The Guardians have a stack of offseason decisions in front of them, but Terry Pluto says one name should rise above the rest: Jo Adell.
On the latest episode of the Terry’s Talkin’ podcast, Pluto made his position plain.
“I don’t care if it’s $9 million or whatever, pay him. Just pay him. Pay the man.”
That’s the kind of urgency Pluto reserved for a player he believes fills a glaring need in Cleveland’s lineup.
“Right handed power hitter. I know he had a rough series against Tampa Bay, but you could just tell he’s exactly what the lineup needs.
They have no one in the minors like him. They do not have a big-time power bat ready to go,” Pluto said.
Adell arrived in midseason and immediately gave the Guardians something they’ve been short on for a while: right-handed power. In 48 regular-season games with Cleveland, he hit .244 with an OPS of .740. In 11 playoff games, he batted .195 with a .624 OPS.
Spotrac projects his arbitration number at about $7.8 million, but Pluto’s point was that the figure itself shouldn’t drive the decision. What matters is the skill set.
Cleveland’s system doesn’t have another bat like Adell’s waiting in the wings. Pluto pointed to Ralphy Velazquez as a promising young left-handed hitter, but that doesn’t solve the same problem. The Guardians have long leaned on contact, speed and left-handed hitting, and Adell gives them something different.
Even after a rough American League Division series against Tampa Bay, Pluto didn’t budge on his view that the organization can’t replace him internally.
The same podcast also touched on Foster Griffin, who is now a free agent. Pluto described him as “an old-fashioned innings-eater” who “can usually slap through five or six innings,” calling that a useful trait.
But Pluto drew a clear line between useful and irreplaceable. If Griffin leaves, the Guardians can find innings somewhere else. If Adell goes, the lineup loses a power source the system doesn’t have.
Payroll limits are part of the equation, and the looming labor talks between players and owners hang over every roster call. Still, Pluto’s message was simple: when a team finds a right-handed power bat that fits, it shouldn’t overthink it.
Pay him.
In Other News...
Jarrett Allen Is Making Cleveland's Trade Calls Look Ridiculous
Jarrett Allen has been one of the steadier reasons the Cavaliers have stayed on track since he arrived in Cleveland during the 2020-21 season, and this year he has only strengthened that case. His scoring and rebounding have ticked up, his shot selection has looked sharper, and even his willingness to step outside and test a three-point shot has added a new layer to what he brings every night.
The bigger point for Cleveland is how closely Allens production keeps lining up with winning. He has remained a defensive anchor, and his early-season block numbers have underscored just how much ground he can cover around the rim. For a team that once had to wonder whether the move for him would age well, Allen keeps making those old trade calls look more and more lopsided. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Closing Decisions Made This Thunder Loss Even Tougher
The Cavaliers and Thunder spent most of the night trading punches in a game that felt like it could swing on every possession, with 23 lead changes underscoring just how tight it was. Cleveland had to juggle its rotation without Jaylon Tyson and Peyton Watson, which pushed the staff toward multiple three-guard looks and made every closing decision feel a little more delicate than usual.
Meleek Thomas was part of that equation in a big way, making his first NBA start and giving Cleveland a useful burst of energy and production in extended minutes. Even with that kind of contribution, the final stretch still came down to execution and shot-making, and the Cavaliers were left with a loss that stung because they were right there until the end. [Read more 🡒]
Jarrett Allen Issue Is Becoming Hard For Cavs To Ignore
Jarrett Allen has been one of the Cavaliers most reliable interior presences, but his fourth-quarter role under Kenny Atkinson is starting to stand out for all the wrong reasons. Even when Allen is giving Cleveland strong minutes and anchoring the defense, the late-game rotation keeps shrinking around him, and that has become a talking point after the recent loss to Oklahoma City.
The concern now is bigger than one game. If Allen keeps getting pulled in closing stretches, the Cavaliers will have to keep answering a tougher question about how much they value a center who can help them all night but may not always be trusted when the game tightens up. With more matchups ahead, this is not the kind of issue that looks likely to fade on its own. [Read more 🡒]