The Cleveland Guardians might not spend cash on free agents like most fans want.
They are responsible and cost-conscious.
That doesn’t make them a bad team, though.
Quite the contrary: they have routinely been among the best teams in the American League for about a decade.
Why? Because they can spot and develop talent.
They need an outfielder, for example, but with Chase DeLauter coming up in 2025 and Jaison Chourio about two years away, blocking them doesn’t really make sense from a payroll and depth chart standpoint.
Chourio in particular had a very solid year in Low-A.
It was cut short by a fractured wrist in late August, but he is already working out and training and should have no issues returning to play when spring training rolls.
“Cleveland #Guardians 19yr old switch hitting OF prospect Jaison Chourio out at the organizations Goodyear Development Complex working his way back after suffering a fractured left wrist back on 8/26/24 diving for a ball in CF with (Low-A) Lynchburg. Chourio during the 2024 season collected 31 XBH, 44 SB, 86 walks posting a .414 OBP with a 144 wRC+ over 98 games played,” Guardians Prospective posted on X.
Cleveland #Guardians 19yr old switch hitting OF prospect Jaison Chourio out at the organizations Goodyear Development Complex working his way back after suffering a fractured left wrist back on 8/26/24 diving for a ball in CF with (Low-A) Lynchburg.
Chourio during the 2024… pic.twitter.com/Uz6ONu1Gb7
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) November 15, 2024
Chourio isn’t even 20, yet he has an advanced feel for the strike zone.
He knows how to take a walk and terrorize opposing pitchers with his speed on the basepaths, making him a dangerous prospect.
The key to his ceiling will be his power.
He probably don’t hit 25 or 30 homers per seasons, but if he can hit 15 instead of five, he could be a star.
Even if his game power doesn’t develop, he should be an MLB contributor in some sort of role given his legs, on-base ability and defense.
NEXT: Analysts Predict Guardians To Sign Promising Reclamation Project
