The Guardians have designated outfielder Ramon Laureano for task, tweets Zack Meisel of The Athletic. In his park, the workforce is selling outfield probability Johnathan Rodriguez for his MLB debut. Rodriguez is already at the 40-man roster, so the advance additionally frees up a 40-man spot for Cleveland. Guardians Potential first reported that Rodriguez used to be getting the decision to the heavy leagues.
Laureano, 29, got here to the Guardians early closing August then the A’s positioned him on waivers in hopes of discovering a taker for the extra of closing season’s wage. The Guardians obliged, hoping that Laureano would handover a spice up indisposed the stretch as they attempted to book era within the American League Central. The veteran did handover a bit of of offense, hitting .243/.342/.382 following the declare (106 wRC+), however the Guards wound up lacking the postseason.
It used to be one thing of a amaze to peer a budget-conscious workforce like Cleveland gentle Laureano a commitment this iciness. He wound up agreeing to a $5.15M wage, which amounted to a good portion of the Guardians’ very restricted offseason sources. The workforce made that constancy in spite of Laureano having grew to become in a bleak .224/.304/.371 slash (91 wRC+) at the season total — and a .218/.296/.373 batting series in 2022-23 mixed (93 wRC+).
The verdict didn’t advance in any respect because the Cleveland entrance place of business or the participant himself was hoping. Laureano’s strikeout price has completely erupted to a career-worst 38.6% this season. He’s hitting simply .143/.265/.229, albeit in a mini pattern of 83 plate appearances. Simply 4 of his 10 hits have long gone for residue bases (one homer, 3 doubles). The Guardians can have a life to attempt to industry Laureano, park him on outright waivers or reduce him.
Given the pronounced nature of Laureano’s struggles on the dish and his reasonably remarkable wage, they gained’t discover a industry marketplace for his services and products. Laureano is overwhelmingly not going to advance unclaimed on waivers because of that wage and can thus most probably sunlit and change into a detached agent. He has plenty provider day to conserve all of his wage even supposing he rejects an outright task in partiality of detached company.
Previous in his profession, Laureano used to be a detail familiar in Oakland. From 2018-21, he grew to become in a tone .263/.335/.465 batting series (119 wRC+) with 49 homers and 34 steals over the day of 1257 plate appearances. That got here week enjoying sturdy protection throughout all 3 outfield spots. Laureano used to be an oft-rumored industry candidate and would possibly neatly had been a part of Oakland’s fireplace sale, however an 80-game PED suspense halfway in the course of the 2021 season tanked his worth. That proved all of the extra pricey, as his suspense certainly performed a job in pushing the A’s to phase with left-hander Jesus Luzardo to obtain Starling Marte from the Marlins in a condominium trade in week Oakland made a push for the postseason.
As for the 24-year-old Rodriguez, he’ll step into the Cleveland outfield for his MLB debut then hitting .276/.389/.449 in 185 Triple-A plate appearances this season. The 2017 third-rounder entered the season ranked twenty third amongst Guardians farmhands at Baseball The us, sixteenth at MLB.com and thirtieth at FanGraphs.
The 6-foot, 225-pound Rodriguez attracts celebrate for his plus uncooked energy but in addition some skepticism for his penchant to chase and whiff. He’s walked in a plethora 15.7% of his plate appearances in Triple-A Columbus but in addition fanned at a 25.4% clip. That’s a suboptimal mark towards Triple-A pitching but in addition a marked development over 2023’s 32.4% strikeout price in 202 Triple-A plate appearances. Rodriguez is a former switch-hitter who now bats solely from the correct aspect of the plate. He popped 29 homers between Double-A and Triple-A closing season, and he’s already slugged seven lengthy balls at the season.
Strikeouts will most probably proceed to be part of his competition, however most certainly to not the extremes that Laureano skilled this season. Rodriguez will even upload some respectable thump to a Cleveland lineup that lately has been luminous on energy however is popping a nook this season. Thank you partially to a heavy step ahead from rising famous person Josh Naylor, the Guards rank 9th within the majors with 51 heavy flies at the season. Rodriguez offers them every other energy bat. He gained’t be just about as sturdy a defender within the outfield corners as Laureano used to be, however MLB.com pegs him as a doubtlessly reasonable proper fielder, and Baseball The us touts his plus throwing arm.
