The Cleveland Guardians drafted infielder Christian Cairo in the fourth round back in 2019.
They lost him to the Atlanta Braves in December’s Rule 5 Draft, though.
As it turns out, the loss was temporary, as the Braves returned the infielder to the Guardians on Thursday, per Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com.
Cairo was left unprotected by the Guardians last December, happy with their middle infield depth in the upper minors.
To stick with the Braves organization, Cairo needed to make the Opening Day 26-man roster, though.
Not only that, but they needed to carry him on the roster for the entire year.
It was no easy task, but he gave it his best shot anyway.
The numbers just weren’t there for the slick-fielding 23-year-old infielder.
He hit .179/.294/.250 for the Braves this spring while competing for the utility infielder’s job.
It just wasn’t meant to be for him, and he will now return to Cleveland immediately.
Scouts rave about Cairo’s defense, and his versatility: he can cover second base, shortstop, and third base.
He had his own teacher at home growing up, former major league infielder Miguel Cairo.
However, Christian’s offensive upside is limited.
He batted .241 last year with four round-trippers between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus.
He is also an asset on the basepaths, as his 26 steals attest.
His best offensive attribute is his ability to take walks.
Last year, he posted a fantastic 14.3 percent walk rate between the two high-minor levels.
However, MLB doesn’t usually treat guys who strike out a lot and have no power particularly well.
He will try to keep improving his game with the Guardians.
NEXT: Guardians Hall Of Famer Weighs In On Second Base Situation
