Cleveland, OH
Guardians’ big picture question? Who should play short? Travis Bazzana? – Hey, Terry!
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Guardians are in first place in the Central Division as the pressure rises with summer temperatures. Here are some questions from fans. One of the topics was what to do about shortstop:
Hey, Terry: I think manager Stephen Vogt was hired with a long term goal. He was to evaluate young talent this season, deciding who to plan around and what pieces might be needed for a run either in 2025 or 2026. The fast start has put the front office in a quandary. Your thoughts? – Phil
Hey, Phil: This is the type of discussion the Guardians have been having for months after the team started so fast. I doubt the front office expected this 62-41 record. Former manager Terry Francona called it “threading the needle,” which means trying to win now and develop players at the same time.
Will they trade some prospects? Yes. But they are not going to trade any of their elite young players – unless it brings back an impact player who will be under team control beyond 2025. I could be wrong, but I don’t expect a huge move from the Guardians. Some small deals? Yes.
Hey, Terry: Wouldn’t Amed Rosario look good at the bottom of the order? He could play SS or outfield & be an improvement. What say you? – Marvin
Amed Rosario was with Cleveland for 2 1/2 seasons. He was traded to the Dodgers on July 27, 2023. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Hey, Marvin: The Guardians traded Rosario to the Dodgers on July 27, 2023, for Noah Snydergaard. Rosario would be a free agent after the 2023 season. They had no plans to re-sign him. They wanted to open short for young players such as Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio to claim the position.
I always liked Rosario because of his hustle and good attitude. But he was below average defensively at short. I wrote a recent column about how the hope was the Guardians would have an answer to their shortstop question by now – but they don’t.
As for Rosario, he batted .265 (.675 OPS) with Cleveland and .256 (.709 OPS) with the Dodgers in 2023. He became a free agent. Very few teams were interested. He signed with Tampa Bay for $1.5 million. With the Rays, he’s batting .310 (.748 OPS) with two homers and 26 RBI. He is a super utility man, having played 17 games in the outfield, 17 at second base, 10 at third and 10 at shortstop.
Andres Gimenez is a brilliant second baseman. Does it make sense to move him to shortstop? John Kuntz, cleveland.com
Hey, Terry: I’m hoping to see Travis Bazzana at second base next spring and Andres Gimenez at shortstop. – Alan
Hey, Terry: Gimenez was a fine shortstop when Cleveland traded for him (in 2022), but they really needed a good second baseman. I think Bazzana will be on the team next year, playing second base, and Gimenez at short. They don’t want to say that right now without Bazzana on the team yet. – Doug from Houston
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Hey, Terry: If the Guardians believe they are a serious World Series contender, then maybe (just maybe) put Bazzana at second now and find out if he is up to it. Of course the risk is losing a year of player control. – Bill
Hey Alan, Bill & Doug: The temptation is to confuse the baseball draft with drafts in football and basketball, where top picks in the draft play right away and make an immediate impact. That simply doesn’t happen in baseball, especially with hitters.
If Bazzana actually reaches the majors as a full-time player in 2026, that will be fast. It means he rushed through the minors in 1 ½ seasons. I recall Francona saying most players need between 1,200 and 1,500 at-bats in the minors to be MLB ready. The stats are about 85% of players who make the majors go back to the minors at least once. If Bazzana even makes the majors by the 2025 All-Star break, it will be a huge surprise.
Juan Brito with Class AA Akron in 2023. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Hey, Terry: What about Juan Brito at Class AAA Columbus? He has over 1,400 minor league at-bats. I like Jose Tena, too. – Doug from Ocala, Florida
Hey, Doug: Brito was my favorite prospect heading into 2024. He was the Guardians’ Minor League Player of the Year for 2023, according to Baseball America. Brito is hitting .253 (.814 OPS) with 14 HR and 59 RBI with Class AAA Columbus. He is mostly a second baseman. He does have 1,423 pro at-bats.
Brito is only 22, making him one of the youngest players in Class AAA. He started slowly, but he’s hitting .287 (.980 OPS) since June 1. He is the guy who could go to spring training in 2025 and impress, perhaps leading to Gimenez moving back to his original shortstop position.
That said, Gimenez is the best second baseman I’ve ever seen … period. Robbie Alomar had that distinction in my mind until I watched Gimenez.
Tyler Freeman has impressed with the glove in center field. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Hey, Terry: Another option at shortstop could be Tyler Freeman. He is a right-handed hitter so desperately needed in a left-handed dominant lineup. He is a great athlete who deserves a more permanent spot in the lineup. It’s so tough to play part time. Shortstop is his natural position. – Michael
Hey, Michael: Having watched Freeman play short, I consider him so-so at best with the glove. I’ve been far more impressed with him in center field. Freeman has played a lot. He entered Friday with the fifth most at-bats on the team.
Freeman is hitting .223 (.670 OPS) with seven HR and 32 RBI. He is a right-handed hitter, but he’s batting only .221 vs. lefties. I don’t see him as the answer for short.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Miami Heat on Friday night, in the second game of a back-to-back between these Eastern Conference rivals.
The Miami Heat go for their 40th win of the season and the series victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road on Friday. This is the second game of a back-to-back for these teams, fighting for positioning in the Eastern Conference standings. Both of these games will be played in Cleveland, with the Heat pulling off the upset in Game 1 on Wednesday, winning 120-103. The win ended Miami’s five-game losing streak, and the loss ended the Cavaliers’ four-game winning streak. The win gave the Heat a 2-1 series lead, with Friday’s game serving as the finale. Miami is back in the eighth seed, but is only a half-game above the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic. Cleveland is sitting comfortably in fourth place, but is three games back of the New York Knicks for third. The biggest name sitting out of this rematch is Jarrett Allen, who is dealing with a knee injury but is expected to return on Friday. The Cavaliers should be the favorite at home to tie this season series at two games apiece in this rematch.
How to Watch Miami Heat vs Cleveland Cavaliers Today:
Game Date: Friday, March 27, 2026
Game Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV Channel: NBATV, FanDuel Sports Network Ohio 1 (Cleveland feed)
Location: Rocket Arena – Cleveland, OH
Live stream the Miami Heat vs Cleveland Cavaliers on Fubo: Start watching now!
Miami started off hot in the first half on Wednesday, but Cleveland came back in the third quarter, outscoring the Heat by 17. But Miami quickly returned the favor in the fourth, outscoring the Cavaliers by the same total in the final quarter. Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 28, but the Heat were more balanced with Norman Powell leading the charge with 19 points, and Tyler Herro added 18. James Harden and Sam Merrill both scored 18 points apiece for the Cavs. Miami shot 52 percent from the field as a team and an impressive 40 percent from three. The Heat led by as much as 17 in the third but nearly squandered the sure win before the strong fourth quarter. Miami had eight players score in double figures in what turned out to be a comfortable victory. Expect a closer game tonight in the finale rematch.
What time is the Miami Heat vs Cleveland Cavaliers Game On?
The Miami Heat vs Cleveland Cavaliers game will take place on Friday, March 27, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Tune in and catch some great NBA action.
What Channel Is the Miami Heat vs Cleveland Cavaliers Game On?
Looking to watch this game? Fans can tune in to the NBATV, FanDuel Sports Network Ohio 1 (Cleveland feed) to see the action. Make sure you subscribe to Fubo now to watch this matchup, as well as numerous other sports leagues.
Live stream Miami Heat vs Cleveland Cavaliers on Fubo: Start watching now!
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CLEVELAND — For Kyle Burnett, drag is more than just a hobby, discovering the art form after falling into a deep depression during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Burnett, who is nonbinary, has been living in Ohio for more than a decade and has performed as “Zoey Zegai” for five of those years.
“It was a tough time … I found drag not only as a way of entertainment, but embracing myself as a queer member of the LGBTQ+ community,” said Burnett, who uses he/they pronouns.
While Burnett has been met with substantial support, he said, he’s noticed a recent shift in societal attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community over the last year.
“I had my purse and was wearing short shorts because Ohio gets hot in the summertime, and I had a beer bottle thrown at me from outside of someone’s car window,” Burnett said.
“Zoey Zegai,” which Burnett said, is influenced by old-school divas like Joan Crawford and newer divas like Jinkx Monsoons.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), 500 anti-LGBTQ bills have been proposed during the 2026 legislative session nationwide.
One of these bills is HB 249, or the “Indecent Exposure Modernization Act,” which would restrict drag performances to adult entertainment venues. The policy also changes the definition of public indecency to include “performers or entertainers who exhibit a gender identity that is different from the performer’s or entertainer’s biological sex using clothing, makeup, prosthetic or imitation genitals or breasts, or other physical markers.”
TransOhio Executive Director Dara Adkison said the bill uses broad language and could criminalize gender-diverse expression.
“It’s really making a statute that law enforcement professionals get to enforce their personal ideas about what is and isn’t appropriate gender representation, what is and isn’t performance. You know, is it singing karaoke? Is it being and drag queen? I know, is it a trans person walking down?” said Adkison, who uses they/them pronouns.
While many Ohioans are expressing concerns about the bill targeting transgender people and drag performers, nonprofit Equality Ohio said, the legislation’s impact expands to athletes and countless others.
The bill revises a previous code banning the exposure of “private parts” to now ban the exposure of “private areas,” said Dwayne Steward, Executive Director of Equality Ohio.
“Because the language they use is so vague, it really can apply to anyone, really. The language has been shifted from ‘obscenity’ … someone showing their genitals … to anyone showing their ‘genital area’, which could mean anyone who’s wearing a sports bra, a cheerleader who may be showing their midriff. “
Supporters of HB 249 said the bill is meant to protect children, while others have said this argument reinforces a harmful narrative surrounding drag performances.
“People, immediately when they see drag, they think that it is something that is sexual, something that is trying to indoctrinate children, to expose them to sexual content. And that’s not the case in any capacity,” Olivia Kowslowski.
Kowslowski is born and raised in northeast Ohio, now performing as “Monica Mod.”
Kowslowski, who started first started performing drag in Jan. 2022.
“I think that my perspective is important because it just shows that the bill is harmful to many people, including people that they were not expecting to be impacted by this,” she said. “… Most people don’t realize that when I’m in drag, I am, I’m a cisgender woman.”
While she’s become well known around her college campus’ drag scene, Kowslowski said, she and other performers are facing additional barriers.
“I have found that finding bookings is much more difficult because many venues are a lot more hesitant to host drag events at their spaces, or even support drag entertainers and their venues. Mainly from HB 249,” she said.
The Democratic Society of America’s Cleveland chapter recently announced it is launching a Gender Freedom Policy Petition that would go against “recent legislation calling to limit and ban drag performances,” calling it, “an injustice to not only the drag scene but also the broader Cleveland community.”
The petitions also includes provisions “that safeguard drag performers” and call for city-backed gender-affirming care services.
HB 249 now remains under review by the Ohio Senate and would require the governor’s signature before going into effect.
While the future remains uncertain, Burnett said, he and others in the drag community are hoping to build wider solidarity across all Ohio populations.
“We’re all just trying to live the same day-to-day life, get groceries, pay bills, drive to-and-from work. But there’s no room for hate,” Burnett said. “There’s no room for violence. We just want to feel like Ohio citizens.”
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