Baseball executives praise Cleveland Guardians and their prospects

Baseball Executives are giving the Cleveland Guardians some more props when it comes to their prospects, according to MLB’s Jonathan Mayo.

In a runaway vote, the Cleveland Guardians were voted the team that hoards prospects the most. The Guardians received 34.1 % of the vote, and in a distant second at 9.1 % was the Pittsburgh Pirates. It is clear executives believe the Guardians do not like to let go of their prospects, and you can see the proof in their lineup.

Bo Naylor, Nolan Jones, Angel Martinez, Logan Allen, Brayan Rocchio, Steven Kwan, Gabriel Arias, Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, and Kyle Manzardo were all top prospects of years past. This year, we will see Chase DeLauter, CJ Kayfus, George Valera, and likely Travis Bazzana see playing time. 

This aligns with what we heard the front office say earlier this winter. They do not want to sign any players to deals longer than one or two years, so they do not block the pathways of developing players. All-Stars like Ketel Marte, Bo Bichette, and Kyle Tucker have almost been ignored as trade or free agent targets. International stars Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto were not even considered.

This clears the path for Travis Bazzana and Brayan Rocchio to get all the time at second base. It opens up first base for CJ Kayfus and Kyle Manzardo. It allows George Valera to see regular time in the outfield.

In a poll asking which team develops pitchers the most, the Guardians ranked fourth, with 15.9%. They are behind the Dodgers (20.5%), the Mets (18.2%), and the Mariners (18.2%), but ahead of the Brewers (6.8%). 

Pitchers like Logan Allen and Tanner Bibee have carried this for the past few years, but this year’s emergence of Gavin Williams really gave this a boost. The late-season showing from Parker Messick also turned some heads. The Guardians have stellar young arms, and they are almost all homegrown prospects, making it clear they can develop pitchers in their system.

The Guardians ‘also received votes’ in a couple of other categories: Best at Finding and Developing Sleepers, Best at Developing Hitters, and Best at Acquiring Prospects in Trades.

Executives across the game truly believe that the Guardians know what they are doing when it comes to young talent across the game. They can develop them as both pitchers and hitters. They clear the pathway for them and set them up for success. The success comes down to the player at that point, with some hitting and some missing.

All in all, fans get frustrated when the team is quiet during the offseason. There is a reason for that. The farm system is the reason for that. Despite not being voted as a top farm system by executives, executives clearly see that a bunch of talent has been developed there and do not doubt it happening again.

With a slew of talent ready to be called up in the minors, you can afford a miss or two; you have another young gun ready to get their shot. A player hits, but then hits his contract year, trade him for other prospects. 

It can be a “moneyball-esque” style of managing, but it has proven effective over the past two years, with back-to-back AL Central championships. 

Whether or not this batch of young prospects develops into MLB All-Stars or fruitful contributors remains to be seen, but the Guardians will always give them a fair chance to prove their worth.

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