2024 Guardians Spring Training Thread

sportscoach said:

I feel like you are underestimating our AA arms, but that is a fair assessment, but I personally believe they will be better than you are giving them credit for

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KluberSociety said:

Lots of names, very little in the way of solutions. Clemmey isn't going to be there in a long, long time and pitcher success rate is very low. The rest are either some distance away or a few upgrades away from being BOR options. There's not one name you mentioned who you could throw in MLB today and expect to hold their own. Dion and Cantillo are the closest but you're either looking at questionable stuff or what's looking like a reliever's command. You could throw Leftwich in there too. None of them actually give me any kind of confidence.

You'd need a lot more of these kinds of names for the odds to work in our favor. I remember just last year there was discussion here about how somehow Curry, Pilkington, Battenfield etc. were good enough that we could afford to trade away some live arms for them. Give me a break lol. And the recent promotions are just filling in holes left or soon to be left by guys like Bieber, Plesac, and Quantrill. We're not net adding.

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Damage said:

This is all 100% fair but we've seen this over and over with our team where guys not drafted in the top 2 rounds just pop out of nowhere and/or become serviceable pen arms.

To name a few:

Bieber - 4th round
Bibee - 5th round
Civale - 3rd round
Curry - 7th round
Hentges - 4th round
Gaddis - 5th round
Stephan - 3rd round
Morgan - 8th round
Karnichak - 9th round

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KluberSociety said:

I'm not as worried about the pen as the rotation honestly. Problem with the bullpen ironically is, the more starters go down, not only do the starters suffer but the pen as well because we have guys like Curry, Gaddis, and even Carrasco and Beede now who are first in line to fill holes. Then what does that leave in the pen?

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AZ_ said:

I don't really see the argument that there isn't enough pitching depth

Bieber
Bibee
McKenzie
Allen
Carrasco

Williams (May 1)
Curry (mid-April)
Lively (mid-April)

Cantillo
Dion (L)
Nikhazy (L)
Leftwich


Beyond this, you're looking at guys like Gaddis and Eli Morgan who would be extended to 2-3 innings a piece and utilize the opener concept as well.

A rash of injuries that impacts your depth to this level is likely sinking your season anyway.

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sportscoach said:

Sincerely we have the group at AA in 23 that was lead by Aleman... I actually feel most of that group will be MLB relievers and good ones at that when they get a chance

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Damage said:

This is all 100% fair but we've seen this over and over with our team where guys not drafted in the top 2 rounds just pop out of nowhere and/or become serviceable pen arms.

To name a few:

Bieber - 4th round
Bibee - 5th round
Civale - 3rd round
Curry - 7th round
Hentges - 4th round
Gaddis - 5th round
Stephan - 3rd round
Morgan - 8th round
Karnichak - 9th round

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KluberSociety said:

I'm not as worried about the pen as the rotation honestly. Problem with the bullpen ironically is, the more starters go down, not only do the starters suffer but the pen as well because we have guys like Curry, Gaddis, and even Carrasco and Beede now who are first in line to fill holes. Then what does that leave in the pen?

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Wham with the Right Hand said:

Williams - great. But I don't think Curry is a starter. His ERA as a starter was 5.24 against 3.41 as a reliever last year. His ERA's as a starter:

1st time through the order: 4.66
2nd time: 6.17
3rd time: 5.40 (only 3.1 innings)

And as a reliever:

1st time: 2.45
2nd time: 8.68

Clearly Curry is only effective as a reliever and only facing batters one time. He's a 1-2 inning guy out of the bullpen and even then you probably don't want him facing the top of the batting order (see his ERA as a starter first time through).

Lively had a 5.48 ERA as a starter last year. His career ERA is 5.05. Enough said.

After Curry and Lively you listed four guys who have never pitched in a major league game. So I would have to disagree that starting pitching depth is not an issue.

Even Carrasco had an ERA of 6.80 last year pitching just 90 innings, and he's 37. AFAIC we have our five-man rotation (once Williams is back) and behind that it's a well past his prime Cookie, a never-was in Lively, and a guy who's proved to be effective only for an inning or two against the middle or bottom of the order.

I think we're in big trouble if we have ANY injuries to the starters unless we get somebody like Castillo to replicate what Bibee and Williams did last year.

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Wham with the Right Hand said:

Williams - great. But I don't think Curry is a starter. His ERA as a starter was 5.24 against 3.41 as a reliever last year. His ERA's as a starter:

1st time through the order: 4.66
2nd time: 6.17
3rd time: 5.40 (only 3.1 innings)

And as a reliever:

1st time: 2.45
2nd time: 8.68

Clearly Curry is only effective as a reliever and only facing batters one time. He's a 1-2 inning guy out of the bullpen and even then you probably don't want him facing the top of the batting order (see his ERA as a starter first time through).

Lively had a 5.48 ERA as a starter last year. His career ERA is 5.05. Enough said.

After Curry and Lively you listed four guys who have never pitched in a major league game. So I would have to disagree that starting pitching depth is not an issue.

Even Carrasco had an ERA of 6.80 last year pitching just 90 innings, and he's 37. AFAIC we have our five-man rotation (once Williams is back) and behind that it's a well past his prime Cookie, a never-was in Lively, and a guy who's proved to be effective only for an inning or two against the middle or bottom of the order.

I think we're in big trouble if we have ANY injuries to the starters unless we get somebody like Castillo to replicate what Bibee and Williams did last year.

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AZ_ said:

This assumes no improvement from Curry after his first taste of big league action.

Even if he's a 2-3 inning guy, that provides value in an era where "starter" is a more vague term and this organization is more likely to embrace openers and piggybacking in the rotation.

Carrasco is healthy by all accounts, as well.


Obviously, Cantillo looks pretty sharp as the potential first call up. Beyond that, I'm very excited to see guys like Will Dion, Doug Nikhazy, Tanner Burns.

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Lee said:

Do you think our minor league has better players and depth at hitting or pitching? Obviously allot of the top young arms got called up, another one is injured...again...just curious on your view or anyone else that wants to chime in....hopefully on the regular season thread, lol

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Lee said:

Do you think our minor league has better players and depth at hitting or pitching? Obviously allot of the top young arms got called up, another one is injured...again...just curious on your view or anyone else that wants to chime in....hopefully on the regular season thread, lol

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