The Cleveland Guardians have a lot to sort through with their outfield. There are a lot of options that look at as they search for someone who can contribute consistently at the plate.
One player who is making noise for how they showed up to camp is Myles Straw. Hitting coach Chris Valaika made sure to point out the physical differences he's seen in him since arriving in Goodyear, Arizona.
"He came in more physical -- he’s heavier, he’s stronger, he’s continued the adjustments that we made over the offseason. … He knows that he’s going to have to compete for his job, and come in and show us something and [be] the player we all know he can be. … I think he’s more confident because of that body composition that he has. He’s seeing the results, he’s seeing how the ball is coming off of his bat. I think that we’re going to see a better, more intentful version of Myles this year.
This season will be a make-or-break one for Straws. Scratch that, the first month of the season could decide what his future with the team holds.
The Guardians need more offensive outfield production and Straw hasn't been able to provide for the team. Cleveland has stood by him as their everyday centerfielder even as he hit .229/.296/.284 with a 67 OPS+ over the last two seasons.
Yes, his defense and speed are a positive to have on the roster. But Cleveland should be at the point where they should be content with sacrificing some of that for a hitter who can slug double-digit home runs a year or hit a few more doubles.
Let's hope Valaika's early evaluation of Straw is correct. Any improvements this team can make the better off they'll be. But will these adjustments be enough to keep him in the everyday lineup?
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