The Cleveland Guardians went swinging from the heels even before a pitch was thrown Thursday.
The team announced the signing of second baseman Andres Gimenez to a seven-year contract thru 2029 with a club option for 2030 and reached an agreement with right-handed reliever Trevor Stephan on a four-year contract thru 2026 with club options for 2027 and 2028.
The Associated Press reported that Gimenez’s total deal could reach $136.5 million, including $30 million in the option year. That is second in franchise history to third baseman Jose Ramirez‘s $141 million seven-year extension doled out a year ago.
Giménez, 24, rapidly became a fan favorite by putting together one dynamic season in 2022. He made the American League All-Star Team and won a Gold Glove. He was the club’s youngest All-Star Game starter since Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller in 1941. In his first full season and second since being acquired from the New York Mets in 2021, the lefty batter hit .297 with 28 doubles, 3 triples, 17 home runs and 69 RBI in 146 games. He also scored 66 runs and swiped 20 bases, finishing sixth in the AL Most Valuable Player voting.
Along with the solid play of shortstop Amed Rosario, the often spectacular work by Gimenez may have even transcended what Guardians execs expected when they dealt All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor and veteran starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco to New York.
In Fast Company
Gimenez led the club in bWAR (*7.4), the third-highest bWAR in the AL behind 2022 AL MVP Aaron Judge (10.7) of the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (9.6). It was the highest bWAR by any big-league second basemen in his age 23-season (or younger) since Hall of Famer Eddie Collins (10.5) in 1910 for the Philadelphia Athletics. Only legendary “Shoeless” Joe Jackson in 1911 has posted a higher mark in franchise history in an age-23 season.
According to The Athletic’s Zach Meisel, Stephan’s deal is worth a guaranteed $10 million overall, including a $1.25 million buyout. If both options are picked up, the 27-year-old will earn $16.75 million.
Stephan was picked from the Yankees in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft. He became a key part of Cleveland’s bullpen last year in his second season, striking out 82 and walking only 18 in a setup role to All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase. Stephan also saved three games and compiled a 2.69 ERA in 66 outings.
Ty Breaks Tie
Guardians reliever James Karinchak gave up a three-run homer to Ty France in the eighth inning that gave the Seattle Mariners a 3-0 home win in the opener. Shane Bieber allowed six hits over six scoreless innings, striking out three without a walk for Cleveland. Seattle starter Luis Castillo was even better, fanning six and giving up one hit over six innings. France went 3-for-4. The Guardians got a double by Jose Ramirez and three singles by three others for the extent of their offense.
Guardians Prospect Countdown: 20 to 15
SportRelay.com continues to count down our list of the Guardians’ top 100 prospects for 2023. This quintet features two pitchers who earned spots on the Opening Day roster. There’s a swift outfielder on the rise, a potential left-hander for the rotation, and a multi-talented shortstop learning to put patience into his game to increase productivity.
Here are the previous listings: 21-25|26-30|31-35|36-40|41-45|46-50|51-60|61 – 70|71 – 80|81 – 90|91 – 100
Help From Halpin
20. Petey Halpin, OF 3rd-round pick (95 overall) in 2021 6’0” 185 B: L T: R 5/26/2002
Petey Halpin takes some cuts in the batting cage at spring training.
Video by Chuck Murr.
The precocious prep player got an over-slot offer of $1,525,000 to ditch a collegiate commitment to Texas. He’s already smooth and swift in center field, has the arm to play right and pop to fine bat-to-ball skills. Halpin hit .294 with 21 extra-base hits in a 54-game pro debut at Low-A Lynchburg. Promoted to Lake County in 2022, he hit .219 for three months. Suddenly, the light went on: a torrid .394 in July, .273 with four of his six homers in August to finish at a respectable .262. He has 27 steals over two seasons. With instruction, he could easily pilfer that many yearly. Halpin has a smooth swing though mostly uses just his arms from a wide-open stance. As his body matures, he should add muscle. That began last summer as he went from flicking balls to the opposite field to picking out a pitch and turning on it for extra bases.
Send In The Clones
19. Tim Herrin, LHP 29th-round pick (883 overall), 2019 6’6″ 230 B: L T: L 10/8/1996
When the Guardians find success in an area, they will revisit it repeatedly in search of riches. Andrew Miller provided dominant left-handed relief (2016-18) by mixing a devastating slider with a fine fastball. Last season, Cleveland turned Sam Hentges into another good lefty reliever with a similar mix. When Hentges hurt his shoulder in late February this year, the Guardians turned to Herrin. The long, lanky lefty was near the top of manager Francona’s list even before Hentges went down. Last year at Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus combined, Herrin whiffed 101 and walked 23. This spring, the raw rookie struck out 14, walked only two, and earned a spot on the big-league roster. He did it by throwing a 94-97 MPH fastball and mid-80s darting slider for strikes. Both come from an oddball delivery sequence that makes it even more difficult for batters to time.
Hoosier Daddy?
He may not be quite ready yet for prime time, but the Guardians believe the big Hoosier on the hill will get better and better. When Herrin makes his MLB debut, he will be only the second player picked at No. 883 to do so. Right-hander Mike Koplove was No. 883 in 1998 and pitched well for the Arizona Diamondbacks (2001-07) in 217 games, all in relief. Koplove concluded his career in Cleveland in 2008, working six innings in five games. Herrin will be the 37th Indiana U product to make it. Big sluggers have been the two biggest. Ted Kluszewski (1947-61) clubbed 279 homers and hit .298 for four MLB teams, mostly the Cincinnati Reds. Current Philadelphia Phillies star Kyle Schwarber (2015- ) has swatted 199 dingers for four teams.
Big Game Hunter
18. Hunter Gaddis, RHP 5th-round pick (160 overall), 2019 6’6” 250 B: R T: R 4/9/1998
Everything about him is big. Big body, big beard, big fastball, big potential – and now, big leaguer. Manager Terry Francona told the Guardians’ version of Big Foot last Friday he had made the big-league roster for opening day as a relief pitcher. Asked the biggest difference between starting and relieving, Gattis gleefully told Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com, “It’s a long run in from the bullpen when you’re relieving.” It’s a long run from Gaddis’ major-league debut last year to what he did this spring. Asked to make two emergency starts when injuries hit the Cleveland staff, Gaddis was torched. He gave up eight runs in 3 1/3 innings to the Houston Astros, then seven runs (including five homers) over four innings to the Chicago White Sox. Big became enormous: an 18.41 ERA.
Go-Getter Got Better
Gaddis did not sulk over those awful results. Francona has noted to reporters that Gaddis worked hard in the off-season, trimmed some weight and reported to camp a mean, (somewhat) lean, strike-throwing machine. He fanned 17 and walked only three over 13 innings in five outings with a 2.77 ERA this spring. That’s more in line with what the organization forecast when they paid him a $415,000 signing bonus, by far the richest given any of the 17 players picked out of Georgia State in history. Gaddis finally is firing that mid-90s fastball into the low end of the strike zone consistently. He has always registered a lot of Ks, mixed in with too many walks and home runs due to leaving pitches up in the zone. An improved breaking ball has helped this year … BIG time.
Lefty On Location
17. Logan Allen, LHP 2nd-round pick (56 overall) in 2020 6’0” 200 B: R T: L 9/5/1998
He received $1.125 million to sign after racking up 246 strikeouts in 183 2/3 innings over three college seasons. He did it with a sneaky fastball and an excellent changeup. His size, motion, and pitch mix resemble that of Dave McNally, who had 87 wins for the Baltimore Orioles over a four-year span (1968-71) and had a 14-year career. Surprise! Baltimore drafted Allen out of high school. The crafty lefty went to Florida International, where he also played first base and hit .297. The split/changeup will always be his best pitch. When batters wait for it, he can push a 90-92 fastball past them. His change sinks in various directions, depending on the grip and release. He has added an improved slider and cutter, too.
Allen was simply sensational in his pro debut season (9-0, 2.26 ERA, 143 strikeouts, 26 walks) at High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron. He was good again last year at Akron (104 strikeouts, 22 walks), then met adversity at Triple-A Columbus (4-4, 6.49 ERA). He did not locate his fastball well enough, which took away from the effectiveness of his change. Advice from a real estate agent instead of a pitching coach may do Allen good. For him, it is all about location, location, location.
Tone Down, Tena
16. Jose Tena, SS-2B International signing (Dominican Republic) 2018 5’11” 185 B: K T: R 3/20/2001
“Tone down, Tena,” should be how he is greeted by every coach and teammate until he gets it. The supremely gifted hitter swings at everything. Tena must add patience to the supreme hand-eye coordination and smooth swing that earned him a $400,000 bonus to sign at age 17. He fanned 334 times in 332 pro games with a paltry 77 walks. Despite all the flailing, he has a .286 average and 117 extra-base hits. That includes a .387 mark in 17 games as the youngest player in the 2021 Arizona Fall League against elite prospects. He takes a ferocious rip at seemingly any pitch within 100 miles. More advanced pitchers at higher levels are already giddy at the thought of padding their strikeout totals. Tena’s quick hands have already won a Gold Glove Award in the minors – though he makes too many errors on easy plays. He must focus all the time.
Tena’s uncle Juan Uribe finished his 15-year MLB career with Cleveland in 2016. With seven clubs overall, he hit .255 with 199 homers and got to the World Series with the White Sox, San Francisco Giants, and Mets. This is the second Jose Tena to play in the Cleveland farm system. In 1989-90, Paulino Jose Tena batted .249 overall at Low-A Watertown and High-A Kinston. Among his teammates were outfielder Brian Giles, who hit .291 with 287 homers over 15 years for three MLB teams including Cleveland (1995-98), and current Cleveland third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh.
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