Although the Cleveland Guardians were the youngest club in baseball this season, they didn’t let that stop them from competing for a postseason spot. They swept the Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild Card stage before losing to the seasoned New York Yankees in five nail-biting games. Terry Francona, the team’s manager, has done an amazing job leading this group, which has one of the brightest prospects in the league, and he recently made the decision to return for 2023.
The front office and management of the Atlanta Braves have drawn plaudits for how they secured the contracts of all their young players, but the Guardians can use a similar strategy to lock up their young players for the foreseeable future. These are a few of the many reasons why they shouldn’t be as sad with the ALDS defeat given how quickly this organisation has evolved and advanced.
2 Reasons Guardians Should Remain Optimistic
1. Available funds
To put it simply, Jose Ramirez is the only member of the Guardians receiving a salary of at least $10 million this year. In the upcoming few of years, youngsters with All-Star calibre like Triston McKenzie, Andres Gimenez, and Steven Kwan could be among the best at their positions. They are in a position to add big names with the money they have available because they already have the same components of a championship-contending team.
When compared to larger markets like Los Angeles or New York, Cleveland is a small-market franchise, hence they won’t be as willing to invest hundreds of millions of dollars as those teams. The Rays, on the other hand, are still another excellent example of a team with a modest team payroll that nevertheless finds a way to succeed, and the Guardians can use them as well. In order to win the World Series for the first time since 1948, the management and ownership group might be willing to pay a little bit more than usual if they recognise the commitment and tenacity of this unit.
2. Executives like Terry Francona and Jose Ramirez
It is simple for a young, inexperienced team like the Guardians to stray from the immediate and long-term objectives. Baseball players’ attitudes and mentalities can be affected by factors like quick pleasure or benefits received off the field. The franchise’s leaders, manager Terry Francona and star third baseman Jose Ramirez, are a big part of the reason why their team doesn’t appear to be showing any indications of that.
The Guardians’ reliance on the “small ball” strategy may have cost them in the ALDS against a dominant Yankees team, but it ultimately proved to be a successful manner for them to disprove their detractors. Josh Naylor and Oscar Gonzalez are still developing to be at the same level as Aaron Judge or Yordan Alvarez, therefore they lack the power hitters needed to compete at the highest level.
There is a strong and powerful culture that is affecting the entire organisation, even though there are still certain gaps that must be filled in the next years. Cleveland was supposed to be in a rebuilding phase this year, but instead of just winning a lot of games, they also made it all the way to the ALDS.
Shane Bieber is another pitching gem that the Guardians should hold onto since he will be the veteran who helps pitchers like Triston McKenzie and Cal Quantrill continue to develop into powerful guns for Cleveland. The Guardians are recognised for producing a tonne of stars, but it is hoped that they all stay put and support this franchise’s continued success.
After losing to the Yankees in the MLB playoffs, Cleveland should be optimistic for two reasons, according to the Guardians, ClutchPoints.
