The Cleveland Guardians didn’t acquire any bats at the trade deadline.
Even so, they still got a couple of reinforcements.
C.J. Kayfus has been solid since being called up from Triple-A Columbus, and the same can be said of the once-struggling Brayan Rocchio.
Rocchio has been on fire since he rejoined the team, which is why Guardians legend Carlos Baerga went out of his way to give him his flowers (via Carlos Baerga Show):
“Rocchio—we cannot forget about Rocchio. Rocchio has been unbelievable. In the last 16 games, .320, five doubles, one triple, and eight RBIs. He came through again,” Baerga said.
CLASS IS BACK IN SESSION AT ROCCHIO STATE UNIVERSITY! @BaergaCarlos speaks to Brayan Rocchio's breakout second half. #GuardsBall
presented by @FanDuel pic.twitter.com/v755vHAHR8
— Carlos Baerga Show (@BaergaShow) August 19, 2025
The Guardians optioned Rocchio to Columbus in early May after watching him go 15 for 91 (.165) with eight RBI.
He had won over the starting shortstop with strong performances in the spring, but that seemed to be ages ago.
Rocchio got back on his feet at Columbus, going 40 for 159 (.252) with 36 RBI, 20 runs scored, 12 doubles, seven home runs, two triples, and seven stolen bases in ten attempts.
Since his promotion on July 1, Rocchio has gone 38 for 133 (.286) to go along with 23 RBI, a .778 OPS, and three home runs.
He’s not playing shortstop anymore and was moved to second base, since fellow Venezuelan infielder Gabriel Arias took over those duties after being activated off the injured list.
Sometimes, all a player needs is a change of scenery to clear his head and get his groove back.
It even happened to Jose Ramirez, who looked like a bust at one point and was demoted before coming back and becoming the franchise legend he is nowadays.
And while the Guardians have more than enough options in the middle of the infield, Rocchio surely looks like a keeper.
NEXT: Analyst Predicts New Division For Guardians
