News and Notes: Guardians Opening Day Roster Begins to Take Shape
News and Notes for Saturday, March 23rd, 2024
Yesterday was a full day of Guardians’ news, including the Myles Straw being put on waivers broke by your friends here at Covering the Corner, thanks to helpful sources.
The Guardians also confirmed 11 of their 13 position players for Opening Day:
Guardians confirmed 11 of 13 position players on the Opening Day roster:
— Mandy Bell (@MandyBell02) March 22, 2024
José Ramírez
Andrés Giménez
Brayan Rocchio
Josh Naylor
Bo Naylor
Austin Hedges
Gabriel Arias
David Fry
Tyler Freeman
Steven Kwan
Ramón Laureano
That leaves Straw, Florial, De Los Santos and Brennan.
They announced that Brayan Rocchio will get the majority of shortstop reps to start the season:
Brayan Rocchio is expected to get the bulk of the reps at shortstop. Gabriel Arias will serve as a utility guy.
— Mandy Bell (@MandyBell02) March 22, 2024
Carlos Carrasco and Tyler Bedee were also informed they made the roster:
Chris Antonetti on telling Carlos Carrasco he made the team: "With the look on his face, you would’ve thought it was the first Opening Day roster he’s ever made. He was that happy. It’s pretty cool."
— Mandy Bell (@MandyBell02) March 22, 2024
The bullpen and final two bench pieces have yet to fully materialize, but a follow-up piece to the Myles Straw waivers news by the Athletic’s Zack Meisel reported that the current plan seems to be to return Deyvison De Los Santos to the Diamondbacks at the end of Spring Training and to remove Myles Straw from the 40-man at which point he will likely end up in Columbus. This is rough for Myles Straw, known good dude, and we hope he demolishes the competition wherever he goes and finds his way back on a big-league roster. That means Will Brennan, who has had an excellent camp, and Estevan Florial should be set to fill out the roster’s 13 position players.
Just guessing that aside from Bedee being the long-man, the bullpen will see Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin and Cade Smith added to Eli Morgan, Nick Sandlin, Scott Barlow and Emmanuel Clase (It was also reported that Sam Hentges will start the year joining James Karinchak’s houlder on the IL with his finger injury, as Ben Lively and Xzavion Curry are also likely to do as they get ramped back up after the devastating flu bug that has hit Guardians camp).
The Guardians also played a game yesterday, destroying the Texas Rangers’ B-squad, 10-0, behind a Steven Kwan grand slam, doubles from Tyler Freeman, Austin Hedges and Ramon Laureano, and two walks and a single from Estevan Florial. Shane Bieber pitched six superb two hit, one walk and seven strikeout scoreless innings, followed by two-thirds scoreless from the aforementioned Cade Smith and a scoreless inning from Scott Barlow who struck out the side in order. The Guardians’ starters are better than the Rangers’ Triple-A and Double-A players FOR SURE, I can announce that with certainty.
Andre Knott offered a nice interview with Guardians’ starter Logan Allen in the rare Bally Sports’ Spring Training broadcast yesterday:
Logan Allen joins @DreKnott to discuss the pitcher's spring training mindset as the @CleGuardians prepare for the season. #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/seM5SwxSro
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) March 22, 2024
The Akron Rubber Ducks are doing a cool salute to Sojourner Truth this Spring.
This also happened:
1️⃣1️⃣ pic.twitter.com/ROJQnJxhwz
— Oregon State Baseball (@BeaverBaseball) March 23, 2024
