Gavin Williams’ growth has been one of the greatest silver linings for the Cleveland Guardians over the last two years. His ERA may be up slightly this year, especially after getting shelled by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, but he has taken big steps forward in terms of improving his walk rate and getting deeper into games, which is a sign that he is getting closer to becoming the ace this franchise needs.
Williams has been among the most durable starters in the game over the past two years and there’s no telling where this team would be without him up to this point. The big question now is whether or not the front office will take care of him before it’s too late, but one insider doesn’t sound too optimistic that a bag is coming his way anytime soon.
During a recent article for Cleveland.com, Paul Hoynes talked about whether or not an extension is in the cards for the young righty. Unfortunately, Hoynes doesn’t see it happening anytime soon, partly because of the looming lockout and partly because Williams is represented by Scott Boras.
“I think it’s going to be awhile. Williams is represented by Scott Boras, who believes in establishing his clients’ worth in free agency. Williams won’t be eligible for arbitration until the end of this season. But with the possibility of a lockout at the end of the year, and a change in ownership with the Guardians, an extension might not be the front office’s main focus at this moment,” Hoynes wrote.
The trend of paying young players shortly after their MLB debuts has become a trend league-wide, but despite pressure from the fans to lock up some of these young stars, the Guardians have yet to do so. Travis Bazzana, Chase DeLauter, Williams, and plenty of others have all not gotten extensions, and with Williams nearing the end of his fourth season with a lockout looming, Hoynes is right. He isn’t signing an extension.
This team has only gotten stingier over the years, and not only is it obvious when it comes to the front office not pushing whatsoever to get extensions done with young talent, but it’s even more obvious with the lack of big offensive acquisitions. The Guardians have been one or two big bats away from being a World Series contender for three years, but band-aid solutions like Rhys Hoskins are the only moves the front office has been willing to make.
Williams turns 27 in about a week, so we are now at the point where it doesn’t make sense for him to sign an extension. He’ll hit free agency at 30 and if he keeps going on this trajectory, he has a nice nine-figure deal awaiting him, which is something this franchise unfortunately doesn’t seem willing to give out.
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