The Cleveland Guardians took some big steps for their future this season.
They gave C.J. Kayfus a long leash and multiple opportunities, and then added George Valera and even Chase DeLauter to the mix.
All of them should be in the mix to not only make the roster but also be everyday players next season.
Nevertheless, that’s not going to be enough to compete at the highest level.
At least, that’s how Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com feels.
In his latest column, he urged the front office to finally give Jose Ramirez some help at the plate:
“No doubt Ramírez and the offense need help in the form of a legitimate front-line hitter. They can’t simply rely on promoting one prospect after another from the minors,” Hoynes wrote.
That pretty much sums it all up.
The Guardians clearly have a bright future, and they should give their young stars as many opportunities as they need to develop, grow through their mistakes, and fulfill their true potential.
That being said, it takes much more than just talent to find success in this league.
Jose Ramirez is one of the best players in all of baseball, and his team is essentially wasting his prime because of their reluctance to give up valuable prospects or spend big bucks in free agency.
Of course, they’re coming off back-to-back postseason trips, and they should continue to be a perennial candidate to come out of the AL Central.
But if they don’t want to settle for just making the playoffs and hoping for the best, they will have to do what most contending teams do and make some aggressive moves before their star player is past his prime.
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