Several of the starting pitchers at Cleveland’s complex have elbow scars after a year of rehabilitation, while others have mental scars from a year to forget.
This winter, the Guardians worked hard to increase the depth of their starting pitching, and they appear to have a type. The Guardians might be able to assist you if you recently undergone elbow surgery.
According to a club insider who spoke to The Athletic, John Means is the most recent recuperating pitcher to join the group. His one-year deal (with a 2026 club option) will become official if he passes a medical on Tuesday in Goodyear.
In June, he had Tommy John surgery, the second one he has had in 26 months. That explains why Means, who was named an All-Star in his rookie season in 2019, only started 10 games in the previous three years.
Put his name on the pile, then. After undergoing elbow surgery over the weekend, Shane Bieber hopes to return in the middle of the season.
Unrestricted since June 2023, Vince Velasquez participated in a live batting practice on Sunday after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
All of those pitchers want to recover from surgery like Matthew Boyd did. Boyd never appeared rusty after joining the Guardians last summer.
He secured a two-year contract with the Cubs by leveraging eight outstanding regular-season starts and three successful postseason appearances.
There are also healthy candidates. In order to replace star Tanner Bibee in the rotation, the Guardians acquired Luis Ortiz, a sinkerballer the size of an edge rusher with sequoia trunks for thighs.
His grin makes you happy. Manager Stephen Vogt described Ortiz as “happy.” “He’s pretty nasty, except when he’s on the mound.”
The Guardians signed veterans Kolby Allard and Jakob Junis, who will be developed as a starter but informed the organization he’s open to any role.
Additionally, they are counting on Joey Cantillo, Logan Allen, Gavin Williams, and Triston McKenzie to make progress.
Over the weekend, McKenzie reached 95 mph in his first live bullpen session. He will pitch the Cactus League opener on Saturday.
The striking zone on a nearby back field was pummeled by Cantillo. Additionally, Slade Cecconi, who was acquired from the Diamondbacks in a trade, showed some fire.
Last season, Carlos Carrasco, who is nearing the end of his career, recorded the third-most innings of any Cleveland pitcher.
An AL Central championship somehow remained unaffected by a rotation riddled with injuries and inconsistencies. In order to collect enough weapons to discover enough quality amid the number, the Guardians are striving to guarantee that this will continue to be the case in 2025.
Searching for a contender for the “Best Shape of His Life” spring trope? What about the man whose 39th birthday is in April?
Carlos Santana declared on Monday, “I don’t feel 38.”
Nelson Cruz played his final big-league game two days after turning forty-three, and Santana asked him for guidance a few years ago on how to keep his body in big-league shape.
Santana employed a cook and a trainer. He believes he can play for “one or two more years” because to the adjustments that helped him earn his first Gold Glove Award the previous season.
This winter, one day after selling his Bratenahl home, he returned to Cleveland following stints with the Royals, Mariners, Pirates, Brewers, and Twins. Given what he has said about the club, it is not surprising that he is returning for his third tour with them. (A salary of $12 million is likely to help.)
He remarked, “Cleveland hits in my heart.” “I have spent a lot of my life in Cleveland. What is your favorite team, people ask me? Cleveland, I say. Who runs the front office the best? Cleveland. Supervisor? Cleveland. All of it? … This is my home, Cleveland.
The Guardians are replacing Boyd, who wasn’t on the team for long but had colleagues looking to him for direction, Andrés Giménez, a quiet man who led by example, and Josh Naylor, a leader who was outspoken and passionate.
Who will take over as leader? Austin Hedges is a natural, a coffee-drinking catcher who wants to become a coach. Santana, Bieber, Bibee, and Paul Sewald, the reliever, would be suitable. Don’t forget about Steven Kwan, who is starting his fourth season in the major leagues, has one of the most impressive résumé on the team, and is a representative of the game’s cerebral side.
As he looks around at players who have little big-league experience, Kwan said he is hesitant to call himself a veteran, but it’s hard to ignore.
He remarked, “I still find it hard to believe I’m in this position.”
Kwan, who had 185 walks and 186 strikeouts in his three big league seasons, may be the player with the best command of the strike zone. Kwan, however, has to be reminded of the exact positions of balls and strikes.
Kwan glanced toward the seats beyond the fence, where Guardians evaluators keep an eye on the play using a variety of electronic tools, as he left the batter’s box during a live batting practice on Sunday. Kwan inquired as to whether the last pitch was low.
Vogt remarked, “It takes some reps to get back into it.” The June and July editions of athletes are sometimes overlooked since they aren’t quite ready. You need to get back into the routine of accomplishing daily tasks.
On Monday morning, José Ramírez flaunted his new gold Rolex to his teammates. At one point, he even (jokingly) offered the watch to a team employee. Ramírez got to camp far in advance of the club’s required reporting deadline, in early February.
So it should come as no surprise that his colleagues did the same. Everybody on the roster arrived early. Ramírez, who is starting his 13th season in the major leagues, has placed in the top five of the AL MVP voting five times in the past eight seasons (and in the top 10 seven times).
Infielder Tyler Freeman remarked, “You miss that presence during the offseason.” “As soon as you enter the locker room, José is the one guy who will make you laugh.”
