The Cleveland Guardians made an interesting move this weekend.
They signed an undrafted infielder to a minor league contract.
These deals are often lotto tickets: most of them don’t pan out.
It doesn’t hurt to try, though, so 23-year-old Michael Hallquist is now a Guardian.
“Cleveland #Guardians have signed 23-year-old INF free agent Michael Hallquist to a minor league contract for the 2025 season. Hallquist played in 34 games for the Fargo Redhawks of the American Association during the 2024 season after going undrafted out of Ball State,” Guardians Prospective posted on X.
Cleveland #Guardians have signed 23-year-old INF free agent Michael Hallquist to a minor league contract for the 2025 season.
Hallquist played in 34 games for the Fargo Redhawks of the American Association during the 2024 season after going undrafted out of Ball State.
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) February 9, 2025
Hallquist still has time to work his way up in the Guards’ system if he can show he is competitive against professional pitchers.
In 2024, he was excellent at Ball State: in 273 plate appearances, he hit .331/.396/.674 with 21 home runs and a 1.069 OPS.
He even pitched in six stolen bases.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t picked in the 2024 MLB Draft.
At that point, he signed for the Redhawks in the American Association, an independent league.
There, Hallquist posted a .775 OPS in 135 trips to the plate.
He added two home runs, eight doubles, and six stolen bases to his line.
Hallquist is capable of playing second base, shortstop, and third base.
The Guardians are well-covered in those positions organizationally, so they will let him develop at his own pace with little outside pressure.
The odds are against Hallquist, but baseball history is filled with underdog stories.
As long as he is healthy and willing to work hard to be one step ahead of the competition, he will have a chance to fulfill that MLB dream every player has.
NEXT: Guardians Trade Acquisition Shows Off His Stuff In Throwing Session
