The Guardians have spent much of this season searching for offense, and the need at first base has only grown louder as Cleveland drifted behind in the AL playoff race. While that was unfolding, Ralphy Velazquez was tearing up Triple-A and making a case that was impossible to ignore.
Even with Nathaniel Lowe added at the trade deadline in early August, Cleveland still had a chance to bring Velazquez up when rosters expanded by two players on Sept. 1. Instead, the Guardians went with utilityman Daniel Schneemann and reliever Carlos Hernandez.
There’s still time left on the schedule - 20 games remain in the regular season - but general manager Mike Chernoff made it clear the club does not plan to change course.
Chernoff acknowledged that Velazquez has done his part, but said the big-league roster simply doesn’t have a place for him right now.
“There’s two things that factor into a call-up. One is how you’re doing and how ready you are.
The other one is the opportunity on the team. Ralphy has done everything in his power on the first one of what he can control.
He just had an absolutely tremendous month. It was incredible to see the adjustments that he’s made.
The other side of it is the opportunity here. It doesn’t make sense to bring a young player up and have him be a pinch-hitter or something like that.
We didn’t have the spot for him right now, but we feel like with the group that we have up here, this is the right group to hopefully take us into the postseason,” Chernoff said.
At least on the surface, that explanation is tough to square with the current state of Cleveland’s first-base situation. Rhys Hoskins has been out since Aug. 18 and remains a few days away from a possible return, which has left Lowe as the main option there. Since joining the Guardians, Lowe has posted a .218/.258/.368 slash line in 24 games, with 19 hits and three home runs.
Velazquez, meanwhile, has been on a heater in Columbus. In August alone, he launched 15 home runs, collected 32 hits and hit .356/.433/.867 across 23 games. It looks like the kind of production that could solve a problem Cleveland has had all year, but the organization has stayed away from making the move.
One theory around the decision is that the Guardians don’t want to put Velazquez on the 40-man roster, since doing that could matter if labor talks lead to a lockout and leave the 21-year-old unable to keep developing in the minors. Chernoff was asked whether a possible work stoppage next season played any part in the call-up decision, and he shut that down.
“No, no, not at all.”
For now, the Guardians are standing pat. If they come up short in the playoff chase, the Velazquez decision is going to loom large.
In Other News...
Former Guardians Outfielder Suddenly Back In The Middle Of Seattle's Push
Stuart Fairchild is back on a major league roster again, and this time the opportunity comes with a little more urgency for Seattle. After putting up strong numbers at Triple-A Tacoma, Fairchild was brought back by the Mariners to fill a roster spot opened when Victor Robles was placed on the family medical emergency list, giving the club another outfield option at a time when every healthy bat matters.
For Fairchild, the move adds another stop to a season that has already taken him through brief stints with both the Mariners and the Cleveland Guardians before he returned on a minor league deal with Seattle. His path has been anything but settled, but the Mariners clearly liked what they saw in Tacoma enough to pull him back into the middle of their push, even if the longer-term answer in the outfield remains to be determined. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Have Another Chase DeLauter Health Concern
Chase DeLauters latest interruption came in the middle of a game, when the Guardians outfielder left after injuring his right wrist in his second at-bat. Stephen Vogt said DeLauter is expected to be day-to-day and is already getting treatment for soreness and stiffness, another reminder that Cleveland has had to keep recalibrating around one of its most intriguing young players.
The wrist issue arrives just after DeLauter sat out a series against the Los Angeles Angels because of hamstring tightness, extending a stretch in which availability has been the bigger question than production. For a player trying to build momentum, the timing is frustrating, and for the Guardians it adds another layer of uncertainty to a roster that could use some stability from him. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Have Found A Bullpen Arm At The Perfect Time
Logan Allens start in Game 1 of the doubleheader against Detroit put Cleveland in an early hole, with the left-hander allowing five runs in just over two innings. The Guardians needed length from somewhere, and Slade Cecconi supplied it, covering 2 2/3 innings in relief and helping steady a game that eventually turned into a 7-6 walk-off win.
Cecconis outing mattered for more than just eating innings. It came after a recent absence tied to arm fatigue, and the pitch mix and velocity he showed against the Tigers were a reminder that Cleveland may have stumbled into a useful bullpen option at exactly the right time. For a team trying to piece together the middle innings, that kind of development can change the feel of a staff quickly. [Read more 🡒]