kayfus, and even Jace LaViolette could all have big roles on this team going forward. In the meantime, they have to find the pieces they need to keep the ship afloat.
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