I was just looking at mlb.com's Guardians' top 30 prospects list.
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What jumped out at me is that 9 of the top 11 show an arrival date of 2023. It's not like most of our best prospects are 2-4 years away. The only ones who will definitely not be an option this season are Angel Martinez (2024) and Chase DeLauter (2025). The rest are already at AAA or will be to start this year (assuming Espino, Williams, and Bibee start at AAA).
Not only is our roster set except for the backup catcher and last bullpen position, but we have a horde of excellent prospects who are just being finished off, or may be finished off already in the case of Brennan and Arias.
Freeman isn't even on the list and he's not on the Fangraphs list either. Do they consider him a major leaguer after just 77 at-bats last year? I consider him to be a prospect. If you include him in the top 10 somewhere it's 10 of our top 12 prospects who are either ready or almost there.
Fangraphs is less optimistic, showing just 5 of the top 10 arriving this year. They don't show Gavin Williams arriving until 2025. I wonder if they are basing their dates on anticipated openings in the Guardians' rotation as current starters reach free agency, or if they think Williams needs two more years in the minors.
In any event we're going to have a roster crunch coming soon as other posters have repeatedly pointed out. And the Clippers should be loaded this year.
Does this mean the Guardians may be less inclined to trade Rosario assuming they are in contention? Do they really need another prospect? They already have way more than they have spots for.
If Bo Naylor is struggling in Columbus and they can get a better catching prospect for Rosario and one of our blocked prospects then that deal would make sense, although you hate to bring in a rookie shortstop in mid-season when you're going for the World Series (or move Gimenez to short). But moving Gimenez up to the 2-hole would be a good move, IMO.