Guardians name Carlos Carrasco, Brayan Rocchio to Opening Day roster; Myles Straw waived
The Cleveland Guardians roster is beginning to come into focus, and a name very familiar to Cleveland fans will be breaking camp with the team to open the 2024 season. The shortstop position, meanwhile, is officially being turned over to the club's top prospect.
The Guardians on Friday announced that pitchers Carlos Carrasco and Tyler Beede, shortstop Brayan Rocchio and utility players Gabriel Arias, Tyler Freeman and David Fry will all make the Opening Day roster.
Carrasco, 36, and Beede, 30, are both in camp as non-roster invitees. And both were the beneficiaries of a few Opening Day roster spots opening up after starting pitcher Gavin Williams and relievers Trevor Stephan, James Karinchak and Sam Hentges all sustained injuries during or just before spring camp that will lead to them beginning the season on the injured list.
The Guardians haven't yet determined how they'll handle the fifth spot in the rotation just yet, but Carrasco and Beede have both been informed that they'll be on the roster in some form.
It will be the second stint with Cleveland for Carrasco, who hopes to rebound from a down period with the New York Mets. Carrasco worked with Driveline, as did Gurdians ace Shane Bieber, over the offseason and was able to show enough to warrant a spot.
"I think, first and foremost, he was clear from the beginning of the season that this is the place where he wanted to try to continue pitching, and he felt so strongly about that, that he was willing to come into camp on a minor-league contract and try to earn a spot on this team," said president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti. "And I don't think anyone was surprised Carlos came out and did exactly that."
Beede has a career 5.34 ERA over four seasons in the majors and also has pitched in Japan. He's now back in the majors, either as the Guardians' No. 5 starter or as a multi-inning pitcher in the bullpen to start 2024.
"We've seen it from Tyler all spring," said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt. "The stuff itself plays, four or five pitches that he can use in his arsenal at anytime. We've seen him be very efficient — five innings the other day in Kansas City in 60 pitches. So we've seen him attack the zone, we've seen him finish hitters."
Guardians' top prospect Brayan Rocchio to get bulk of time at shortstop to open 2024
The Guardians have been searching for some long-term stability at shortstop since Francisco Lindor was dealt, along with Carrasco, to the Mets. Rocchio now has the chance to grab hold of that spot for the foreseeable future.
Rocchio, ranked as the No. 13 prospect in baseball by Keith Law, will see the "bulk of reps" at shortstop to open the year, Vogt said. Arias and Freeman, both of whom can play shortstop and the outfield, will also be on the roster and could bounce around the diamond.
"I think, for me, the consistency at which Brayan works, the consistency at which he approaches each day, is kind of what led us there," Vogt said. "Brayan has really, really ramped up not only this spring, but in years prior. We've seen him talking with everybody here, we've seen the way he's trended and the way that he has worked to get himself to this point."
Guardians place Myles Straw on waivers; center field left with questions
The Guardians' handling of center field has become the team's most pressing matter as Opening Day draws near.
Freeman has seen time in center this spring and could find a semi-regular role there. He's had one of the more productive camps.
"I think Tyler's done in our view an extraordinary job in transitioning as a very capable center fielder and outfielder in general, Vogt said. "So that's been one of the highlights of camp for us, is his progress out there."
It's now unclear whether Myles Straw will be part of that picture, as the Guardians have placed him on waivers, according to a report by The Athletic.
Straw still has three years left on the five-year, $25 million deal he signed before the 2022 season. The deal also includes club options for 2027 and 2028.
The Guardians are first going to see if any team wants to pick up that contract. If Straw clears waivers, the Guardians could release him to clear up a 40-man spot, utilize him in a bench role for his speed and defense, or he could be optioned to Triple-A.
It once seemed Straw could be the club's answer in center field, but much of that optimism has been extinguished. After being acquired from the Houston Astros at the 2021 trade deadline, Straw had a .739 OPS in 60 games with Cleveland before signing his extension the ensuing offseason.
Even if that exact level of offensive production as unsustainable, anything close to it combined with Straw's Gold Glove-level defense and speed on the bases would be enough. But since signing the deal, Straw in two seasons has a .580 OPS with a .229 average and .296 on-base percentage. Even with his defense and speed, it hasn't been enough to warrant his everyday spot in the lineup any longer.
The Bo Naylor project: Bo Naylor's potential, Austin Hedges' mentorship and the Guardians' catcher-heavy staff
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Threads at @ByRyanLewis.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians Opening Day roster includes Carlos Carrasco, Brayan Rocchio
