2022 Season | Series #50 | Royals @ Guardians | Sep. 30 - Oct. 4, 2022

[jjvors]

Video highlights of the game. We hit them hard early and we needed all the runs. We were sloppy in the field, probably because of the rookies just called up.

 

[KluberSociety]

Hammy spilled the beans (like there was any doubt) but Brennan will be on the playoff roster!!

But damn does he look like a keeper.

I'm really afraid of what our lineup might look like and do vs. lefties but we did beat up on McClanahan pretty good so who knows...

Gotta figure we've got Kwan LF, Straw CF, OGonz somewhere in RF/DH

JRam 3B, Amed SS, Gimenez 2B

Whoever C

That leaves 2 spots open, one at 1B and one at RF/DH. I feel like Arias actually takes precedence, then it's down to whether or not Tito will actually put Naylor in when he's so awful against lefties. Otherwise we could have anyone like Miller or Brennan... Looks like Freeman is out of the plans.

 

[KilgoreTrout]

Hammy spilled the beans (like there was any doubt) but Brennan will be on the playoff roster!!

But damn does he look like a keeper.

What is the move they have to make, to put him on the playoff roster? They have to petition the league for him to replace Gose?

What was the effect of DFAing Shaw? Does that create ANOTHER spot?

 

[petes999]

What is the move they have to make, to put him on the playoff roster? They have to petition the league for him to replace Gose?

What was the effect of DFAing Shaw? Does that create ANOTHER spot?

They technically need to petition the league but Bimbo had commented that Brennan can be on roster (I would have thought it would have been pitcher for pitcher or position player for position player but guess not).

Quote " If they want him eligible they’ll be able to make him eligible. This is more about evaluation and moving Oscar out of the OF more."

Also, DFA Shaw does basically nothing as we had to go from 28 14/14 mix to 26 13/13 mix. Or, as other people have said, we can go more position players and less pitcher especially for a 3-game wild card series when we don't need a 4th/5th starter in particular (and 4th starter needs to be ready for ADLS Game 1 if we go 3 WC games - so hard to work into even a extra inning game). We are still at 14 pitchers and have McCarty and Plesac/Civale who can be left off the roster. As for position players, B Naylor and Benson are most vulnerable to go from 14 to 13 (but we can leave as is and do 14 position and 12 pitchers for first series).

 

[KilgoreTrout]

They technically need to petition the league but Bimbo had commented that Brennan can be on roster (I would have thought it would have been pitcher for pitcher or position player for position player but guess not).

Quote " If they want him eligible they’ll be able to make him eligible. This is more about evaluation and moving Oscar out of the OF more."

Also, DFA Shaw does basically nothing as we had to go from 28 14/14 mix to 26 13/13 mix. Or, as other people have said, we can go more position players and less pitcher especially for a 3-game wild card series when we don't need a 4th/5th starter in particular (and 4th starter needs to be ready for ADLS Game 1 if we go 3 WC games - so hard to work into even a extra inning game). We are still at 14 pitchers and have McCarty and Plesac/Civale who can be left off the roster. As for position players, B Naylor and Benson are most vulnerable to go from 14 to 13 (but we can leave as is and do 14 position and 12 pitchers for first series).

What happened to people needing to be on the 40-man on 8/31?

 

[petes999]

What happened to people needing to be on the 40-man on 8/31?

That's why you need to apply for the exemption from the commissioner's office but Bimbo's post made it sound like a formality

 

[CATS44]

Since it looks like Bo Naylor ( LH bat) will at least become part of the catching rotation next year, OGonz becomes an even more important part of the lineup as a RF/DH. It also means that finding a productive RH bat at first (internally or externally) becomes more of a priority...a huge opportunity for Arias.

But it also intensifies the competition for a LH corner outfield bat. With the success that the team has had with high contact, defensive outfielders, Brennan has to be considered the leading candidate.

With Valera seemingly less than six months away, the squeeze is on Benson and Jones.

There is the possibility that Bo Naylor becomes a 20/20 bat. I didn't realize how rare that is. Only two MLB catchers in history have had a 20/20 season....Realamuto and Pudge Rodriguez.

*********

Brennan almost has to make the post season roster. He is not only on paper the seeming best fit, he is also the hot hand.

This puts Benson on the outside, looking in. It also means one more has to be left off. Unless Tito shorts himself a pitcher, this means Arias is out.

If Tito does go with only twelve pitchers, the decision isn't that obvious. McCarty is the only lefty, beside Hentges...and is capable of going three innings in a pinch.

Tito prefers to go with what got him to the dance, (me, too) so the likeliest to not make the cut is Morris.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

The never-ending series rolls on with McKenzie against Zach Greinke tonight. Greinke, who will be 39 this month, is 4-9, 3.78 on the season. He's a pitch-to-contact guy now, with 72 K's in 131 innings. He baffled the Guardians in his three starts against them this season, going 16.2 innings and allowing just two runs.

For some reason Greinke has been great at home and awful on the road. His OPS splits are 80 at home and 137 on the road. Opponents are hitting .310/.858 against him on the road. All three of his starts against the G's this year have been in KC, so we'll see if the fourth time is a charm at the Prog.

Greinke is more of a fly ball than a ground ball pitcher (266-192) and Kaufmann Field is a big park, so maybe that explains his success there.

Tristan comes in with a 2.99 ERA in is final regular season start so he will be trying to finish the year under 3.00. He is 11-11 so he also has a chance to finish above .500. In his last start against the Royals on July 9 he shut them out for 6 innings on 3 hits. Royals' hitters are batting .202 against him, but Drew Waters is 2-for-2 with a double and a home run.

Tristan is on a roll with a 2.14 ERA in five September starts.

Drew Waters, the Royals' 23-year-old switch-hitting right fielder, has been a problem. He's 6-for-20 against the Guardians this year (.300), but those six hits include two doubles and three home runs. Waters has a nice uppercut swing that results in extra base hits. The Guardians need to figure out a better approach because he is doing some damage. He also has walked three times for an OBP of .391. Overall he's hitting .250/.832 in 84 at-bats since being called up.

Will Brennan is hitting .344/.900 in 32 at-bats. Pitchers haven't found his weaknesses yet.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Since it looks like Bo Naylor ( LH bat) will at least become part of the catching rotation next year, OGonz becomes an even more important part of the lineup as a RF/DH. It also means that finding a productive RH bat at first (internally or externally) becomes more of a priority...a huge opportunity for Arias.

But it also intensifies the competition for a LH corner outfield bat. With the success that the team has had with high contact, defensive outfielders, Brennan has to be considered the leading candidate.

With Valera seemingly less than six months away, the squeeze is on Benson and Jones.

There is the possibility that Bo Naylor becomes a 20/20 bat. I didn't realize how rare that is. Only two MLB catchers in history have had a 20/20 season....Realamuto and Pudge Rodriguez.

*********

Brennan almost has to make the post season roster. He is not only on paper the seeming best fit, he is also the hot hand.

This puts Benson on the outside, looking in. It also means one more has to be left off. Unless Tito shorts himself a pitcher, this means Arias is out.

If Tito does go with only twelve pitchers, the decision isn't that obvious. McCarty is the only lefty, beside Hentges...and is capable of going three innings in a pinch.

Tito prefers to go with what got him to the dance, (me, too) so the likeliest to not make the cut is Morris.

Benson is 10-for-55 with 9 singles and a double. He's struck out 19 times and walked only 3. In Columbus he drew tons of walks (75 in 89 games) and had a .522 slugging percentage, but it's been night and day since coming to Cleveland. In Columbus it was walks and extra base hits. Here it's no power and no walks. Lots of K's and the occasional single.

I'm not seeing any role for him right now.

 

[CATS44]

I'm really afraid of what our lineup might look like and do vs. lefties but we did beat up on McClanahan pretty good so who knows...

Gotta figure we've got Kwan LF, Straw CF, OGonz somewhere in RF/DH

JRam 3B, Amed SS, Gimenez 2B

Whoever C

That leaves 2 spots open, one at 1B and one at RF/DH. I feel like Arias actually takes precedence, then it's down to whether or not Tito will actually put Naylor in when he's so awful against lefties. Otherwise we could have anyone like Miller or Brennan... Looks like Freeman is out of the plans.

This illustrates the problem we have going into 2023, esp if Bo Naylor is added to the lineup.

We NEED a productive RH bat added to the lineup. And considering that Amed has been our BEST RH bat vs lefties (better than Jose and OGonz), two if he is traded.

In terms of wRC+, we are the worst hitting team vs lefties in the league.

However, in the Extremely Incomprehensible Stat column is the fact that this team is 27-17 when facing a LH starter.

**************

Miller hasn't been a productive bat overall and esp against lefties, he has quietly been pretty good over the last month, batting .278 with a .350 OBP.

*********

For those who still insist that Straw is not long for being the regular CF on this team, and that Brennan will eventually take over...

Not only is Straw a GG caliber CF, he is the second fastest player on this team...next to Amed.

The only players Brennan is faster than are Naylor and the two catchers.

*********

Notice, too, that on a team built on speed, the two fastest players seem to be the two a number of posters seem eager to jettison.

 

[Tondo]

Benson is 10-for-55 with 9 singles and a double. He's struck out 19 times and walked only 3. In Columbus he drew tons of walks (75 in 89 games) and had a .522 slugging percentage, but it's been night and day since coming to Cleveland. In Columbus it was walks and extra base hits. Here it's no power and no walks. Lots of K's and the occasional single.

I'm not seeing any role for him right now.

There's really no need for Benson with Kwan, Straw and Brennan in the postseason roster. I'd rather add NoJo.
And I'd rather have Freeman on the bench than Bo Naylor

 

[KluberSociety]

There's really no need for Benson with Kwan, Straw and Brennan in the postseason roster. I'd rather add NoJo.
And I'd rather have Freeman on the bench than Bo Naylor

At this point, NoJo = Benson without a glove to me. Yes he was much better in his initial callup but small sample size after being outperformed by Benson for much longer in AAA, and he continues to K at a high rate with unremarkable power. I don't see much value of either of them on the roster but at least Benson is more versatile (faster, can pinch-run, defensively replace OGonz, etc).

 

[sportscoach]

Looks like Brennan is in the two hole today! Just the way I want it! Lol

 

[cliffdawg]

There's really no need for Benson with Kwan, Straw and Brennan in the postseason roster. I'd rather add NoJo.
And I'd rather have Freeman on the bench than Bo Naylor

The only reason I would want Bo Naylor, you could potentially PH the Catcher 2 times after the 6 inning if we needed a crucial bat for that moment……

 

[cliffdawg]

Would be nice if KC throws 2 LHP the last 2 Games so we could put our starting Lineup, to get some practice……Regardless I hope Tito at least start the playoffs lineup the last 2 days ……play to get 3 AB to stay sharp .