The Cleveland Guardians have had a very up-and-down first half of the 2023 MLB season. It is safe to say that this is not the way many thought Cleveland would be at the top of their division. After last season’s “Guardiac Kids” to now being a game under .500 halfway through the season. Although Cleveland leads the ALC they are not doing as well as they were thought to be doing.
Cleveland’s big offseason signing, Josh Bell, has not provided much power. Mike Zunino was sent back to Triple-A, and Andres Gimenez did not start off the year in all-star form like he did the season prior. The icing on top of the cake is Triston MacKenzie only having two stars under his belt this season due to injuries.
What Is With Cleveland?
Despite all the hardship, The Cleveland Guardians have a good bit of momentum going into the second half. Since June 18th, no other team in the American League has had a better record than Cleveland. They are 12-7 since that date. Josh Naylor has put this team on his back and is as hot as a hitter can be. Finally, Gimenez has been showing signs of heating up over the past few weeks. If Cleveland IS going to make another postseason run they need to shape up right now.
It all starts with the MLB Trade Deadline. The terms “buyer” and “seller’ get thrown around a lot around the deadline. Cleveland has made their name being a buyer by selling as said by MLB.com. Names like former Cy Young award winner Shane Beiber. As well as shortstop Amed Rosario have been surrounded by trade rumors for a while now. Getting rid of an ace or a reliable bat may be considered selling, but if they can get consistency in return it would be buying by selling.
Consistency Is The Answer!
This team’s success also comes from the bat of Josh Bell. We know that Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor will be able to get things done at the plate, but if Bell can get hot it would really round out Cleveland’s line-up. Another player to watch is catcher, Bo Naylor. The younger brother of Josh Naylor, Bo was recently called up and is already making an impact.
The Cleveland Guardians can still turn their season around! The front office needs to make some smart choices when it comes to the trade deadline, and the players need to lock in and get back to that never say die mentality from last season. It will be very interesting to see if Cleveland can turn it around or if they will fade away.
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