There is a lot of excitement in Cleveland this week as the Guardians have finally called up top prospect Travis Bazzana to take over at second base. With the offense scoring just ten runs over the last five games, it’s imperative that the front office do whatever it can to find a spark, and there’s no better way to do that than to call up one of the most explosive bats in the minors.
The downside of Bazzana’s promotion is that it has come at the expense of fellow prospect Juan Brito, who was sent back down in a corresponding move. He had just a .505 OPS in his 15-game stint with the Guardians, but manager Stephen Vogt isn’t discouraged by his performance and foresees great things in his future.
Cleveland.com’s Paul Hoynes touched on Brito’s demotion in his recent article and shared a quote from Vogt about his young infielder. Vogt reportedly told Brito that this isn’t indicative of who he is as a player and they believe in him wholeheartedly.
“A lot of it was, ‘Hey, you got your first taste of the big leagues. Now you know what it looks like up here,’” said Vogt. “We told him most people get sent down at some point. This is not a reflection on you. Just continue to work because we know you’re going to help us win games.”
Brito is just 24, and his call-up wasn’t expected to be a permanent thing just yet considering the performance of Brayan Rocchio and the inevitability of the Bazzana call-up. As Vogt said, that doesn’t mean he won’t be a fixture in this lineup sometime soon, but he still has a bit of work to do before that day comes.
Bazzana hasn’t made any noise since coming up, but it is only a matter of time before he starts getting hot. The same can be said for Brito, as he is one of this team’s top prospects and will certainly be heard from again.
Vogt’s comments are reflective of what has become one of the healthiest clubhouses and team cultures in baseball. Every prospect is in good hands playing for him.
NEXT: 4 Candidates To Replace George Valera On The Guardians Roster
