Guardians Get Young Pitcher And Beat Reds, 3-2

• March 26, 2023

GOODYEAR, AZ — The other shoe has dropped and now it all makes more sense.

The Cleveland Guardians acquired left-hander Steve Hajjar from the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday to complete the exchange of outfielders Will Benson and Justin Boyd this winter.

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Then on Sunday, Amed Rosario and Johnathan Rodriguez homered for Cleveland in a 3-2 win over the Reds. Rosario’s third homer of the spring came off Cincinnati starter Nick Lodolo. Rodriguez hit his second off minor-league veteran Tommy Eveld in the fourth. Eight Cleveland pitchers limited the Reds to seven hits, striking out nine.

Cleveland starter Triston McKenzie left after one inning with tightness in his right arm. He will be monitored.

The trade by the Guardians did Benson, 24, a favor. It put their first-round pick in 2016 on the road to the Reds’ starting lineup. Boyd, 21, will be in a minor-league uniform this year, most likely for the High-A Lake County Captains.

At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, Benson left big shoes to fill. Hajjar is 6’5″, 240. That part of the deal is a shoo-in to be even.

Man On The Move

Hajjar is with his third organization in eight months. Drafted in the second round, 61st overall, in 2021 by the Minnesota Twins, he was dealt to the Reds with two other prospects for veteran right-hander Tyler Mahle last August.

The 22-year-old from Massachusetts, by way of the University of Michigan, has a good fastball and slider. He has the big, strong body of a durable starter. One glance at his sweeping slider says Cleveland could switch him to relief. Manager Terry Francona could not get enough of the sensational work Andrew Miller provided out of the bullpen for two and a half seasons. Sam Hentges held that role last year and the team is now developing Tim Herrin to try and do the same.

Caught In A Draft

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The Guardians likely were interested in Hajjar in 2021 and Cincinnati beat them to the punch in the draft. That year, Cleveland drafted lefty Doug Nikhazy with the 58th pick. The Twins took Hajjar at 61, then with a second pick in the second round, Cleveland selected right-hander Tommy Mace at 69.

Last year for three teams in the minors, Hajjar struck out 83 and gave up only 32 hits in 52 1/3 innings. He also walked 32. He seldom showed lack of command in college. In 101 2/3 innings over two seasons at Michigan, he walked 40 while striking out 134 and compiling a 7-2 record and 3.01 ERA.

Boyd also is highly regarded. SportRelay.com ranked him No. 32 on its list of top 100 Guardians prospects at age 21. Cincinnati’s second-round pick last June, he has a nice blend of speed and bat control similar to Cleveland outfielder Steven Kwan. Both played at Oregon State.

A Fast Impression

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Benson is just as fast and has prodigious power — when he makes contact. A 10-game hitting streak impressed Reds manager David Bell. He put the big fella into Cincinnati’s starting lineup. Benson has hit .326 with six stolen bases this spring. One caution light is flashing: he has fanned 11 times without drawing a walk. Ordinarily, he is among the leaders in both those categories.

The original one-for-one swap was surprising. There is a baseball axiom: never trade a lion for a jackrabbit. The Guardians are known as an intellectual think tank that seldom errs on talent or deals without getting at least equal value.

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“I don’t understand this from Cleveland’s standpoint,” one scout said then. “I don’t know much about Boyd; I know Benson. He is a rare talent. There’s always going to be strikeouts with him but when he connects it is special. Benson is a great kid. He works hard and is exactly the kind of player the Guardians like and the power they need. I think he gives Cincinnati 20 home runs this year and 30 next year.”

The Guardians are well aware that Benson is capable of big numbers. Adding both Hajjur and Boyd balances the scales. If either of them or both get to Cleveland it should be a good trade for both sides.

Guardians Prospect Countdown: 25 to 21

SportRelay.com continues to count down our list of the Guardians’ top 100 prospects for 2023. This quintet features two pitchers picked from top college programs who have been impressive in the minor leagues. There’s another pitcher from a big-time school seeking to make the adjustments needed to get to the majors. And there are two players with power bats, one a raw talent with wildly inconsistent results; the other a late bloomer and fifth member of his family to play minor-league baseball.

Here are the previous listings: 26-30 | 31-35 | 36-40 | 41-45 | 46-50 | 51-60 | 61 – 70 | 71 – 80 | 81 – 90 | 91 – 100

Sharpe’s Slider Sharp

25. Davis Sharpe, RHP      13th-round pick (396 overall) in 2021      6’4”    215    B: R    T: R    1/30/2000

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The Guardians grabbed this right-hander after he had a lackluster year at Clemson and made him into a reliable reliever. He consistently commanded a sharp, sweeping slider at Lynchburg and Lake County to get an eye-popping 87 strikeouts against only 12 walks in 71 1/3 innings. He must get more velocity on a fastball that sits at 88-90 MPH for some deviation from the mid-80s super slider. He’s working on a curve and changeup and tried both in a shaky ninth inning Friday night against the Colorado Rockies. He gave up a couple line-drive hits and a run. With runners on, he got a swinging strikeout to end it — on the slider.

A high-school teammate of Alaska Abney (No. 59 on our prospects list), Sharpe is very athletic and hit over .300 in college. He is the 19th Clemson player drafted by Cleveland. In 2004, the team hit the jackpot in the 45th round by taking a strong-armed outfielder who hit .280 with 20 stolen bases but was less-than-stellar in 48 innings on the mound. That 1,333rd overall selection pitched in 616 MLB games, all in relief. Lefty Tony Sipp was a valuable part of bullpens in Cleveland (2009-12), Houston, Arizona, and Washington for 11 seasons.

Large Lefty Lost Velocity

24. Konnor Pilkington, LHP      Trade from Chicago White Sox, 2021      6’3”   240   B: L   T: L   9/12/1997

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Where, or where has his big fastball gone? Oh where, or where can it be? It hasn’t lit up a radar gun at 96 MPH since his freshman year at Mississippi State. That was seven years ago. Acquired for veteran second baseman Cesar Hernandez at the 2021 trading deadline, his weight and ERA numbers got bigger as his velocity dropped. He’s never needed surgery yet has gone from lion to teddy bear. The Guardians are keeping the faith. They tried him in relief this spring. Some pitches reached 92-93 but he had a 7.36 ERA and 13 hits allowed over 7 1/3 innings in four outings. That’s a small sample size, yet for all of 2022 Pilkington posted so-so results. His 5.88 ERA at Triple-A Columbus and 32 walks across 58 part-time innings in a Cleveland call-up were messy.

He was better in 2021 at Double-A, whiffing 120 in 109 1/3 innings with a measly 61 hits allowed. Pilk must milk velocity from somewhere in 2023 and maintain it if he is to join Mississippi State’s long list of MLB talent. It includes former ace closers Jonathan Papelbon (368 saves, 2005-16), Bobby Thigpen (201 saves, 1986-94), and great hitters Rafael Palmeiro (569 HR, .288, 1986-05) and Will Clark (.284, .303, 1986-00). The best Bulldog to play in Cleveland was outfielder Del Unser (1972). In 15 seasons overall for five teams, the fine center fielder hit .258 and scored 617 runs.

Good .. And Bad

23. Jhonkensy Noel, 1B-OF         International Free Agent (Dominican Republic), 2017      6’3”     230     B: R     T: R     7/15/2001

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This big-boned raw talent = Franmil Reyes. Guardians fans got familiar with the good Reyes (37 homers in 2019 and 30 in 2021) and the 2022 version (14 walks, 104 strikeouts, .213 average, and outright release). Noel gives you that from one at-bat to the next. He signed for $100,000 as a third baseman and $99,999.99 of it was for his booming bat. He no longer plays third, is OK at first, and is fairly good in right field. Glovework won’t matter if he blasts baseballs into orbit. Noel never met a mediocre fastball he couldn’t crush. He is finding those pesky pitchers also throw strange things called curves, sliders and changeups. Noel destroyed A-ball pitchers in 2021 for a .342 average with 19 homers in only 64 games. Last year? He crashed 32 homers but his strikeouts soared to 150 and his batting average dipped to .229.

Invited to the prestigious Futures Game in 2022, Noel put on quite an impressive power display at Dodger Stadium. Not in the game, where he went 0-for-1, but in batting practice as he pounded pitch after pitch into the bleachers. Of course, they were all fair fastballs flung conveniently over the plate. His short yet explosive swing with a slight uppercut has always generated enormous power. None of that helps when he chases pitches out of the time zone. He flailed at an alarming 38% rate on poor pitches in 2022. More discipline and recognizing the ball out of the pitcher’s hand would work wonders with a wonderful talent.

Auburn’s Burns

22. Tanner Burns, RHP      1st-round pick (36 overall), 2020       6’0”     210     B: R     T: R     12/28/1998

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The Guardians paid him a $1.6 million signing bonus after three fine seasons at Auburn against always-tough Southeastern Conference competition. His solid repertoire got 210 strikeouts in 188 2/3 innings with a 2.86 ERA and 14-9 record overall. He remains on track to be a back-end rotation starter. Thick, powerful legs and big arms propel his fastball into the 92-94 MPH range. He gets good command by repeating a consistent delivery from a three-quarters arm slot. Burns controls his fastball in, out, up, and down. Though not overpowering, he gets weak contact by placing it well. When he throws his mid-80s slider properly, it is particularly effective against right-handers. He must eliminate those that resemble a lazy, looping curve and is working on getting more movement on his changeup.

Burns hopes to be the first of five Auburn players drafted by Cleveland to make it to the shores of Lake Erie. The school has sent 58 men to the majors and one to the Baseball Hall of Fame: slugging first baseman Frank Thomas (.301, 521 HR in 19 seasons). Josh Donaldson won an MVP Award and has crashed 266 homers, Tim Hudson won 222 games, and Gregg Olson saved 217. The biggest, brightest star of all was Bo Jackson. The two-sport Superman chose baseball over football and had big moments for the Kansas City Royals (1986-90) as an outfielder.

Bo Knows Baseball. Bo Knows Football. But Bo Gets Injured.

Jackson returned to football and excelled with the NFL’s Los Angeles Raiders (1987-90) as a running back. A devastating hip injury in an NFL game ended his football career and ruined his baseball days. He played only 23 games for the Chicago White Sox in 1991, had surgery, returned to the Chisox in 1993, and went to the California Angels in 1994. He still blasted mammoth homers. His always big strikeout totals got worse. So did the pain. He retired at age 31 with 141 homers, 82 steals, and 451 RBI in 694 career games.

Pries Is A Prize

21. Micah Pries, 1B-OF 13th-round pick (400 overall), 2019 6’4” 210 B: L T: R 2/27/1998

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His development was delayed by Tommy John Surgery, rather rare for a position player. Pries bounced back well and organization instructors believe even brighter days are ahead. Francona liked what he saw from the big bopper in the big-league camp this spring. Pries hit .294 with six extra-base hits in 18 exhibition games. That followed a fine 2022 at Double-A Akron: 29 doubles, 5 triples, 18 homers, 73 RBI, and 20 steals. He had big numbers in three college seasons that approximated one full year in the majors. In 152 games, he had 32 doubles, 8 triples, 35 homers, 128 RBI, and 36 steals with a .329 average. He can play left field. The Guardians are working him daily at first base. What they really hope to develop is a tad quicker batting stroke, better pitch recognition, and perhaps a fine offensive player.

All In The Family

Heard of Five Guys Burgers And Fries? Make it Baseball’s Five PRIES (pronounced preez). Pries’ grandfather, father, brother, and cousin all played minor-league ball. Granddad Don Pries was an infielder signed by Cleveland in 1945. Blocked by Hall of Famers Lou Boudreau and Joe Gordon in the middle of the big-league diamond, he never got a chance. Don hit .325 with 20 homers and 120 RBI in 1947. He played until 1959 in the minors, his last six years as a player-manager. He then scouted for the Indians and other teams until 1969. His nephew Jordan Pries pitched in the minors (2010-16), mostly in the Seattle Mariners organization. Micah’s brother Jake Pries, an outfielder, was a 24th-round choice from UCLA in 2019 by the New York Yankees. Their father is Yankees 1984 first-round pick Jeff Pries, also from UCLA.

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