The Cleveland Guardians have plenty of pressure on them to get better after back-to-back AL Central crowns that ultimately ended in playoff shortcomings. Some fans are justifiably frustrated with the offseason so far, as the front office hasn’t done anything to improve the team’s obvious needs that have held it back from reaching the World Series over the past couple of years.
Cleveland had one of the worst lineups in baseball last season and has a few glaring deficiencies on the pitching staff due to the absences of Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, who are both under investigation for gambling. Improvements have to be made, whether they come from internal or external sources, and one insider recently revealed exactly where those improvements could come from.
ESPN’s Jesse Rogers recently wrote an article about what’s next for each AL Central team. For Cleveland, he noted that bullpen additions could be in the cards in free agency, while offensive upgrades will likely have to come from the prospects slated to reach the big leagues this season.
“What they still need to do: Cleveland probably isn’t done adding to its pen. The Guardians will look for another arm before spring training, but it’s their offense that needs the boost. A right-handed depth bat is a key need, but the organization is hoping for internal options at the plate as well. It could come in the form of budding prospects such as 2024 No. 1 draft pick Travis Bazzana. He still has work to do in the minors before making his debut. Chase DeLauter could make an impact as well after debuting late last season,” Rogers said.
DeLauter has a chance to crack the Opening Day roster due to how abysmal the outfield was last season. Steven Kwan had a typical Steven Kwan year, but everybody else in the outfield flopped hard, so DeLauter doesn’t have a high bar to clear in order to serve as an upgrade over that group.
He posted a .888 OPS in the minors over the past three years, and if he can even sniff that in the majors, he’ll be a massive addition to this roster. Bazzana still has a little ways to go, as Rogers wrote, partly due to his performance and partly due to the fact that there isn’t as obvious an immediate need for him in the lineup with Brayan Rocchio and Gabriel Arias occupying the middle infield spots.
It’s fair to be frustrated that the Guardians haven’t gone out and acquired a big bat or two to improve what was a lifeless offense at many points last season, but DeLauter and Bazzana have the ability to serve as those big bats. It’s a lot to ask of two rookies, but all signs point to them being up to the task.
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