2024 Pre-Season Profile: Cleveland Guardians

 #21

The Cleveland Guardians saw their legendary manager retire at the end of 2023.  Will their rookie manager be ready to lead them to the postseason?

2023 Predictions

#14 - 2nd in AL Central

MIH - Andres Gimenez

MIP - Triston McKenzie

PTW - Bo Naylor

FP - Steven Kwan will win the AL batting title in 2023.

2023 Results

#22 - 76-86, 3rd in AL Central

Highest WAR (Position) - Andres Gimenez

Highest WAR (Pitcher) - Tanner Bibee

The 2023 season for the Guardians was the definition of mediocrity.  They were never bad, but they weren't really relevant either.  Their best players either got injured or had average seasons.  There was little to cheer about, but you couldn't really jeer the season either.

Additions / Subtractions

The biggest change heading into 2024 for the Guardians is the retirement of longtime manager Terry Francona.  He has been replaced by the recently retired player Stephen Vogt.  Very few changes were made to the roster.  Veteran starter Carlos Carrasco is back in Cleveland, and they acquired veteran outfielder Estevan Florial.

Most Important Hitter

Steven Kwan

Steven Kwan had one of the greatest starts to a career you could have in 2022.  Despite cooling off the second half of the season, he still almost hit .300 and sported a 124 OPS+.  In 2023, the sophomore slump set in, as his OPS+ fell to 100 and only hit .268 (far from a batting title).  Perfectly average.  The Guardians have a couple thumpers in the middle of the lineup, but they need someone on base ahead of them.  If Kwan can get back to his 2022 self, this offense might actually be okay.

Most Important Pitcher

Emmanuel Clase

Few bullpens these days are defined by one dominant arm at closer.  Cleveland is one of them.  Emmanuel Clase might be the best closer in baseball, and the Guardians lean heavily on him because of it.  If Clase gets hurt or starts to struggle, it could derail the entire bullpen.  If he stays healthy and dominant, their bullpen works.

Prospect to Watch

Brayan Rocchio

With the 19th ranked farm system in baseball, the Guardians sport 4 players in the Top 100.  One of those is the Opening Day shortstop, Brayan Rocchio.  Ranked #91 overall and 3rd in the system, Rocchio made his debut at the end of 2023, and now the 23 year old switch hitter is ready for the full time gig.  He's a solid hitter and a good base runner, but his best attribute is his defense which could lead to a Gold Glove at some point in his career.

2024 Prediction

3rd in AL Central

The Guardians the last few seasons have felt like a team where their amazing manager willed them into contention every season despite their roster.  Now with Francona gone, I don't know how well they can do.  I'm a fan of new manager Stephen Vogt, but it might take him a little while to make this roster and team his.

Fearless Prediction

Shane Bieber will be traded mid-season.

Simply from the nature of their division, the Guardians might be in contention for awhile this season, but I could also see them realize an opportunity to cash in on one of their best players before he cashes in with another team next season.  Shane Bieber has had moments of being elite in Cleveland, and now he's heading into his final season before free agency.  I don't think the Guardians will re-sign him, which means they will probably trade him.

2017 Pre-Season Profile: Oakland Athletics

#25

Over the past few years, the Oakland A's have hit the reset button Moneyball style.  After a few seasons at the bottom of the division, will 2017 see some progress back to the top of the division with this new core?

My 2016 Predictions

5th in AL West

Half of the A's Opening Day lineup will be traded before the end of the season.

2016 Results

69-93, 5th in AL West

No one expected much from the A's in 2016, and they didn't disappoint.  The makeshift lineup put together led the A's back to the cellar for a second straight year.  This was another transition year as their farm system was being restocked.  As for my prediction, it came up just a bit short.  Four of the ten Opening Day starters (Billy Burns, Josh Reddick, Aaron Hill, Billy Butler) were traded by the end of the season, however Danny Valencia was traded this offseason so I am going to label this prediction as fulfilled.

Additions / Subtractions

The A's have made their offseason strategy an art form.  They buy low on some solid veterans looking to prove themselves, then flip them at the Trade Deadline for more prospects to build their farm system.  Like I said, a good portion of their lineup was flipped last year with Valencia traded this offseason.  The new crop of vets to land in Oakland includes Trevor Plouffe, Rajai Davis, Matt Joyce, and Santiago Casilla.

Most Important Hitter

Khris Davis

One highlight of the 2016 Athletics was the emergence of Khris Davis.  He exploded for 42 home runs and 102 RBI's while becoming the A's best player.  Now he will have a target on his back as he will not catch anyone by surprise this year.  Can he repeat his production from last year?  If so, he is on the verge of becoming a superstar that could lead the next great A's run (or be traded, depending on what Billy Beane wants to do).  If he can't, the A's are further away from success than they want to be.

Most Important Pitcher

Sonny Gray

In 2015, Sonny Gray emerged as the next great A's ace, verging on the brink of being a superstar.  In 2016, he battled injuries to start the season.  When he came back, he was a different pitcher, finishing the year with a 5.69 ERA.  If the A's want to have any chance of being relevant in 2017, Sonny Gray needs to be his 2015 version and not his 2016 version.

Player to Watch

Franklin Barreto

Any hardcore Athletics should already know the name of Franklin Barreto.  The 21 year-old infielder is not only A's top prospect and baseball's 52nd best prospect overall, he was also the key piece sent back to A's in the Josh Donaldson trade with the Blue Jays.  Knowing that, it's obvious to see why his debut is so anticipated.  Barreto's career is the only thing that could prevent the Donaldson trade from going down as one of the worst trades in baseball history.  2017 is the first chance we have to see young Barreto on the field in Oakland.  With Marcus Semien seemingly having shortstop locked up, second base is more likely to be the position at which he makes his debut.

2017 Prediction

4th in AL West

You have to give Oakland credit; they are never down for that long.  Their latest group of prospects are getting ready to hit the big leagues, while their latest group of veterans will most likely be shipped off for more prospects.  They have a chance of getting off to a fast start with the veterans, while the rookies will make the second half exciting.  When all is said and done, they still won't be very good, but they are at least heading in the right direction.

Fearless Prediction

Half of the A's Opening Day roster will be traded by the end of the season.

Yes, it is the same prediction as last year, but it doesn't make it any less relevant.  Look at their lineup.  Half of this lineup is in Oakland so that they can earn their way to a deadline trade.  Look for Trevor Plouffe, Rajai Davis, Matt Joyce, and maybe even players like Marcus Semien, Sonny Gray, and Stephen Vogt to be dealt before all is said and done.

2016 Pre-Season Profile: Oakland Athletics

We may now be two weeks into the season, but it isn't too late to look at a preview for a few last teams.  How will the Oakland A's fare in 2016?

Last Season

My 2015 Prediction: 5th in AL West

2015 Result: 68-94, 5th in AL West

I was finally right!  Every year, it seemed that the Oakland A's would put a sub-par team on the field, and yet they would still compete and sometimes even make the playoffs.  After going all in for the 2014 season, the 2015 season saw them finally come crashing back down to earth.  The A's hit the cellar in 2015 for the first time since 2009 as it seemed they were trying to hit the reset button after the disappointing finish in 2014.

2016 Additions / Subtractions

This offseason saw the A's continue to unload some of their major league talent as Brett Lawrie, Scott Kazmir, and Jesse Chavez left either by trade or free agency.  They did bring in a few guys too, like Khris Davis, Chris Coghlan, and Ryan Madson.  However, the roster still looks very much like a work in progress.

Most Important Hitter

Billy Burns

Has there ever been a more "moneyball" player than Billy Burns?  He is a 5'9", 170 pound, switch-hitting, slap hitter that plays centerfield.  Nothing about him looks like a big leaguer except his stat line.  In one of the deepest rookie classes in recent memory, Billy Burns took 5th in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2015.  For the future incarnation of the A's to be a success, Billy Burns needs to make sure last season was a sign of things to come and not a one hit wonder.

Most Important Pitcher

Sonny Gray

Over the last couple years, Sonny Gray has quietly become one of the best pitchers in baseball.  Now he is in his contract year on a team not expected to contend.  This makes Gray incredibly important for the A's as he will most likely be traded around the Trade Deadline.  The haul they are able to get for their ace will help set them up for some future success in the years to come.

Player to Watch

Sean Manaea

After trading away the farm in 2014 (Cubs phenom Addison Russell being one of them) they needed to rebuild their system.  Sean Manaea came over to Oakland from Kansas City in the Ben Zobrist deal last season.  Now he is one of their top prospects and set to make his big league debut this summer, especially if the A's have the type of season they are expected to have.

2016 Prediction

5th in AL West

I heard one prognosticator say that the A's are the only American League team without a realistic shot at the postseason entering the season.  I would agree with that, which probably means they will win the division.  However, they seem to be the only AL team in the middle of a rebuild.  Everyone else is prepping for a pennant run this season.  This season has the potential to once again be rough on the east side of the Bay, however Billy Beane never lets A's be down for too long.

Fearless Prediction

Half of the A's Opening Day lineup will be traded before the end of the season.

For a rebuilding team, they sure have a lot of veterans on their roster.  Look for guys like Sonny Gray, Chris Coghlan, Billy Butler, Jed Lowrie, Danny Valencia, Coco Crisp, and maybe even Josh Reddick traded before the end of the season to build up their farm system.  By season's end, all of these players will be most valuable to the A's as ways to improve their future.