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The Guardians have reassigned high first base prospect Kyle Manzardo to minor league camp, tweets Mandy Bell of MLB.com. Cleveland additionally reassigned catcher Bryan Lavastida and outfielder Petey Halpin. Manzardo just isn’t but on the 40-man roster — therefore being “reassigned” fairly than optioned — so this transfer gained’t burn a minor league choice yr.
The 23-year-old Manzardo is the highest prospect acquired from the Rays in final summer season’s Aaron Civale commerce. He’d been a candidate to make the roster heading into camp, presumably splitting time between first base and designated hitter with Josh Naylor. Right now’s transfer ensures that he’ll as an alternative begin the season in Triple-A Columbus.
Manzardo has had a powerful exhibiting this spring, hitting .381/.458/.476 in 29 plate appearances. It’s a small pattern, after all, as with all spring stats — however Manzardo’s seven strikeouts (29.2%) have been uncharacteristic for a participant who carries a profession 17.5% strikeout price towards a sturdy 13.7% stroll price. At the very least within the early portion of the season, he’ll proceed to get some work in Triple-A, the place he slashed .237/.337/.464 with 17 house runs and 27 doubles in 2023.
The choice to ship Manzardo to minor league camp additional opens the door for Rule 5 choose Deyvison De Los Santos to make the crew’s Opening Day roster. He’s hit simply .257/.257/.371 in camp and has but to play above the Double-A degree, however the Guards plucked him from the Diamondbacks group after De Los Santos batted .254/.297/.431 and popped 20 homers in 481 Double-A plate appearances final season.
De Los Santos and out-of-options outfielder Estevan Florial — hitting simply .167/.231/.194 with a 41% strikeout price in 39 plate appearances — appear more and more more likely to make the lower. Outfielder Will Brennan and utilityman Tyler Freeman are among the many different frontrunners for roster spots. Prime outfield prospect Chase DeLauter remains to be in large league camp and has raked at a .474/.546/.842 tempo in 22 plate appearances (9-for-19 with a double and two homers), however he’s performed simply six video games above A-ball.
Barring any subsequent additions, the Guardians will rotate that group by designated hitter early within the yr. They will additionally use the DH spot to get some relaxation for different regulars, as Florial can play all three outfield spots and Freeman can bounce across the infield. It’s a lackluster group of bats on the entire, nonetheless. Cleveland declined to do a lot of something to improve a lineup that completed twenty seventh in runs scored (662), twenty third in on-base share (.313), twenty ninth in slugging share (.381) and useless final within the majors with 124 house runs. (The Nationals, at 151, ranked twenty ninth.)
Florial, De Los Santos and the re-signed Austin Hedges — who break up the 2023 season between Pittsburgh and Texas — are the one newcomers who’ll reshape that lineup. The Guards will hope {that a} full yr of catcher Bo Naylor, a rebound from Andres Gimenez and the eventual promotions of Manzardo, DeLauter and outfielder George Valera will add some life to what was a largely punchless group in 2023.
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