Not so long ago, the Cleveland Browns seemed to have the utmost confidence in Johnkensy Noel. He looked poised for a breakout year last season.
Noel had been one of the team’s postseason heroes. And, given their need for a hard-hitting outfielder, expectations were high.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Noel struggled mightily, which is why the decision to designate him for assignment wasn’t much of a surprise. With that in mind, team insider Paul Hoynes dug deeper into the team’s decision-making process:
“The Guardians didn’t designate Noel for money reasons. If he made the club, he would have been making just over the major league minimum of $780,000. They dropped him because they needed a spot on the 40-man roster for lefty Justin Bruihl and he was coming off a season in which he hit .162 (24 for 148) with 35% of his at-bats ending in strikeouts,” Hoynes wrote.
It’s as simple as that. Noel clearly has some talent, but he just couldn’t live up to the hype.
He got his act together at one point after being demoted back to the minors, and he was slightly better when given another chance. Even so, he was still far behind what people expected from him.
The Guardians could still bring him back at some point. They had faith in him, and he clearly has the physical tools to be a dominant slugger at the next level. He’s just not there quite yet.
Also, with the Guardians adding young talent in the outfield with the additions for George Valera, Chase DeLauter, and even C.J. Kayfus, Noel simply wasn’t a priority anymore.
Clearly, the team would’ve rather have him out there and hope that he would outplay his team-friendly contract. But this is a ruthless business, and those who aren’t up to the standards will simply have to be left behind to make room for someone else.
NEXT: Guardians Get Called Out For Questionable Offseason Philosophy
