September roster expansion has put Cleveland in a strange spot: the Guardians have a prospect crushing balls, but the better he looks, the harder it may be to justify calling him up.
Ralphy Velazquez has made himself impossible to ignore with the way he’s been homering, and that’s exactly why his path to the majors has gotten trickier. On Tuesday’s Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, Joe Noga and Paul Hoynes dug into the uneasy math behind the decision, and it comes down to more than whether Velazquez is swinging a hot bat.
Noga said Velazquez has been “forcing his way into the conversation,” but added that Cleveland may actually be less inclined to promote him because of what a call-up could mean for his future. “The more he performs like this, I think the more Cleveland is less likely to bring him up just because you want him to play next year and if there’s a lockout, if he’s on the 40 man roster, he’s not going to be able to.”
That 40-man roster wrinkle matters. If Velazquez gets added and a labor lockout happens because collective bargaining talks fall apart, he could be stuck out of next spring entirely. For a young player still in a key stage of development, that’s a real cost.
Hoynes acknowledged the hesitation, but he also made clear why the idea is so tempting. “The Guardians are begging for power, an RBI producer.
And you know, Ralphy is it. But he is also untested at the big league level.
He’s a rookie, he’s a prospect.”
There’s another layer to it, too: September isn’t the time to stash a prospect on the bench. Noga pointed out that if Cleveland brings him up, he needs to play regularly and contribute.
In April, a learning curve is one thing. In September, when every game carries playoff weight, that kind of adjustment period can become a problem.
If not Velazquez, then who?
The name drawing the most attention for a September arrival is Carlos Hernandez, a hard-throwing right-handed reliever whose road back has been remarkable. Hernandez missed all of spring training after a serious car accident in Venezuela left him severely injured.
Hoynes said he had written him off. “He broke his leg, he broke his arm, and I didn’t think we’d ever hear from this guy again,” Hoynes said.
“But he must have impressed some people down at Triple-A. That’s a huge comeback by him.”
His numbers at Columbus were solid rather than flashy: 25 strikeouts in a little more than 18 innings, with his ERA getting pushed up mostly by one bad outing. For a bullpen that manager Steven Vogt has already said has been running hot, adding a fresh arm with big-league experience across multiple organizations makes plenty of sense.
Noga summed up the whole dilemma with a comparison that fit the moment. It felt, he said, like the meme of going to the pawn shop asking for Velazquez and getting Daniel Schneemann slid across the counter instead. In a pennant race, Cleveland may have to choose the practical move over the exciting one, even if the exciting one is the player fans want most.
In Other News...
Clase And Ortiz Face A Damaging New Twist In Cleveland Case
Federal prosecutors say the case against Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz has taken a sharper turn, with allegations that the two Guardians pitchers tried to mislead Major League Baseball investigators about their involvement in an alleged pitch-rigging and betting scheme. Both players have already pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy, fraud, money laundering and sports bribery, and the legal fight is now set to head toward a November 2 trial that will keep the franchise in an unwelcome spotlight.
The new allegation adds another layer to a case that already carries serious consequences for Cleveland, both because of the accusations themselves and because MLB's Rule 21 bars betting on baseball. Prosecutors say the pitchers attempted to hide payments and obscure their roles during the league's inquiry, leaving the Guardians to watch a sprawling off-field matter move closer to a courtroom resolution without any easy way to put the story behind them. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Spark Debate With September Choice On Intriguing Young Bat
The Guardians used their September roster expansion to bring up Daniel Schneemann and Carlos Hernandez, but the move that has drawn the most attention is the one they did not make. First baseman Ralphy Velazquez has been one of the more intriguing young bats in the organization, and his minor league performance has made him a natural candidate for a late-season look as Cleveland sorts through its expanded options.
Instead, the club is weighing bigger-picture development concerns, including the possibility of an MLB lockout next season that could alter his path forward. It is a cautious approach, and one that has led some analysts to question whether Cleveland is passing on a chance to give Velazquez a taste of the majors when opportunities are open. The debate now centers on whether the long view outweighs the value of getting him into the mix right away. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Wild Card Chase Just Got Tougher Before Huge Orioles Series
The Orioles added another layer to an already tricky postseason push by claiming outfielder Luis Robert Jr. on waivers from the Mets before the postseason eligibility deadline. For Cleveland, which is still chasing a Wild Card berth and now heads into a major series with Baltimore, the move is a reminder that the October race is turning into a test of depth, urgency and roster creativity. Robert has battled injuries this season, but he is still the kind of player who can change a series when healthy.
Baltimore will take on the rest of Roberts salary for this season and eventually has to sort out his 2027 team option or buyout, but the immediate issue is what he means in a race that keeps tightening. The Guardians have enough at stake already without seeing the Orioles add another name who has been productive when available, and the matchup now looks even more significant for both clubs. For Cleveland, the margin for error in the Wild Card chase just got a little thinner. [Read more 🡒]