The Cleveland Guardians need as much help as they can get on offense. Unfortunately, the front office may not have gotten that memo.
They’ve focused on bringing several relievers, but they have yet to address their needs on offense. According to team insider Paul Hoynes, that’s not likely to change any time soon.
In his latest column, he said what most fans feared. They’re not going to be in the mix for any big-name slugger:
“No one expects the Guardians to bid on the prime free-agent hitters still on the market — Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Cody Bellinger and Alex Bregman. But other free agents have signed or are still available that could fill the role. On the trade front, hitters have been moved who could have easily helped the Guardians,” Hoynes wrote.
Of course, this shouldn’t be a surprise at this point. If anything, that’s the way this team has operated for most of its history.
Granted, it’s hard to argue with the results. Their farm system is the gift that just keeps on giving, and the Guardians have a plethora of young talent to compete next season. Also, they’ve been a playoff team more often than not despite having one of the cheapest payrolls in the game.
The Guardians are putting all of their hopes in the rookies. George Valera and C.J. Kayfus proved to be worth a shot last season, and Chase DeLauter can be a major factor if he stays healthy — which is admittedly a big ‘if.’ They can also rely on Travis Bazzana is the former No. 1 pick gets the nod.
That’s a risky bet for a team that ranked near the bottom in most offensive categories last season. Even so, the fans shouldn’t get their hopes up or expect anything but minor moves to make the team marginally better.
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