The Cleveland Guardians have a sizable contingent of players in camp.
You have the established veterans, those looking for a roster spot, and prospects who were up to get some reps with major leaguers and get their feet wet in The Show.
Daniel Espino and George Valera were part of the last group.
However, they have been sent to the minors, where they will continue their training ahead of the season.
“First roster moves of the spring: +Optioned RHP Daniel Espino and OF George Valera to @CLBClippers,” Guards Insider tweeted.
First roster moves of the spring:
+Optioned RHP Daniel Espino and OF George Valera to @CLBClippers
— GuardsInsider (@GuardsInsider) March 8, 2024
These moves were widely expected, as nobody had them winning spots in camp.
Espino has missed considerable development time due to injuries.
He has pitched just 18.1 innings since the 2022 campaign, and they all came in Double-A.
He is not ready for the majors, both physically and skills-wise.
The hope, however, is that 2024 represents a year of strides and steps forward for him.
The most likely scenario is that he starts in Double-A and remains in the minors for most, if not all of the year.
He needs to get used to what it means to pitch every five or six days again: he hasn’t done it in a long time.
As for Valera, he wasn’t particularly productive last year in Triple-A, where he hit .211/.343/.375 with an 84 wRC+ (100 is the league average).
He knows how to take a walk and has power, and that floor should give him an MLB career at some point.
However, he strikes out a lot and has to overcome very low batting averages as a result.
The Guards will be very patient with both prospects: they will be up when the time is right.
NEXT: Guardians Once Again Rank Low On Key Offseason List
