The Cleveland Guardians didn’t just tinker at the deadline. They went after specific holes and came away with three additions in Jo Adell, Foster Griffin and Nathaniel Lowe.
President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti said in the offseason that if the big-league club wasn’t living up to expectations, the front office believed it had the ability to make moves to help. That’s exactly what happened Monday and over the course of the past week, as Cleveland brought in multiple players who can matter right away.
Adell was the first name on the board Monday, arriving from the Los Angeles Angels. Antonetti described him as “an athletic right handed hitting outfielder with tremendous power.”
Adell has posted a .232/.287/.395 slash line this season, along with a .909 OPS against lefties. Cleveland appears to be viewing him as a platoon bat who can still provide value against right-handers in the right spots.
“His calling card has been [that] he's been exceptionally productive against left-handed pitching and has had a pretty consistent production against right-handers as well,” Antonetti said. “A very good complement to our lineup.”
The plan for Adell is to get most of his work in right field and at designated hitter.
The Guardians also added Griffin, and while Cleveland’s rotation has been the most durable group in baseball this season, Antonetti said the team looked at every avenue to improve the roster and believed this move fit.
He said Griffin is “acquiring a starting pitcher that's been one of the best starters in baseball this year. He was an all-star, has been really consistent and really productive from the beginning of the season and feels like you feel like he will really fortify our rotation.”
Questions naturally follow when Cleveland targets a pitcher from outside the organization, and Antonetti pointed to Griffin’s arsenal as the reason for the interest.
“He's got a very deep pitch mix with seven pitches that he mixes very well, keeps hitters off balance. So we think he can really help out our rotation,” said the Guardians executive.
Of the three additions, Nathaniel Lowe may be the most immediate jolt to the lineup. Cleveland acquired him from the Cincinnati Reds, and he arrives with an .821 OPS that would lead the team.
The Guardians believe Lowe gives them the kind of steady presence they wanted in the middle of the order.
“Nate's been a consistent professional bat throughout his career. against righties. Um, he's been very productive again this year, and we think, again, he helps lengthen and deepen our lineup.”
Once the moves become official, Lowe is expected to handle the bulk of the first-base at-bats against right-handed pitching, while Rhys Hoskins takes on lefties. Kyle Manzardo will be optioned to Triple-A.
Taken together, the deadline work gave Cleveland help in the outfield, another arm for the staff and a stronger bat for the lineup. The Guardians filled clear needs, and now the real question is how it all looks once the pieces start fitting together.
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