September is right around the corner, and that means rosters are about to expand from 26 to 28 players.
For the Cleveland Guardians, who are five games out of a playoff spot, it could be the perfect time to evaluate prospects and scale back the workloads of young pitchers. But who will get called up?
Joe Noga and Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com discuss potential roster decisions on the latest Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast.
Which prospects will the Guardians call up?
Noga notes that 24-year-old George Valera is generating interest, especially after he hit for the cycle on Aug. 22 with Triple-A Columbus. That’s a good sign for Valera, who’s struggled to stay healthy since Cleveland originally signed him back in 2017.
“This is a guy who, it’s been a long time coming, trying to get an opportunity to see him up here to make his major league debut,” Noga said. “This is a former number one prospect in the organization. I’ve gotta believe he’s a possibility that they could bring along.”
Hoynes mentions outfielder Petey Halpin, who slashed .251/.322/.422 with 13 home runs and 33 RBI over 107 games in Triple-A this season. He was selected by Cleveland in the third round of the 2020 Draft.
Finally, the expanded roster could help manage the workloads of young pitchers. John Means may potentially return from Tommy John surgery soon, and that gives the Guardians an option for a six-man rotation.
“If Means is there, does that give you the opportunity to, you know, taper some innings for guys like [Tanner] Bibee, guys like Gavin Williams, so that you might see benefits from that next season as opposed to anything that they could be chasing this year?” Noga said.
With Cleveland’s playoff chances quickly fading, using September to evaluate young talent and gear up for the future is not a bad strategy for the Guardians.