CLEVELAND, Ohio – Talking to myself about the Guardians as they took a 12-13 record into the weekend.
Q: What have we learned about the Guardians?
A: Before dealing with that big question, time for even greater appreciation of Jose Ramirez.
Q: Why? Because he was the American League Player of the Month for April? Because he signed a seven-year, $141 million contract to stay in Cleveland?
A: All of those are good reasons, but there is something else.
Q: OK, what?
A: Here is part of what Rafa Nieves – the agent for Ramirez – told ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez: “They told him that they can’t afford what he’s worth, and he told them that he didn’t care. He wanted to stay there, and they made it work. He knows that he left money on the table, but he says, ‘$150 million or $200 million, my life is gonna be the same. I’m happier with $150 million in Cleveland than $200 million somewhere else.’”
Q: Wow!
A: Nieves also said he tried to talk Ramirez out of signing the contract. He said “everybody did.” But Ramirez worried he’d be traded because he had two years on his old contract. He liked Cleveland. Often players say, “It’s not about the money,” when it’s all about the money. This time, it wasn’t about the money – although Ramirez is the first to admit he makes a lot of money. But in sports – where players compare not only their stats, but also their paychecks – this is rare.
Q: And he’s having a great year.
A: It’s remarkable. He is batting .315 (1.054 OPS) with 7 HRs and leading the American League with 29 RBI. I love this stat: He has walked 15 times compared to only 10 strikeouts in 109 plate appearances.
Q: Teams keep walking him. Don’t you think that is frustrating for Ramirez?
A: Absolutely. The Guardians have to find someone to hit behind him. Franmil Reyes is finally showing some life. He is 5-for-8 in the last two games. But overall, it’s bee an frustrating season. The DH is batting .184 (.473 OPS) with 50 strikeouts and three walks in 91 plate appearances. He has two homers.
Q: What happened to him?
A: He’s a guy who hit 37 and 30 HR in the last two 162-game seasons. He’s streaky, but not helpless like much of this season. Nor has he been a strikeout machine. Manager Terry Francona had to drop Reyes lower in the order.
Q: Isn’t it a sign of weakness when the team fails to have a veteran hitter producing behind Ramirez?
A: The old baseball line is ... well, it’s early. And that’s true. But this also is a young team with little power. Trivia question: Ramirez leads the Guardians with 7 HR. Who is next?
Q: Well, it’s not Reyes...um...Austin Hedges?
A: Oscar Mercado with 3 HR, but he’s batting only .190. Hedges is one of several guys with two homers.
Q: Yikes! Who should bat cleanup?
A: Before answering that, here’s another question: Who is second on the team (behind Ramirez) in RBI?
Q: Owen Miller?
A: Miller is having an excellent season, but it’s Andres Gimenez with 14 RBI. He is batting .344 (.895 OPS) with a pair of homers. He has only one walk in 62 plate appearances, but he’s only 23. Consider this: Gimenez opened the 2021 season with Cleveland, batted .180 and was sent back to the minors. He moved into the regular lineup on Sept. 1, 2021. Since then, he’s hitting .306 (41-for-134) with 5 HR and 24 RBI.
Q: You want to bat him cleanup?
A: No. I’d go with Josh Naylor. He’s making an incredible comeback from the compound fracture of his leg last season. Naylor is hitting .333 (.847 OPS) with a pair of homers.
Q: Won’t teams keep walking Ramirez?
A: No doubt. What can help is if Myles Straw and Steven Kwan keep reaching base in front of Ramirez. Kwan had a sizzling start and he’s now very solid: Hitting .328 (897 OPS). Kwan leads the Guardians with a .423 on-base percentage. Then comes Ramirez (.413) followed by Straw (.366).
Q: Can’t the Guardians do something to add pop to the lineup?
A: Another question: What team leads the American League in batting average?
Q: It can’t be Cleveland...
A: It’s those Guardians, batting .251. Yes, baseball is that bad when it comes to hitting. The typical player is batting .233. The Guardians are third in runs scored. It’s a bit deceiving because they have crushed bad pitching and been shut down by good pitching. But I was still surprised when looking up these numbers.
Q: Don’t you still want more offense?
A: I’d love to see them package some prospects (not elite ones) for a younger hitter with some power and who has a few years on team control on his contract. They are loaded with pitchers and middle infielders in the farm system.
Q: What about Oscar Gonzalez?
A: He’s the only guy at Class AAA Columbus with major power. He is batting .320 (.942 OPS) with 7 HR and 24 RBI. He’s a guy with only 14 strikeouts in 106 plate appearances. But he also has only three walks. The Guardians would like him to swing at fewer bad pitches. He’s mostly a DH. I can see him getting a chance at some point, but the team needs a veteran hitter.
Q: Why can’t the Guardians beat good teams?
A: They’re not a good team. They are a young team. They are 10-2 vs. teams with losing records. They are 2-11 vs. teams with winning records.
Q: The bottom line?
A: I picked them to finish 77-85. They are a team with some intriguing prospects and one superstar in Ramirez. They are 12-13. That’s about what you’d expect from this roster. Their youth promising talent does set them up to improve over the course of the season.
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