May 30, 2026 • 38 mins
A look back at a tough series against the high powered Washington Nationals offense. Also, a chat with baseball's saves leader Cade Smith, along with his setup man Hunter Gaddis. Plus, the weekly Farm Report with V.P. of Player Development Stephen Osterer who fills us in on a prospect loaded Columbus Clippers team. That's all on this edition of Guardians Weekly with Jim Rosenhaus on the Cleveland Guardians Radio Network.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Guardians Weekly on the Cleveland Guardians Radio Network.
Guardians Weekly is brought to you by Progressive helping Guardians
fans save hundreds on car insurance.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Hi, everyone, welcome to Guardians Weekly. Gam Rosen House along
with you as we join you from Progressive Field in
downtown Cleveland, where the Guardians are wrapping up what has
been a solid home stand so far, a win over
the Red Sox on Friday night, and they play Boston
again Saturday afternoon at four to ten, wrapping up the
home stand on Sunday afternoon at one. A little bit
(01:14):
later on in our show, we'll hear from Guardians closer
Cade Smith and also set up man Hunter Gaddis. We'll
check in with Will Dion, who made his major league
debut with three strong innings of relief work earlier this week,
and we'll also have a full farm report focusing on
TRIPAA Columbus. In is a loaded roster at Columbus this year,
(01:36):
and Steven Oster, the vice president of player Development, will
fill us in on that a little bit later on
in our show. But first, the week in review, and
we begin with the Nationals Series to start the week,
a ten to two loss to the Nationals on Monday
and a six to three defeat to Washington on Tuesday,
so a slow start to the week, but the Guardians
(01:57):
would salvage the finale of the series on Wednesday afternoon.
Washington did strike first with a run in the third inning,
but in the fifth, the Guardians' bats came to life.
Austin Hedges reached on an error, and then with one out,
Travis Bazana stepped in. Here's the two to zero swung
on line drive right center, coming on head. I'm able
(02:18):
to make the play. He's young. It bounced in front
of him.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Extra basis for Pisanna, who cruises into second. On to
third goes Austin Hedges, and now it's runners at second
and third for the Guardians. On Bazana's second double of
the game. The next man up was Jose Ramirez. Here's
the one to oh swung on and there's a high
(02:43):
fly ball to center.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Young is under it.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
He has a good arm, charging in, makes the catch,
tagging heading for homes Hedges.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
The throw do time.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Hedges scored as the throw was cut and then shoveled
on to the plate, and Hedges ties the game with
a daring dash home from third on the sackfly by
Ramirez and then chase the latter with a chance to
give the Guardians their first lead of the series. Swung
(03:14):
the bat well today, will he get something to show
for it now? As he swings blinds it to left,
sinking fast base hit, grounding third, heading for home Pasana.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
The throw pays in standing.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Up and the Rookies come through the latter with a
go ahead RBI single two to one Cleveland. Kyle Mansarto
followed the base hit to put runners at the corners
for on hell Martinez. Here's the pitch and it's swung
on line shallow center and it gets down for a
(03:47):
base hit.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Scoring is the latter up to second.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Mansarto RPI single four on hell Martinez.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Three to one Guardians And with that two run lead,
Gavin Williams really got locked in on the mound.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
The three to two swinging a soft liner to third,
caught by Daniel Schneeman Well. It took fourteen pitches for
Gavin Williams to get through the seven. He's only made
ninety four Folks hookes. This is one of the great
young pitchers in all of baseball. Gavin Williams stretch time
(04:25):
at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario. It's a three
to one Cleveland lead. Tim Herron got the call in
the eighth inning. Now the two to two swing in
a mess trying to hold up went around.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
What an inning for Tim Herron.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
He dominated Washington here in the eighth and Cleveland stays
up three to one.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
But the Nationals wouldn't go quietly in the night. The
couple of singles led to a run, scoring on a
sack fly that made it a one run game at
three to two. But Kate Smith still had his hands
full with a runner at second and just one out.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Now the one to two delivery got I'm swinging on
a splitter, actually foul tipped it into the glove of hetches.
That is out number two. The Vancouver native is ready.
Here it comes strike.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
Three, call ball game eight, tucking ninety nine mile an
hour heater right down you, Clint Avenue, Cleveland Salvagius the
finale three to two.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
So a nice way to head into the off day
on Thursday. And then the Guardians were back at it
on Friday night against the Red Sox, and the off
days seemed to be just what the doctor ordered as
the Guardians came out swinging in the first inning, base
hits for both Jose Ramirez and Chase The latter brought
Rhys Hoskins to the plate.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Samaniedo delivering and it swung on drill the left. That's
a base hit. Pramirez hits third. He's coming home. The
throw by the and not nearly in time to the plate.
Posey slides in easily with the first run of the game.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
So the Guardians with.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Three consecutive base hits up Samaniedo and Arbi single the
left by Ree Hoskins.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Cale Mansarto was next. He'd make it four straight singles
and that loaded the bases for on Hell Martinez. Martinez
will bat right handed, switch hitter the pitch and he.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Rips one in the right center. That's a base hit.
The laughter scores. Hoskins steps a third. Now a ball
got away and on to home comes Hoskins with a
head first dive and the Guardians have a three nothing league.
Everybody was going up just one base on the Arbi
(06:50):
single the right center, but then Raffaelo overran the ball
and the Guardians get an extra run and give onhillmart
Tina's one RBI and the other run scoring.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
On the air.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Daniel Schneman kept the hip parade going with a base
hit to make it six consecutive singles, and once again
the bases were loaded still with just one out and
Patrick Bailey the batter infield bank double play depth the pitch,
a swing and a fly ball to fairly deep brighte
A bray you drifting back near the track makes the catch,
(07:27):
everybody tagging through.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
A second tag not in time. Man Sardo scores Martinez
to third, schneaming' the second and Cleveland on the second
fly makes it a four nothing ballgame.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
It stayed four to nothing Guardians until the fifth. That's
when the Red Sox put three runs on the board
on four hits, and all of a sudden, it was
a one run game at four to three. But once
again it was up to the bullpen, top ranked in
the league, to find a way to get it done.
Colin Holderman and Tim Aaron each did their job, and
then Sean Armstrong was called on with one out and
(08:05):
one on in the seventh.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Now the two got I'm swinging went after the high
heat and Armstrong gets the job done.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
What else is new?
Speaker 1 (08:16):
This magnificent Cleveland bullpen continues to be the best in baseball.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Then Hunter Gattis came on to pitch the eighth. The
pitch and he bangs.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
One to first, corralled by Mansardo steps on the bag.
Gattus works out of it bottom of the eighth, coming
up with Cleveland still leading it by a score of
four to three.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
And in the ninth, you know it, it's Kate Smith.
He was on to try and nail down a major
league best twentieth sea Now the.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
O two pinch swam in the nurse ball game. Hey,
what with the high heat.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Duran Chase Smith strikes up the side has a made
to make best twenty saves. Cleveland takes Game one this
weekend four to three, So.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
A nice way to finish out the ball game on
Friday night. Stay with us while we come back. We'll
hear from The Guardian's closer, Kate Smith. That's after this
time out. The Cleveland Clinic Radio.
Speaker 5 (09:19):
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Speaker 1 (10:07):
Two down, three to one, Cleveland Again. The two to
two got him swinging ball game. A nasty split finger
ramps it up for Cad Smith. Welcome back to Guardians Weekly,
Jim rosen House. Along with you from Progressive Field, came
downtown Cleveland and the Guardians bullpen since April the eighteenth
(10:29):
has been the best in baseball. Big reason why their
closer Kade Smith. He's been on quite a roll of late,
and he now leads all of baseball with twenty saves,
seventeen consecutive without a blown save. And when we caught
up with him, he talked about some of the keys
to his success as well as the great work from
the bullpen as a whole.
Speaker 6 (10:49):
I mean, I think as a whole, our bullpen's really
settling in and pitching well. I think our identity and
our culture is really solidifying there and that's been fun
to watch as far as me and inviitually, like there's
been some mechanical tweaks and things and just feeling like
I'm getting tuned up to how I want to be
most efficient on the mound, and that's been a big
part of it.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
You've had great seasons, but is every season new when
you come out of spring training to try and find
that good groove and the things that make you what
you are for sure?
Speaker 6 (11:18):
I mean, I think that over the course of each
off season, you're trying to learn things, trying to develop things,
trying to continue to improve. So you're not gonna be
just you know, rinsing and repeating and putting out the
same exact picture on the mound year after year after year.
There's gonna be things you have to develop and learn
and build on, and so that's been part of it.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
And when you look at that part of the game,
obviously it like to be perfect every time out, but
that's impossible. How much enjoyment do you get out of
tinkering and trying to find the right spot that they
get you to a real good place.
Speaker 7 (11:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (11:48):
I think it's one of one of the exciting things
about the game is that it's never the same. It's
never the same each day. Each day is different, right,
each game is different. The way that it's going to
shake out as different, and so there's that novelty each
day knowing that this is a new challenge in front
of us, and we get to approach it with the
work that we've done behind us. But ultimately we get
to go out and just compete and let the results
settle where they will.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
When you look at a key pitches, I know your
splitter comes into play big time. How tricky a pitch
is that to keep going in a positive direction? And
if it is a little bit off, how hard is
it to get it back to where you like?
Speaker 6 (12:21):
I think it all comes down mechanically, like the way
if something's wrong with how it's coming out of hand,
it goes upstream to how I'm moving to get to
my release point. If that's out of whack, then it's
going to come out of hand funky and maybe do
some things that are a little unexpected. But if my
mechanics are repeatable and I'm doing a good job with that,
then I think it's pretty consistent.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
And how much of that is the coaches that you
have and then some of the analytics side of it too,
where you can look at technology and figure some things.
Speaker 6 (12:49):
Out the biomechanics and all that. That is huge to
rely on the coaches and the analytics. That's a super
important part, super helpful tool for me. As far as
how the split comes out, you know specifically, I think
that's very very field based.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
How far back have you gone where it is analytics
that that really helps you do what you need to do.
Speaker 6 (13:10):
Literally, since I first signed with Cleveland, like, there was
conversations immediately about how to break down my mechanics, simplify,
change things, and lay some big foundational blocks for me
to build on.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
You have a fun ball club here, obviously we hear
it in the background the bullpen out there. How enjoyable
is it to be out there? And who are some
of the guys that keep it loose?
Speaker 6 (13:29):
Oh, it's a ton of fun out there. I mean
every character down there is unique. I mean they all
play a big part of it, Like Ricky are bullpen catcher,
he plays a big part of it. Catcher Caleb plays
a big part of it. E Rod's in there too
as well, and then also obviously all the guys. I mean,
it's a unique combination. We put all those guys together
and it's a ton of fun.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
An inclosing team playing great baseball. What are you seeing
with this team that has you excited about what it
could be as the season goes along.
Speaker 6 (13:54):
I think seeing the resilience and the perseverance is super important.
See that the tight game. Were not shying away from them,
not afraid of them, but they were going to be
able to play our best baseball when we're dealing with
pressure and dealing with those close games and come out
on top.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Okay, thanks for the time.
Speaker 6 (14:10):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
AD's Guardian's closer Kate Smith on quite the role right now.
It's seventeen consecutive saves setting him up. Most of the
time has been Hunter gaddis another reliever that's been pitching
extremely well back in that familiar eight thenning setup role.
After missing the first couple of weeks of the season
due to some forearm tenderness that cropped up in spring training,
(14:32):
we got up with Gaddis earlier this week and asked
him how it feels to be back on track after
missing time early.
Speaker 6 (14:39):
I felt really good.
Speaker 8 (14:41):
Yeah, you know, not opening up with the team definitely sucked,
but it was good to you know, stay back, build up,
you know, to one hundred percent to be able to
come here and be at my best when I show up.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
What is the hardest part sometimes if you do have
a setback where you're not available for a little bit.
Speaker 8 (14:56):
The hardest thing for me was just the one to
be there with the guys. I mean, preparing and all that.
I feel like it's the same, but just don't want
to be with the guys on the road. And you
know that every game was pretty hard.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
And do you watch games and think, well that's my
inning or that you know that's where I could really
help or is that something you'd try not in No,
I didn't think about it like that.
Speaker 8 (15:17):
I mean I watched every game and wanted them to
win and succeed as much as they could. I wasn't
really worried about anything if I was there or not,
but I just wanted them to win.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Since you've been back, you mentioned things feeling good any
pitches in particular really working well for you that that
maybe is a surprise because it's this early in the
season for you.
Speaker 8 (15:37):
No, everything feels good. Mechanics felt really good. I worked
with them while I was going through my rehab, just
trying to dial those in, and I feel like I'm
in a good spot and just trying to stay there.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
You know.
Speaker 8 (15:47):
Pitches feel about the same as they always have to
a certain degree, and just trying to ride with it.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
And nobody wants to set back where they missed time.
And you may not even look at it this way,
but do you feel like maybe starting a little bit
later might help you at at the back end, especially
considering that the amount of activity have had the last
couple of years.
Speaker 8 (16:08):
I mean maybe, I mean, I guess that may just
be a time hotel, But I mean I was still
doing to rehab, you know, still throwing the not maybe
not the same amount, but close to it. And we'll
just have to see.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
And the bullpen is as a unit, it changes every year.
What have you seen down there this year that that's encouraging,
And then maybe some things that you're looking at to
really move forward as it goes deeper into the season.
Speaker 8 (16:34):
I mean, I feel like it's the same you know
it's been in the past two years. We still have
a good group of core guys that have been here
for the past couple of years. On whoever comes in,
it seems like they know how to pick some good
people because we're having good vibes down there, and you know,
in our names called it seems like everybody's on board
with them and hey, let's ride.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
You mentioned a good vibes. Does it take a little
bit to kind of get to know some new guys
and get them in the mix in terms of how
you pass the time down there while you're waiting for
your turn to pitch.
Speaker 8 (17:04):
No, I feel like once you're in the bullpen, I
may not even know you at all, but like we're
still going to have fun. Like it's it picks up
very quick.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
And in terms of the retorneys, who who do you
look forward to seeing the most down art that maybe
give a hard time to or joke around with.
Speaker 8 (17:20):
Definitely Tim Heron.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
Tim Aaron Alcome, he's.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Just a lefty, you know, I just got to give
him crap enough. Hey Hunter, good to see you, thanks
for coming back, Thank you for sure. That's Guardians reliever
Hunter Gatus. Good to see him back in that eighth
inning setup role. It just seems that the bullpen fits
when he's going well, and we saw them miss him
a bit early in the season, But now that he's back,
things are really falling into place once again. Stay with
(17:46):
us when we come back, we'll meet one of the
new guys. The latest to make his major league debut,
Will Dion, relief pitcher for the Guardians. That's next on
the Cleveland Clinic Radio Network.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Here's the one two offering swing out of us. Struck
it all with a heat. What an outing for a
Hunter Gaddis The bitch swung on a one hop for
(18:40):
a second. Losana flips to second one. Rochio turns to
how about the kid will be on a five pitch
major league debut and he retires the nance.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Here in the seventh Welcome back to Guardians Weekly, Jim
rosenhouse with you at Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland, and
the latest of the youngsters to make their major league
debut is relief pitcher Will Dion. He got into the
game on Tuesday night against the Nationals and pitched extremely
well in the final three innings of that game. And
(19:15):
as you'd expect, he says, it was quite a thrill
to be out there on a major league mound for
the first time.
Speaker 7 (19:22):
It was it was incredible. I mean, I can't even
put into wards like how awesome and especial it was.
It was a day like I dreamed of as a kid.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
So and I'm sure any any picture wonders, hey, will
my stuff play in the major leagues? And you get
through three innings and successfully, And at what point did
you say, Hey, my stuff's working up here and I
know I have belong up here.
Speaker 7 (19:47):
I'd probably say in spring. I trusted my stuff in
spring and I made some changes in like seeing how
my stuff played in spring training against those hitters that
it gave me the confidence to go in this year
and to be able to go out there to trust
the catchers too.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
When you look at your journey, obviously not easy. Take
us back to last summer when you were asked to
go to the bullpen and see how that would work out.
What were your initial reactions and then how did you
get through that to make it a positive?
Speaker 7 (20:14):
At first? Was I was mad becoming a starter or
I was a starter my whole life and be moved
to the bullpen, and it was caught off guarden for
the most part, and so I was upset frustrated. But
after like two weeks or so, I swallowed my pride
(20:36):
and went to the wullpen and I enjoyed every second
of it and hes its up and downs to the
bullpen like every other outing in year, and but I
was able to actually find like enjoyment in this game again.
So that was probably one of the best parts.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
I think everybody takes that for granted that players enjoy
the game, but what can the frustrations be? And then
when you do find that joy again, how much of
a difference can that.
Speaker 7 (21:03):
Make you becoming grateful like and thankful like going through
those ups and downs and being frustrated and you're like,
you know what, maybe maybe like God does have a
plan and you just trust his plan, and his plan
for me is to be in the bullpen. The whole
goal was for me to actually find enjoyment in baseball,
(21:24):
and that's what exactly happens.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
So stuff wise, is it different out of the pen
or fairly similar?
Speaker 7 (21:32):
I'd say it's different out of the pen. It's a
lot more My mentality of just like pound the zone,
try to get in and out. Starting was more more structured,
more of a plan. You gotta prepare for three or
four times. Bullpen. It's probably gonna face these guys once.
If I face them twice, I'll figure it out second time.
(21:53):
But what goes for it's here's everything like good.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Luck you look at. Share it with people that are
so important in your life. Tell us about who was
here for your debut and why that was so important.
Speaker 7 (22:06):
Was my wife, my parents, and my in laws. And
I'm truly thankful that they were able to make it
out and I was able to share this day with them.
It was truly special and today that we'll never forget.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Andy Tracy the tripa manager has made a living out
of telling guys they can go to the big leagues.
How did he tell you and what were your reactions?
Speaker 7 (22:29):
He told me in my hotel room Monday night, is
me and my roommate Ryan Webb. We're getting ready to
play the show and we're getting ready to go golf
in the next day and Tracy knocks on the door
and he comes in and he's asking us if we
got our golf vouchers, and we were like no. He goes, well,
(22:51):
we need golf vouchers, so we're gonna order some. What
are you going golf? And he said yeah, and he
asked me if I was going golfing. I said yeah,
of course, and he goes, sure, you don't want to
go to Cleveland. That's like, yeah, I'll go to Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
And that is a perfect way to go. Well, congratulations,
thank you, thank you. Will Dion's been working at it
for a while and he finally got that call and
was impressive his first time around. And he's still here
almost going on a full week in the major league,
so that's great news for him. Stay with us when
we come back, we'll hear about some future Cleveland Guardians.
(23:27):
They're playing now at Triple A Columbus with Vice president
of player Development Stephen Oster.
Speaker 7 (23:32):
That's next.
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Speaker 2 (24:15):
Welcome back to our final segment of Guardians Weekly. We're
at Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland where the Guardians are
taking on the Red Sox this weekend. Great things going
on at Columbus and we are joined now by Stephen Oster,
the vice president of player Development with the Guardians. The
Clippers are loaded. They've gone through several changes, with the
(24:36):
likes of Travis Bizana reaching the major leagues, Chase the
latter made the club out of spring training, as did
Parker Messix. So you would think that maybe things were
a little light at Columbus. Uh huh, Asty says, dealing
with all the moving parts is a welcome challenge for
the front office and development staff, especially when you're looking
at the type of talent they have at Triple A
(24:58):
right now.
Speaker 10 (25:00):
Really really talented group up there. Was fortunate to spend
some time there last week and you look at the
lineup that we're trotting out there and it's like everyone
had an eight to fifty ops and then some of
the arms coming in were pretty electric too, So it's
exciting to see those guys take some steps forward and
also perform at that level. But then just also a
(25:21):
bit of a challenge trying to figure out, hey, where
does everyone play? So you know, it's been fun to
see that lineup get trotted out there week after week,
and with a couple editions over the last couple two
so it's been nice.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Land. Let's start right there with those additions. Ralphie Velasquez,
we saw him in spring training. Then he get off
to the good start at Akron and it doesn't seem
like he's missed a beat at Columbus. What are you
seeing there?
Speaker 11 (25:47):
Yeah, he has not missed a beat.
Speaker 10 (25:49):
He's about to turn twenty one, I believe later this week,
and is one of the.
Speaker 11 (25:54):
Youngest players there in Triple A.
Speaker 10 (25:55):
And like I said earlier, I was in Columbus when
he did show up, and he was really excited to
be there and also fit in right away.
Speaker 11 (26:02):
Was was not nervous about the transition whatsoever.
Speaker 10 (26:05):
So and I know we talked about him already this
year just how impressive he's been at the plate, you know,
like the approach and his patient to stay within.
Speaker 11 (26:13):
His game plan, make good swing decisions, the.
Speaker 10 (26:16):
Consistent contact when he does swing, and hitting the ball
really hard with a lot of damage. We'd call him
a three pillar hitter. And he's just continued to do
that in Columbus so far. And you know, he's built
up his game workload enough at this point to feel
comfortable adding some more outfield games into the mix, and
he did that in Akron and we're likely to see
(26:36):
some of that now moving forward in Columbus too. So
there's there's lots of like with Ralphie as much as
we've talked about him before, and now we know that
he's going to continue learning at that level and developing
at a really high rate, especially around that player group
and that competition level. So you know, excited to have
Ralphie at that level and continue to expect him to
(26:57):
perform and to develop.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Shortstop on hell hanw another who's putting up tremendous numbers
wherever he's been. And again another player who didn't seem
to miss a beat moving up the level, and what
are you seeing there? How come he was able to
make that adjustment so quickly.
Speaker 10 (27:13):
Yeah, he's grown a bit of a sample size now
in Columbus. I think it's about eighteen games as we're
talking to this point. He's settled in really nicely at
the level. I mean there odd trades are just you know,
we expect him to stick around. His ability to make
contact in zone, you know, hit the ball hard at
productive angles and do it from both sides of the play.
Speaker 11 (27:32):
Those have showed up.
Speaker 10 (27:33):
And you know, it might take a bit of time
to get used to the game planning and making good
decisions within the game and within the bat. And you know,
I think we're seeing some really strong overall numbers the
power and damage department and not striking out, but he's
maybe not walking as much as as we've seen in
the past, and it's the adjustment to the level and
that's also kind of why he's there is to work
(27:55):
on that. So he's been really good. The transition has
been smooth. Defensively, he's getting you know, some games a
shortstop and we've we've transitioned to, you know, give him
some exposure to second base and third base just to
you know, get the versatility rolling. He was exclusively shortstop
and accroing up until this point. So getting his feet
settled at the other positions and getting some opportunities is great.
Speaker 11 (28:19):
You know.
Speaker 10 (28:19):
Obviously we got to work with the lineup and we've
got some really capable defenders in the field there too,
so you know, it's a bit of a puzzle overall.
But and now has looked really good and hasn't missed
a beat at all in the transition.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Khalil Watson, I know, he's been on the radar since
spring training when he made a nice impression in Major
league camp, and it seems like the power has continued
at the Triple A level. And what do you like
so far from him?
Speaker 10 (28:44):
Yeah, the power has continued, and he's carried over a
lot of what we saw at the end of last
year and getting settled at that level and what we
saw on spring training two of just continuing to hit
and he's taking his walks. He hits the ball hard
at really good angles that have led to good damage,
you know, and I think he's growing quite a bit
and how he approaches at bats and some of those
(29:06):
within game and game to game adjustments. So I just
think the continued thing for Khalil moving forward is you know,
working towards the consistent contact, and we believe there's a
postural tie into that, and now he's swinging and he's
been working on that, so we're hoping to see that
tick up this season. But you know, this is a
super athletic and gifted player who can run around the
(29:28):
outfield and has taken that position adjustment very well since transitioning,
and you know, we believe he.
Speaker 11 (29:35):
Can be a dependable option in the future out there.
Speaker 10 (29:37):
And Khalil's early sample size in Columbus is mimicking a
lot of what we see towards the end of last year,
and he just continues to get better over time. So
I wouldn't be too surprised to see him help the
major league team in the near future. And it's been
really encouraging to see him work and develop on the
things that he needs to do.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
Cooper Engel is certainly an interesting story with the offensive
season that he's had, and he plays a position where
the value on defense is second to none in this organization.
So how impressive has he been offensively and how far
does he have to go defensively to really get on
the map.
Speaker 10 (30:14):
Yeah, Cooper has been one of the best hitters in
the system up to this point. I think as we're
talking now, he's hitting around three forty and ops of
eleven something. You know, he's got the elite walk rates,
and he's just punishing the baseball even when he makes outs.
I know we talked a lot about the developmental the
defensive development in our earlier conversations and how that's something
(30:38):
he really wanted to and has improved upon. And he's
come a long way since joining the ORG. He's caught
around just one hundred and eighty ish games so far
in his professional career, and developing as a catcher takes
the longest, we believe, and you know, because the bat's
been so good, and he came in as a college
catcher with limited catching experience, he's kind of been pushed
(31:00):
with less of a runway than a typical catcher progression.
So he's worked really hard at improving that part of
his game. His throwing has gotten better, and I think
the receiving part of this is, you know, where the
bulk of the development will need to continue to come.
And he's a really good athlete and show strong receiving
moves at times. It's just a bit of a consistency
(31:22):
factor that I believe that he needs to continue moving
the needle on. So we are bullish on him being
a reliable catcher and catching option in the long term,
and we believe that he can get there with enough reps.
Speaker 11 (31:35):
It just may take a bit of time.
Speaker 10 (31:36):
And the bat is certainly pushing his status right now
in the organ hoping that he's ready with the catching
side whenever the opportunity comes.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
Steven Oster is joining us. He's the vice president of
player development for the Guardians and we're talking Triple A
Columbus this week. And on the mound, certainly, Daniel Espino
has been a wonderful story with the comeback from injury
and inactivity for such a long period of time. So
much of the focus has been on getting him back
on the mound and he's in a relief role. So
(32:09):
what are some of the challenges that presents in terms
of preparing him to make an impression here at the
major league level because of that role, and how far
does he have to go?
Speaker 10 (32:18):
You think first, I mean first and foremost, Like you said,
the being healthy is top of mind for Daniel. He's
had a tremendous comeback from the injuries that he's faced
and just seeing him on the mound brings a smile
to a lot of people's faces, and doing that consistently
has been awesome to see to start the year. And
as he transitioned to a reliever role, of course that's
(32:39):
an adjustment, and you know, trying to do that while
also getting adjusted back to being a part of a
team and being in a full season. Again, when you
put those two things together, it can be really challenging.
Speaker 11 (32:51):
But again, this is Daniel Aspino. He's kind of the
poster child.
Speaker 10 (32:55):
For us for professionalism and our organ determination and perseverance,
and he's done optionally well. You know, he had a
small stretch there where I think his delivery got a
bit out of sync. It resulted in pulling off early
and missing some hardside leading to more walks. But he
worked through that really quickly over a couple of holepens
(33:16):
and is just back to what we would expect out
of him. He's got probably the best out of hand
stuff in our entire organization, including the major leagues. When
he's going well, the upper nineties fastball, low nineties slider
and capability of pounding the strike zone consistently, and at
this point it's just managing the workload and we've been
trying to condense that and last week he threw on
(33:37):
one day's rest for the first time in his career
and bounced back really well. So, you know, getting over
some of these workload hurdles is a thing that you know,
we're taking our time with and making sure that he's
recovering well and doing the things that he needs to
do to be able to handle a workload that would
be expected out of our major league pen. But you know,
it's Daniel. He is a tremendous human being. He's going
(33:59):
to do every everything he possibly can to be ready
for himself and to help the team. And he's on
so we're all rooting for him and it's just been
a treasure and a real treat for us to be
able to watch him throw again.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
We had a chance to see Franco Alimann a couple
of weeks ago, and he was impressive in his major
league debut. What's he working on at Triple A to
try and get back as quickly as he can.
Speaker 10 (34:24):
Yeah, he came up and at those two weddings at
the major league level and showed that he's capable of
helping our pator league teams. He's that huge, imposing figure
on the mount with that electric arm, and he's got
that well above average fastball. It's performed his entire career.
I think it's just the growth of his secondary weapons
and the slider velocity and execution probably more specifically, that's
(34:46):
going to help him protect his fastball long term. You know,
in the minor leagues, it's really hard to replicate. Like
I said, the major league pen workloads, the back to
backs are really challenging to get in. Getting hot and
not going into doesn't happen nearly as much as it
would in the major league environment. And Franco still hasn't
really gone through that type of ringer yet, so you know,
(35:08):
we're trying to work through some of that.
Speaker 11 (35:10):
It's ensuring that he's ready.
Speaker 10 (35:11):
For that when he does get the next opportunity and
has the routines and the recovery to sustain what would be.
Speaker 11 (35:17):
Asked of him out of the major league role.
Speaker 10 (35:19):
So Franco has been pretty diligent about improving that and
getting ready for that, and I think he showed himself
when he got the opportunity to pitch in the major
leagues that he can handle, you know, the in game component.
I think it's the day to day and getting through
the week that is somewhat of an unknown and something
that he's preparing for in the future.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
And one last picture that we wanted to touch on.
He he's been in major league camp last couple of years,
Will Dion and I know he bounces through some different
roles and what are you saying from him as he
gets closer?
Speaker 11 (35:52):
Yeah, left handed pitcher.
Speaker 10 (35:54):
We haven't talked a ton about necessarily, but ninth round
selection kind of McNeese State back in twenty one. Pretty
good draft class, and he was a really good starting
pitcher throughout most of his minor league career, and he
had a bit of a struggle in Triple A and
shifted kind of into a pen roll capable of handling
multiple innings and up to around sixty pitches and one
(36:17):
of the better development stories probably of the last five
years for US. He came in really with limited exposure
to resources in tech and you know, throwing eighty five
eighty six miles an hour and worked about as hard
as anyone to improve, gained a ton of strength, a
ton of muscle, and completely overhauled his Arsenal except for
maybe his fastball, and is now in a position to
(36:40):
hopefully help our Patch League team in the future.
Speaker 11 (36:42):
He's come out.
Speaker 10 (36:43):
And performed exceptionally well in his role this year. And
he's not a huge guy out there, but he's got
this high slot with plus carry to this fastball. It's
a low release sight, it plays the pitch up really well,
almost like Sabrowski, and he's got some bite to his
curveball and a really good change up. And this is
a guy who pounds his own so he's not scared
(37:06):
of competing. And again, he's come out really strong to
start the year and I wouldn't be surprised if Will
helps our big league team this year. And it's been
awesome to see him kind of grow in the last
year and a half. And again one of the better
development stories for us in the system over the last
few years. So it's really encouraging to see where he
(37:28):
is right now.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
A lot of great names to touch on. I feel
like we could go another hour, Austin and maybe not
cover the whole roster because there are so many good
stories right now. But thanks for your insight on the
players we talked about today and We'll catch up with
you soon.
Speaker 11 (37:43):
Thanks Rosie.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
That's Vice president of Player Development, Stephen Osterer, and that's
going to do it for our show this week. Thanks
as always to Brian Matse for all of his help.
Will join you next week when the team is at
Texas taking on the Rangers in Arlington, Texas next week.
Until then, this is Jim Rosenhouse reminding you that you've
been listening to Guardians Weekly on the Cleveland Clinic Radio network.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
Guardians Weekly has been brought to you by Progressive helping
Guardians fans save hundreds on car insurance
Welcome to Guardians Weekly on the Cleveland Guardians Radio Network.
Guardians Weekly is brought to you by Progressive helping Guardians
fans save hundreds on car insurance.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Hi, everyone, welcome to Guardians Weekly. Gam Rosen House along
with you as we join you from Progressive Field in
downtown Cleveland, where the Guardians are wrapping up what has
been a solid home stand so far, a win over
the Red Sox on Friday night, and they play Boston
again Saturday afternoon at four to ten, wrapping up the
home stand on Sunday afternoon at one. A little bit
(01:14):
later on in our show, we'll hear from Guardians closer
Cade Smith and also set up man Hunter Gaddis. We'll
check in with Will Dion, who made his major league
debut with three strong innings of relief work earlier this week,
and we'll also have a full farm report focusing on
TRIPAA Columbus. In is a loaded roster at Columbus this year,
(01:36):
and Steven Oster, the vice president of player Development, will
fill us in on that a little bit later on
in our show. But first, the week in review, and
we begin with the Nationals Series to start the week,
a ten to two loss to the Nationals on Monday
and a six to three defeat to Washington on Tuesday,
so a slow start to the week, but the Guardians
(01:57):
would salvage the finale of the series on Wednesday afternoon.
Washington did strike first with a run in the third inning,
but in the fifth, the Guardians' bats came to life.
Austin Hedges reached on an error, and then with one out,
Travis Bazana stepped in. Here's the two to zero swung
on line drive right center, coming on head. I'm able
(02:18):
to make the play. He's young. It bounced in front
of him.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Extra basis for Pisanna, who cruises into second. On to
third goes Austin Hedges, and now it's runners at second
and third for the Guardians. On Bazana's second double of
the game. The next man up was Jose Ramirez. Here's
the one to oh swung on and there's a high
(02:43):
fly ball to center.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Young is under it.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
He has a good arm, charging in, makes the catch,
tagging heading for homes Hedges.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
The throw do time.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Hedges scored as the throw was cut and then shoveled
on to the plate, and Hedges ties the game with
a daring dash home from third on the sackfly by
Ramirez and then chase the latter with a chance to
give the Guardians their first lead of the series. Swung
(03:14):
the bat well today, will he get something to show
for it now? As he swings blinds it to left,
sinking fast base hit, grounding third, heading for home Pasana.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
The throw pays in standing.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Up and the Rookies come through the latter with a
go ahead RBI single two to one Cleveland. Kyle Mansarto
followed the base hit to put runners at the corners
for on hell Martinez. Here's the pitch and it's swung
on line shallow center and it gets down for a
(03:47):
base hit.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Scoring is the latter up to second.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Mansarto RPI single four on hell Martinez.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Three to one Guardians And with that two run lead,
Gavin Williams really got locked in on the mound.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
The three to two swinging a soft liner to third,
caught by Daniel Schneeman Well. It took fourteen pitches for
Gavin Williams to get through the seven. He's only made
ninety four Folks hookes. This is one of the great
young pitchers in all of baseball. Gavin Williams stretch time
(04:25):
at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario. It's a three
to one Cleveland lead. Tim Herron got the call in
the eighth inning. Now the two to two swing in
a mess trying to hold up went around.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
What an inning for Tim Herron.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
He dominated Washington here in the eighth and Cleveland stays
up three to one.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
But the Nationals wouldn't go quietly in the night. The
couple of singles led to a run, scoring on a
sack fly that made it a one run game at
three to two. But Kate Smith still had his hands
full with a runner at second and just one out.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Now the one to two delivery got I'm swinging on
a splitter, actually foul tipped it into the glove of hetches.
That is out number two. The Vancouver native is ready.
Here it comes strike.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
Three, call ball game eight, tucking ninety nine mile an
hour heater right down you, Clint Avenue, Cleveland Salvagius the
finale three to two.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
So a nice way to head into the off day
on Thursday. And then the Guardians were back at it
on Friday night against the Red Sox, and the off
days seemed to be just what the doctor ordered as
the Guardians came out swinging in the first inning, base
hits for both Jose Ramirez and Chase The latter brought
Rhys Hoskins to the plate.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Samaniedo delivering and it swung on drill the left. That's
a base hit. Pramirez hits third. He's coming home. The
throw by the and not nearly in time to the plate.
Posey slides in easily with the first run of the game.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
So the Guardians with.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Three consecutive base hits up Samaniedo and Arbi single the
left by Ree Hoskins.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Cale Mansarto was next. He'd make it four straight singles
and that loaded the bases for on Hell Martinez. Martinez
will bat right handed, switch hitter the pitch and he.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Rips one in the right center. That's a base hit.
The laughter scores. Hoskins steps a third. Now a ball
got away and on to home comes Hoskins with a
head first dive and the Guardians have a three nothing league.
Everybody was going up just one base on the Arbi
(06:50):
single the right center, but then Raffaelo overran the ball
and the Guardians get an extra run and give onhillmart
Tina's one RBI and the other run scoring.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
On the air.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Daniel Schneman kept the hip parade going with a base
hit to make it six consecutive singles, and once again
the bases were loaded still with just one out and
Patrick Bailey the batter infield bank double play depth the pitch,
a swing and a fly ball to fairly deep brighte
A bray you drifting back near the track makes the catch,
(07:27):
everybody tagging through.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
A second tag not in time. Man Sardo scores Martinez
to third, schneaming' the second and Cleveland on the second
fly makes it a four nothing ballgame.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
It stayed four to nothing Guardians until the fifth. That's
when the Red Sox put three runs on the board
on four hits, and all of a sudden, it was
a one run game at four to three. But once
again it was up to the bullpen, top ranked in
the league, to find a way to get it done.
Colin Holderman and Tim Aaron each did their job, and
then Sean Armstrong was called on with one out and
(08:05):
one on in the seventh.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Now the two got I'm swinging went after the high
heat and Armstrong gets the job done.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
What else is new?
Speaker 1 (08:16):
This magnificent Cleveland bullpen continues to be the best in baseball.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Then Hunter Gattis came on to pitch the eighth. The
pitch and he bangs.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
One to first, corralled by Mansardo steps on the bag.
Gattus works out of it bottom of the eighth, coming
up with Cleveland still leading it by a score of
four to three.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
And in the ninth, you know it, it's Kate Smith.
He was on to try and nail down a major
league best twentieth sea Now the.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
O two pinch swam in the nurse ball game. Hey,
what with the high heat.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Duran Chase Smith strikes up the side has a made
to make best twenty saves. Cleveland takes Game one this
weekend four to three, So.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
A nice way to finish out the ball game on
Friday night. Stay with us while we come back. We'll
hear from The Guardian's closer, Kate Smith. That's after this
time out. The Cleveland Clinic Radio.
Speaker 5 (09:19):
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Speaker 1 (10:07):
Two down, three to one, Cleveland Again. The two to
two got him swinging ball game. A nasty split finger
ramps it up for Cad Smith. Welcome back to Guardians Weekly,
Jim rosen House. Along with you from Progressive Field, came
downtown Cleveland and the Guardians bullpen since April the eighteenth
(10:29):
has been the best in baseball. Big reason why their
closer Kade Smith. He's been on quite a roll of late,
and he now leads all of baseball with twenty saves,
seventeen consecutive without a blown save. And when we caught
up with him, he talked about some of the keys
to his success as well as the great work from
the bullpen as a whole.
Speaker 6 (10:49):
I mean, I think as a whole, our bullpen's really
settling in and pitching well. I think our identity and
our culture is really solidifying there and that's been fun
to watch as far as me and inviitually, like there's
been some mechanical tweaks and things and just feeling like
I'm getting tuned up to how I want to be
most efficient on the mound, and that's been a big
part of it.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
You've had great seasons, but is every season new when
you come out of spring training to try and find
that good groove and the things that make you what
you are for sure?
Speaker 6 (11:18):
I mean, I think that over the course of each
off season, you're trying to learn things, trying to develop things,
trying to continue to improve. So you're not gonna be
just you know, rinsing and repeating and putting out the
same exact picture on the mound year after year after year.
There's gonna be things you have to develop and learn
and build on, and so that's been part of it.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
And when you look at that part of the game,
obviously it like to be perfect every time out, but
that's impossible. How much enjoyment do you get out of
tinkering and trying to find the right spot that they
get you to a real good place.
Speaker 7 (11:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (11:48):
I think it's one of one of the exciting things
about the game is that it's never the same. It's
never the same each day. Each day is different, right,
each game is different. The way that it's going to
shake out as different, and so there's that novelty each
day knowing that this is a new challenge in front
of us, and we get to approach it with the
work that we've done behind us. But ultimately we get
to go out and just compete and let the results
settle where they will.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
When you look at a key pitches, I know your
splitter comes into play big time. How tricky a pitch
is that to keep going in a positive direction? And
if it is a little bit off, how hard is
it to get it back to where you like?
Speaker 6 (12:21):
I think it all comes down mechanically, like the way
if something's wrong with how it's coming out of hand,
it goes upstream to how I'm moving to get to
my release point. If that's out of whack, then it's
going to come out of hand funky and maybe do
some things that are a little unexpected. But if my
mechanics are repeatable and I'm doing a good job with that,
then I think it's pretty consistent.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
And how much of that is the coaches that you
have and then some of the analytics side of it too,
where you can look at technology and figure some things.
Speaker 6 (12:49):
Out the biomechanics and all that. That is huge to
rely on the coaches and the analytics. That's a super
important part, super helpful tool for me. As far as
how the split comes out, you know specifically, I think
that's very very field based.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
How far back have you gone where it is analytics
that that really helps you do what you need to do.
Speaker 6 (13:10):
Literally, since I first signed with Cleveland, like, there was
conversations immediately about how to break down my mechanics, simplify,
change things, and lay some big foundational blocks for me
to build on.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
You have a fun ball club here, obviously we hear
it in the background the bullpen out there. How enjoyable
is it to be out there? And who are some
of the guys that keep it loose?
Speaker 6 (13:29):
Oh, it's a ton of fun out there. I mean
every character down there is unique. I mean they all
play a big part of it, Like Ricky are bullpen catcher,
he plays a big part of it. Catcher Caleb plays
a big part of it. E Rod's in there too
as well, and then also obviously all the guys. I mean,
it's a unique combination. We put all those guys together
and it's a ton of fun.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
An inclosing team playing great baseball. What are you seeing
with this team that has you excited about what it
could be as the season goes along.
Speaker 6 (13:54):
I think seeing the resilience and the perseverance is super important.
See that the tight game. Were not shying away from them,
not afraid of them, but they were going to be
able to play our best baseball when we're dealing with
pressure and dealing with those close games and come out
on top.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Okay, thanks for the time.
Speaker 6 (14:10):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
AD's Guardian's closer Kate Smith on quite the role right now.
It's seventeen consecutive saves setting him up. Most of the
time has been Hunter gaddis another reliever that's been pitching
extremely well back in that familiar eight thenning setup role.
After missing the first couple of weeks of the season
due to some forearm tenderness that cropped up in spring training,
(14:32):
we got up with Gaddis earlier this week and asked
him how it feels to be back on track after
missing time early.
Speaker 6 (14:39):
I felt really good.
Speaker 8 (14:41):
Yeah, you know, not opening up with the team definitely sucked,
but it was good to you know, stay back, build up,
you know, to one hundred percent to be able to
come here and be at my best when I show up.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
What is the hardest part sometimes if you do have
a setback where you're not available for a little bit.
Speaker 8 (14:56):
The hardest thing for me was just the one to
be there with the guys. I mean, preparing and all that.
I feel like it's the same, but just don't want
to be with the guys on the road. And you
know that every game was pretty hard.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
And do you watch games and think, well that's my
inning or that you know that's where I could really
help or is that something you'd try not in No,
I didn't think about it like that.
Speaker 8 (15:17):
I mean I watched every game and wanted them to
win and succeed as much as they could. I wasn't
really worried about anything if I was there or not,
but I just wanted them to win.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Since you've been back, you mentioned things feeling good any
pitches in particular really working well for you that that
maybe is a surprise because it's this early in the
season for you.
Speaker 8 (15:37):
No, everything feels good. Mechanics felt really good. I worked
with them while I was going through my rehab, just
trying to dial those in, and I feel like I'm
in a good spot and just trying to stay there.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
You know.
Speaker 8 (15:47):
Pitches feel about the same as they always have to
a certain degree, and just trying to ride with it.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
And nobody wants to set back where they missed time.
And you may not even look at it this way,
but do you feel like maybe starting a little bit
later might help you at at the back end, especially
considering that the amount of activity have had the last
couple of years.
Speaker 8 (16:08):
I mean maybe, I mean, I guess that may just
be a time hotel, But I mean I was still
doing to rehab, you know, still throwing the not maybe
not the same amount, but close to it. And we'll
just have to see.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
And the bullpen is as a unit, it changes every year.
What have you seen down there this year that that's encouraging,
And then maybe some things that you're looking at to
really move forward as it goes deeper into the season.
Speaker 8 (16:34):
I mean, I feel like it's the same you know
it's been in the past two years. We still have
a good group of core guys that have been here
for the past couple of years. On whoever comes in,
it seems like they know how to pick some good
people because we're having good vibes down there, and you know,
in our names called it seems like everybody's on board
with them and hey, let's ride.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
You mentioned a good vibes. Does it take a little
bit to kind of get to know some new guys
and get them in the mix in terms of how
you pass the time down there while you're waiting for
your turn to pitch.
Speaker 8 (17:04):
No, I feel like once you're in the bullpen, I
may not even know you at all, but like we're
still going to have fun. Like it's it picks up
very quick.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
And in terms of the retorneys, who who do you
look forward to seeing the most down art that maybe
give a hard time to or joke around with.
Speaker 8 (17:20):
Definitely Tim Heron.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
Tim Aaron Alcome, he's.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Just a lefty, you know, I just got to give
him crap enough. Hey Hunter, good to see you, thanks
for coming back, Thank you for sure. That's Guardians reliever
Hunter Gatus. Good to see him back in that eighth
inning setup role. It just seems that the bullpen fits
when he's going well, and we saw them miss him
a bit early in the season, But now that he's back,
things are really falling into place once again. Stay with
(17:46):
us when we come back, we'll meet one of the
new guys. The latest to make his major league debut,
Will Dion, relief pitcher for the Guardians. That's next on
the Cleveland Clinic Radio Network.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Here's the one two offering swing out of us. Struck
it all with a heat. What an outing for a
Hunter Gaddis The bitch swung on a one hop for
(18:40):
a second. Losana flips to second one. Rochio turns to
how about the kid will be on a five pitch
major league debut and he retires the nance.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Here in the seventh Welcome back to Guardians Weekly, Jim
rosenhouse with you at Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland, and
the latest of the youngsters to make their major league
debut is relief pitcher Will Dion. He got into the
game on Tuesday night against the Nationals and pitched extremely
well in the final three innings of that game. And
(19:15):
as you'd expect, he says, it was quite a thrill
to be out there on a major league mound for
the first time.
Speaker 7 (19:22):
It was it was incredible. I mean, I can't even
put into wards like how awesome and especial it was.
It was a day like I dreamed of as a kid.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
So and I'm sure any any picture wonders, hey, will
my stuff play in the major leagues? And you get
through three innings and successfully, And at what point did
you say, Hey, my stuff's working up here and I
know I have belong up here.
Speaker 7 (19:47):
I'd probably say in spring. I trusted my stuff in
spring and I made some changes in like seeing how
my stuff played in spring training against those hitters that
it gave me the confidence to go in this year
and to be able to go out there to trust
the catchers too.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
When you look at your journey, obviously not easy. Take
us back to last summer when you were asked to
go to the bullpen and see how that would work out.
What were your initial reactions and then how did you
get through that to make it a positive?
Speaker 7 (20:14):
At first? Was I was mad becoming a starter or
I was a starter my whole life and be moved
to the bullpen, and it was caught off guarden for
the most part, and so I was upset frustrated. But
after like two weeks or so, I swallowed my pride
(20:36):
and went to the wullpen and I enjoyed every second
of it and hes its up and downs to the
bullpen like every other outing in year, and but I
was able to actually find like enjoyment in this game again.
So that was probably one of the best parts.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
I think everybody takes that for granted that players enjoy
the game, but what can the frustrations be? And then
when you do find that joy again, how much of
a difference can that.
Speaker 7 (21:03):
Make you becoming grateful like and thankful like going through
those ups and downs and being frustrated and you're like,
you know what, maybe maybe like God does have a
plan and you just trust his plan, and his plan
for me is to be in the bullpen. The whole
goal was for me to actually find enjoyment in baseball,
(21:24):
and that's what exactly happens.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
So stuff wise, is it different out of the pen
or fairly similar?
Speaker 7 (21:32):
I'd say it's different out of the pen. It's a
lot more My mentality of just like pound the zone,
try to get in and out. Starting was more more structured,
more of a plan. You gotta prepare for three or
four times. Bullpen. It's probably gonna face these guys once.
If I face them twice, I'll figure it out second time.
(21:53):
But what goes for it's here's everything like good.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Luck you look at. Share it with people that are
so important in your life. Tell us about who was
here for your debut and why that was so important.
Speaker 7 (22:06):
Was my wife, my parents, and my in laws. And
I'm truly thankful that they were able to make it
out and I was able to share this day with them.
It was truly special and today that we'll never forget.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Andy Tracy the tripa manager has made a living out
of telling guys they can go to the big leagues.
How did he tell you and what were your reactions?
Speaker 7 (22:29):
He told me in my hotel room Monday night, is
me and my roommate Ryan Webb. We're getting ready to
play the show and we're getting ready to go golf
in the next day and Tracy knocks on the door
and he comes in and he's asking us if we
got our golf vouchers, and we were like no. He goes, well,
(22:51):
we need golf vouchers, so we're gonna order some. What
are you going golf? And he said yeah, and he
asked me if I was going golfing. I said yeah,
of course, and he goes, sure, you don't want to
go to Cleveland. That's like, yeah, I'll go to Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
And that is a perfect way to go. Well, congratulations,
thank you, thank you. Will Dion's been working at it
for a while and he finally got that call and
was impressive his first time around. And he's still here
almost going on a full week in the major league,
so that's great news for him. Stay with us when
we come back, we'll hear about some future Cleveland Guardians.
(23:27):
They're playing now at Triple A Columbus with Vice president
of player Development Stephen Oster.
Speaker 7 (23:32):
That's next.
Speaker 9 (23:37):
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Speaker 2 (24:15):
Welcome back to our final segment of Guardians Weekly. We're
at Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland where the Guardians are
taking on the Red Sox this weekend. Great things going
on at Columbus and we are joined now by Stephen Oster,
the vice president of player Development with the Guardians. The
Clippers are loaded. They've gone through several changes, with the
(24:36):
likes of Travis Bizana reaching the major leagues, Chase the
latter made the club out of spring training, as did
Parker Messix. So you would think that maybe things were
a little light at Columbus. Uh huh, Asty says, dealing
with all the moving parts is a welcome challenge for
the front office and development staff, especially when you're looking
at the type of talent they have at Triple A
(24:58):
right now.
Speaker 10 (25:00):
Really really talented group up there. Was fortunate to spend
some time there last week and you look at the
lineup that we're trotting out there and it's like everyone
had an eight to fifty ops and then some of
the arms coming in were pretty electric too, So it's
exciting to see those guys take some steps forward and
also perform at that level. But then just also a
(25:21):
bit of a challenge trying to figure out, hey, where
does everyone play? So you know, it's been fun to
see that lineup get trotted out there week after week,
and with a couple editions over the last couple two
so it's been nice.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Land. Let's start right there with those additions. Ralphie Velasquez,
we saw him in spring training. Then he get off
to the good start at Akron and it doesn't seem
like he's missed a beat at Columbus. What are you
seeing there?
Speaker 11 (25:47):
Yeah, he has not missed a beat.
Speaker 10 (25:49):
He's about to turn twenty one, I believe later this week,
and is one of the.
Speaker 11 (25:54):
Youngest players there in Triple A.
Speaker 10 (25:55):
And like I said earlier, I was in Columbus when
he did show up, and he was really excited to
be there and also fit in right away.
Speaker 11 (26:02):
Was was not nervous about the transition whatsoever.
Speaker 10 (26:05):
So and I know we talked about him already this
year just how impressive he's been at the plate, you know,
like the approach and his patient to stay within.
Speaker 11 (26:13):
His game plan, make good swing decisions, the.
Speaker 10 (26:16):
Consistent contact when he does swing, and hitting the ball
really hard with a lot of damage. We'd call him
a three pillar hitter. And he's just continued to do
that in Columbus so far. And you know, he's built
up his game workload enough at this point to feel
comfortable adding some more outfield games into the mix, and
he did that in Akron and we're likely to see
(26:36):
some of that now moving forward in Columbus too. So
there's there's lots of like with Ralphie as much as
we've talked about him before, and now we know that
he's going to continue learning at that level and developing
at a really high rate, especially around that player group
and that competition level. So you know, excited to have
Ralphie at that level and continue to expect him to
(26:57):
perform and to develop.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Shortstop on hell hanw another who's putting up tremendous numbers
wherever he's been. And again another player who didn't seem
to miss a beat moving up the level, and what
are you seeing there? How come he was able to
make that adjustment so quickly.
Speaker 10 (27:13):
Yeah, he's grown a bit of a sample size now
in Columbus. I think it's about eighteen games as we're
talking to this point. He's settled in really nicely at
the level. I mean there odd trades are just you know,
we expect him to stick around. His ability to make
contact in zone, you know, hit the ball hard at
productive angles and do it from both sides of the play.
Speaker 11 (27:32):
Those have showed up.
Speaker 10 (27:33):
And you know, it might take a bit of time
to get used to the game planning and making good
decisions within the game and within the bat. And you know,
I think we're seeing some really strong overall numbers the
power and damage department and not striking out, but he's
maybe not walking as much as as we've seen in
the past, and it's the adjustment to the level and
that's also kind of why he's there is to work
(27:55):
on that. So he's been really good. The transition has
been smooth. Defensively, he's getting you know, some games a
shortstop and we've we've transitioned to, you know, give him
some exposure to second base and third base just to
you know, get the versatility rolling. He was exclusively shortstop
and accroing up until this point. So getting his feet
settled at the other positions and getting some opportunities is great.
Speaker 11 (28:19):
You know.
Speaker 10 (28:19):
Obviously we got to work with the lineup and we've
got some really capable defenders in the field there too,
so you know, it's a bit of a puzzle overall.
But and now has looked really good and hasn't missed
a beat at all in the transition.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Khalil Watson, I know, he's been on the radar since
spring training when he made a nice impression in Major
league camp, and it seems like the power has continued
at the Triple A level. And what do you like
so far from him?
Speaker 10 (28:44):
Yeah, the power has continued, and he's carried over a
lot of what we saw at the end of last
year and getting settled at that level and what we
saw on spring training two of just continuing to hit
and he's taking his walks. He hits the ball hard
at really good angles that have led to good damage,
you know, and I think he's growing quite a bit
and how he approaches at bats and some of those
(29:06):
within game and game to game adjustments. So I just
think the continued thing for Khalil moving forward is you know,
working towards the consistent contact, and we believe there's a
postural tie into that, and now he's swinging and he's
been working on that, so we're hoping to see that
tick up this season. But you know, this is a
super athletic and gifted player who can run around the
(29:28):
outfield and has taken that position adjustment very well since transitioning,
and you know, we believe he.
Speaker 11 (29:35):
Can be a dependable option in the future out there.
Speaker 10 (29:37):
And Khalil's early sample size in Columbus is mimicking a
lot of what we see towards the end of last year,
and he just continues to get better over time. So
I wouldn't be too surprised to see him help the
major league team in the near future. And it's been
really encouraging to see him work and develop on the
things that he needs to do.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
Cooper Engel is certainly an interesting story with the offensive
season that he's had, and he plays a position where
the value on defense is second to none in this organization.
So how impressive has he been offensively and how far
does he have to go defensively to really get on
the map.
Speaker 10 (30:14):
Yeah, Cooper has been one of the best hitters in
the system up to this point. I think as we're
talking now, he's hitting around three forty and ops of
eleven something. You know, he's got the elite walk rates,
and he's just punishing the baseball even when he makes outs.
I know we talked a lot about the developmental the
defensive development in our earlier conversations and how that's something
(30:38):
he really wanted to and has improved upon. And he's
come a long way since joining the ORG. He's caught
around just one hundred and eighty ish games so far
in his professional career, and developing as a catcher takes
the longest, we believe, and you know, because the bat's
been so good, and he came in as a college
catcher with limited catching experience, he's kind of been pushed
(31:00):
with less of a runway than a typical catcher progression.
So he's worked really hard at improving that part of
his game. His throwing has gotten better, and I think
the receiving part of this is, you know, where the
bulk of the development will need to continue to come.
And he's a really good athlete and show strong receiving
moves at times. It's just a bit of a consistency
(31:22):
factor that I believe that he needs to continue moving
the needle on. So we are bullish on him being
a reliable catcher and catching option in the long term,
and we believe that he can get there with enough reps.
Speaker 11 (31:35):
It just may take a bit of time.
Speaker 10 (31:36):
And the bat is certainly pushing his status right now
in the organ hoping that he's ready with the catching
side whenever the opportunity comes.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
Steven Oster is joining us. He's the vice president of
player development for the Guardians and we're talking Triple A
Columbus this week. And on the mound, certainly, Daniel Espino
has been a wonderful story with the comeback from injury
and inactivity for such a long period of time. So
much of the focus has been on getting him back
on the mound and he's in a relief role. So
(32:09):
what are some of the challenges that presents in terms
of preparing him to make an impression here at the
major league level because of that role, and how far
does he have to go?
Speaker 10 (32:18):
You think first, I mean first and foremost, Like you said,
the being healthy is top of mind for Daniel. He's
had a tremendous comeback from the injuries that he's faced
and just seeing him on the mound brings a smile
to a lot of people's faces, and doing that consistently
has been awesome to see to start the year. And
as he transitioned to a reliever role, of course that's
(32:39):
an adjustment, and you know, trying to do that while
also getting adjusted back to being a part of a
team and being in a full season. Again, when you
put those two things together, it can be really challenging.
Speaker 11 (32:51):
But again, this is Daniel Aspino. He's kind of the
poster child.
Speaker 10 (32:55):
For us for professionalism and our organ determination and perseverance,
and he's done optionally well. You know, he had a
small stretch there where I think his delivery got a
bit out of sync. It resulted in pulling off early
and missing some hardside leading to more walks. But he
worked through that really quickly over a couple of holepens
(33:16):
and is just back to what we would expect out
of him. He's got probably the best out of hand
stuff in our entire organization, including the major leagues. When
he's going well, the upper nineties fastball, low nineties slider
and capability of pounding the strike zone consistently, and at
this point it's just managing the workload and we've been
trying to condense that and last week he threw on
(33:37):
one day's rest for the first time in his career
and bounced back really well. So, you know, getting over
some of these workload hurdles is a thing that you know,
we're taking our time with and making sure that he's
recovering well and doing the things that he needs to
do to be able to handle a workload that would
be expected out of our major league pen. But you know,
it's Daniel. He is a tremendous human being. He's going
(33:59):
to do every everything he possibly can to be ready
for himself and to help the team. And he's on
so we're all rooting for him and it's just been
a treasure and a real treat for us to be
able to watch him throw again.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
We had a chance to see Franco Alimann a couple
of weeks ago, and he was impressive in his major
league debut. What's he working on at Triple A to
try and get back as quickly as he can.
Speaker 10 (34:24):
Yeah, he came up and at those two weddings at
the major league level and showed that he's capable of
helping our pator league teams. He's that huge, imposing figure
on the mount with that electric arm, and he's got
that well above average fastball. It's performed his entire career.
I think it's just the growth of his secondary weapons
and the slider velocity and execution probably more specifically, that's
(34:46):
going to help him protect his fastball long term. You know,
in the minor leagues, it's really hard to replicate. Like
I said, the major league pen workloads, the back to
backs are really challenging to get in. Getting hot and
not going into doesn't happen nearly as much as it
would in the major league environment. And Franco still hasn't
really gone through that type of ringer yet, so you know,
(35:08):
we're trying to work through some of that.
Speaker 11 (35:10):
It's ensuring that he's ready.
Speaker 10 (35:11):
For that when he does get the next opportunity and
has the routines and the recovery to sustain what would be.
Speaker 11 (35:17):
Asked of him out of the major league role.
Speaker 10 (35:19):
So Franco has been pretty diligent about improving that and
getting ready for that, and I think he showed himself
when he got the opportunity to pitch in the major
leagues that he can handle, you know, the in game component.
I think it's the day to day and getting through
the week that is somewhat of an unknown and something
that he's preparing for in the future.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
And one last picture that we wanted to touch on.
He he's been in major league camp last couple of years,
Will Dion and I know he bounces through some different
roles and what are you saying from him as he
gets closer?
Speaker 11 (35:52):
Yeah, left handed pitcher.
Speaker 10 (35:54):
We haven't talked a ton about necessarily, but ninth round
selection kind of McNeese State back in twenty one. Pretty
good draft class, and he was a really good starting
pitcher throughout most of his minor league career, and he
had a bit of a struggle in Triple A and
shifted kind of into a pen roll capable of handling
multiple innings and up to around sixty pitches and one
(36:17):
of the better development stories probably of the last five
years for US. He came in really with limited exposure
to resources in tech and you know, throwing eighty five
eighty six miles an hour and worked about as hard
as anyone to improve, gained a ton of strength, a
ton of muscle, and completely overhauled his Arsenal except for
maybe his fastball, and is now in a position to
(36:40):
hopefully help our Patch League team in the future.
Speaker 11 (36:42):
He's come out.
Speaker 10 (36:43):
And performed exceptionally well in his role this year. And
he's not a huge guy out there, but he's got
this high slot with plus carry to this fastball. It's
a low release sight, it plays the pitch up really well,
almost like Sabrowski, and he's got some bite to his
curveball and a really good change up. And this is
a guy who pounds his own so he's not scared
(37:06):
of competing. And again, he's come out really strong to
start the year and I wouldn't be surprised if Will
helps our big league team this year. And it's been
awesome to see him kind of grow in the last
year and a half. And again one of the better
development stories for us in the system over the last
few years. So it's really encouraging to see where he
(37:28):
is right now.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
A lot of great names to touch on. I feel
like we could go another hour, Austin and maybe not
cover the whole roster because there are so many good
stories right now. But thanks for your insight on the
players we talked about today and We'll catch up with
you soon.
Speaker 11 (37:43):
Thanks Rosie.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
That's Vice president of Player Development, Stephen Osterer, and that's
going to do it for our show this week. Thanks
as always to Brian Matse for all of his help.
Will join you next week when the team is at
Texas taking on the Rangers in Arlington, Texas next week.
Until then, this is Jim Rosenhouse reminding you that you've
been listening to Guardians Weekly on the Cleveland Clinic Radio network.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
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