With twenty games left in Spring Training, it’s looking like the Guardians are going to be pushed to put their money where their mouths have been when it comes to not blocking young players.
Cleveland, OH
Guardians notebook: A Carlos Carrasco quiz, a José Ramírez slam and a World Series rematch
CLEVELAND — Carlos Carrasco threw his first pitch as a big leaguer 5,352 days ago, a month after he was traded to Cleveland in 2009. He made his 200th start with the club Wednesday, the 15th pitcher in team history to reach that mark.
How well does he remember the details of his career with the organization? The Athletic quizzed him.
Who was your first strikeout victim?
Well, I pitched against Detroit. I had three strikeouts. But I don’t know who was the first one.
Brandon Inge.
Ah. Third baseman.
What about the first batter you faced?
Curtis Granderson.
Correct.
Who did you beat for your first win?
Chicago White Sox?
Nope.
Wait. I didn’t win any games in September 2009. In 2010, not the White Sox. Maybe the Twins? Wait, wait, wait. Actually, Kansas City. In Kansas City.
Bingo. Sept. 17, 2010, an 11-4 win. Shin-Soo Choo hit three home runs that day.
Who relieved you in your debut?
Joe Smith?
Nope.
Oh, wait. Jensen Lewis?
Lewis actually relieved the guy who relieved Carrasco: Tomo Ohka.
Oh my God. (Laughs)
Who did you face in your first at-bat?
Johnny Cueto? No, that’s my first hit.
Correct.
OK, who was your second (and only other) hit against?
Jorge Lopez. Roberto Pérez started the inning with a triple. In Milwaukee. Complete game.
Your first at-bat came against Jonathan Sanchez with the Giants.
How did you find all of this? I remember Kelly Shoppach was my first catcher.
That’s right.
You have had 17 different Cleveland catchers.
Seventeen? Damn. Wyatt Toregas. Carlos Santana. Chris Gimenez. Yan Gomes. Bo Naylor. David Fry. Not Austin Hedges yet.
Actually, Hedges caught him once in 2020.
Lou Marson.
Eighteen times.
Eighteen? What about Gomes?
One hundred thirteen.
(Laughs.) Did I miss any catchers in there? Roberto Pérez.
A lot of guys who only caught you once or twice or a few times: Luke Carlin, Beau Taylor, Eric Haase, Kevin Plawecki, George Kottaras, Brett Hayes, Sandy León.
Wow.
Who broke up your no-hitter with two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth on July 1, 2015?
Of course I remember that. Joey Butler. He was with Tampa Bay, and the following year he was with us. I almost threw three no-hitters that year — against Tampa, one in Kansas City and one against the Angels.
Do you remember how many strikeouts you had in that game in Kansas City?
Sixteen. My career high.
Actually 15, but he had a Game Score of 98, a mark that hasn’t been topped by a Cleveland pitcher since. He tossed a one-hit shutout against the Royals on Sept. 25, 2015.
The Angels one — remember David Murphy, the lefty who played with us?
In the fifth inning Aug. 4, 2015, Murphy supplied the Angels’ only hit against Carrasco, who recorded a complete-game shutout in a 2-0 win.
The Kansas City one was Jonny Gomes.
Not quite. Alex Ríos, with one out in the seventh.
Who was traded with you to Cleveland for Cliff Lee?
Lou Marson, Jason Donald and Jason Knapp. He was out of baseball (before long). He was a good pitcher, but I think he had injuries. Ben Francisco was traded from Cleveland, too.
Ben Lively, a couple of locker stalls down, leaned over.
Lively: Who was your first hit off of?
Carrasco: Cueto.
Lively: Me, too.
They shared a fist bump.
I pitched that day. Jay Bruce had two strikeouts against me. I blooped one to right field. He just went like (threw as hard as he could), and it was really close (at first). Safe.
Quote of the week
“It went all right. He’s such a competitor and he wants to be in there. I just felt it was really important for him to get two days off his feet and be able to turn his brain off for a couple days. Understanding that it’s a 162-game season, I know he wants to play in 180 of them. He was understanding, and I think in the long run, it’ll be really good for him. He was respectful and all that, but we definitely had a few texts back and forth.” — Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, on telling José Ramírez he was giving him the day off Sunday ahead of a scheduled Monday off day
Final thoughts
• Here are the best 25-game starts in the 124-year history of Cleveland’s big-league franchise:
Best 25-game starts in franchise history
| Year | Start | Final record |
|---|---|---|
|
1966 |
19-6 |
81-81 |
|
1955 |
18-7 |
93-61 |
|
1999 |
18-7 |
97-65 |
|
2024 |
18-7 |
?? |
Twelve Cleveland teams started 17-8, including the two World Series champions (1920, 1948) and the 1995 team, which won the American League pennant.
• Ramírez said the greatest advantage a hitter gains from a lengthy at-bat is learning which pitch a pitcher trusts the most. Chase Anderson abandoned his changeup after two attempts in their battle Thursday afternoon. He then tried a cutter. And then another. And another and another and another and, well, by the 10th pitch of the at-bat, Ramírez wasn’t seeking anything else. After four foul balls, he yanked one into the right-field seats for a grand slam. Vogt said a hitter gets “educated” with each pitch.
Pitch 1: Ball outside, 85.2 mph changeup
Pitch 2: Ball outside, 85.2 mph changeup
Pitch 3: Ball high, 89.2 mph cutter
Pitch 4: Called strike, 89.7 mph cutter
Pitch 5: Swinging strike, 89.0 mph cutter
Pitch 6: Foul, 90.4 mph cutter
Pitch 7: Foul, 89.4 mph cutter
Pitch 8: Foul, 91.2 mph cutter
Pitch 9: Foul, 89.9 mph cutter
Pitch 10: Grand slam, 91.1 mph cutter
José Ramírez launches a grand slam for the @CleGuardians on the 10th pitch of the AB! 🚀
📺 MLB Network pic.twitter.com/mlfvzQCycG
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 25, 2024
In the dugout, Hedges predicted the slam a couple of pitches into the at-bat. He had to wait awhile before his prognostication came to fruition.
“Unbelievable at-bat by him,” Vogt said.
• Boston’s Connor Wong is 15-for-33 with five home runs in his career against Cleveland.
At-bats that have come against Cleveland: 6.8%
Hits that have come against Cleveland: 12.5%
Homers that have come against Cleveland: 33.3%
There’s not always a rhyme or reason for a player feasting on a particular opponent, especially when the players on the other team change from year to year.
Vogt treasured every trip to Kansas City, where he posted a .382/.433/.673 slash line in 14 games. That’s his highest batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage in any ballpark.
• Tyler Freeman paused for a couple of seconds with his back buried in the grass, his hips twisted and his glove stretched to his left. He hauled in Tyler O’Neill’s fly to center to start the seventh inning during a scoreless game Tuesday after a wild route to the ball. JT Maguire, who has been working with Freeman for months on his transition to the outfield, asked Freeman what he saw before opining on his path to a catch that had plenty of hearts lodged in throats in the home dugout. Freeman told Maguire the ball took a hard turn after O’Neill caught the 80 mph sweeper off the end of the bat. Wind and rain didn’t help, either. When Maguire studied the video after the game, he watched the ball dart away from Freeman as it whizzed toward him, confirming Freeman’s take.
“We don’t train pretty,” Maguire said. “We train to have false steps and missed reads. We put him in those positions because those situations do happen. You’re not gonna get the cleanest route. You’re not gonna catch the ball at the perfect catch point. The umpire said out, and that’s all that matters.”
• Andrés Giménez used “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” from “The Lion King” as an occasional walk-up song this week, a favor to his 2-year-old son. He said he might mix up his song choice based on his son’s ever-changing interests, which at the moment include the song “Cleveland Rocks,” by The Presidents of the United States of America. The Guardians have long played that song at Progressive Field after the final pitch of a victory.
• It’s been 29 years since Cleveland and Atlanta clashed in the World Series, and though this is merely an April encounter, it could have a heavyweight bout feel, as the Guardians (18-7) and Braves (17-6) will arrive Friday at Truist Park boasting the best record in each league. They also own the two best run differentials in baseball, with Cleveland at plus-49 and Atlanta at plus-44.
(Photo of Carlos Carrasco celebrating after recording the final out of the sixth inning against the Pirates on June 18, 2011: David Maxwell / Getty Images)
David Henry
OBITUARY
David G. Henry, 70, of Vermilion, passed away Sunday, March 1, 2026, at his home following a lengthy illness.He was born December 14, 1955, in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and had made Vermilion his home for the past 42 years, moving from Irwin, Pennsylvania.Dave began his career with Westinghouse in Pennsylvania before relocating to Ohio in 1983. He was employed at Elyria Foundry for 20 years and later worked as a machinist for 14 years at Betcher Industries, where he retired. He was known throughout his career for his strong work ethic and skilled craftsmanship.In his free time, Dave enjoyed woodworking, taking pride in the projects he created with his hands. Above all, he cherished the time he spent with his family, especially his children and grandchildren.He is survived by his daughter, Alicia Parsons of Vermilion; his sons, David (Fiona) Henry of Bloomington, Indiana and Jonathan (Joanna) Henry of Vermilion and Anthony (Ashley) Cico of Amherst; and 13 beloved grandchildren.He was preceded in death by his wife, Darlene (nee Eckenrode) Henry in 2017; his parents, Charles and Gloria (nee Krider) Henry; his brother, Howard Henry; and his son-in-law, Cliff Parsons.The family will receive friends on Friday, March 20, 2026 from 3:00 p.m. until the time of the memorial service at 5:00 p.m. at the Riddle Funeral Home, 5345 South Street, Vermilion, Ohio.Memorial contributions may be made to Friendship Animal Protective League of Lorain County, Inc. 8303 Murray Ridge Road, Elyria, OH 44035 or Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 95000 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195Online condolences may be made at www.riddlefuneralhome.com
All offseason, President of Baseball Operations, Chris Antonetti, and General Manager, Mike Chernoff, have been clear about the plan to fix the Guardians’ hitting woes of 2025 without spending a dime in major league free agency in the attempt to do so:
“As we looked at a lot of the external the possibility of external additions, one of the questions we continually have to ask ourselves is, ‘whose opportunity does this impede’”? – Chris Antonetti, 1/23/2026.
“We need to get better offensively. …we believe that growth and development can come from the guys we have in the organization.“ – Antonetti, 1/30/2026
“One of our key goals was not to impede players with the most upside (from playing in Cleveland). We saw a glimpse of what Chase DeLauter could do in the playoffs. George Valera and C.J. Kayfus also showed up pretty well at the end of the season.” – Chernoff, 1/30/2026
Right now, projected to be on the Opening Day Guardians’ roster, there are two players who have over 1,000 plate appearances who are blocking younger players with less experience, eager to prove themselves as more valuable major leaguers: Nolan Jones and Gabriel Arias.
I am not writing this post to criticize the Cleveland front office for believing in Jones and Arias and for giving them their fair shot. Two years ago, I believed Arias had shown enough to get his fair chance, and last spring, I agreed with the idea of bringing Jones on board in a weak outfield group to see if he could regain his 2023 form at the plate. However, over the past two seasons Jones has now put up a 71 wRC+ in 700 plate appearances and Arias has put up a 75 wRC+ in 634 plate appearances. Jones will turn 28 years old this season and Arias just turned 26 years old; neither is likely to experience a breakout at this point in their major league careers.
In Arias’s case, replacing him involves putting Brayan Rocchio at shortstop. Rocchio is 10 and half months younger than Arias, has 100+ fewer plate appearances. He also finished 2024 with a league average 100 wRC+, while Arias finished with a 65 wRC+. There is still some slim hope remaining that Rocchio can be a league average bat – hope that no longer exists for Arias. So, the team needs to give Rocchio the reigns at shortstop and let him sink or swim, while also letting star prospect Angel Genao develop at short in Akron and, soon, Columbus. Most importantly, however, moving on from Arias with a designating for assignment, will allow the team to let Juan Brito try his hand as a full-time second baseman while the team allows Travis Bazzana to heat up at Columbus. Both Brito and Bazzana offer FAR more potential as hitters than either Arias or Rocchio and need to be featured in the Guardians’ lineup in 2026 as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Daniel Schneemann offers a perfect utility bat, capable of playing any position except catcher, and not someone who needs to be given regular plate appearances (ahem, PLEASE catch that last part, Manager Stephen Vogt). Additionally, should an injury take place with Rocchio, Milan Tolentino is having an excellent Spring Training, has an exceptional glove at shortstop, and should be capable of providing something similar to Arias’s career 76 wRC+ at the plate if called upon in a pinch. Arias is not needed on this team; while right-handed, he has a career 50 wRC+ against left-handed pitching. He also looked horrendous when asked to play outfield in the past, so he isn’t as good of an option as Schneemann in the super utility role.
As for Jones, bringing him back as an option in centerfield made sense this offseason, but spring training is making clear that keeping him as that depth is not a priority. Both Kahlil Watson and Petey Halpin have looked very good at the plate and in the field in center. It’s one week of Spring Training, so, please, don’t think I am saying either will be good major league players. However, neither has to be good to surpass average (at best!) defense in center and a 71 wRC+ at the plate provided by Jones these past two seasons. With Steven Kwan gamely taking on the challenge of center field, DFA’ing Jones allows the team to get good, solid looks at George Valera and Chase DeLauter, as well as allowing CJ Kayfus to work on his corner outfield skills in Columbus should either of the above players get hurt. If Jones were capable of hitting left-handed pitching, he’d be a roster shoo-in, but give me Stuart Fairchild and his potential for above-average centerfield play and career 106 wRC+ vs. LHP over Jones’s fielding and career 76 wRC+ against southpaws in the fourth outfielder role. Alternatively, Angel Martinez is a fine choice in this role as well, as he has a 121 wRC+ against LHP in his brief time in the bigs – whichever the Guardians prefer is cool with me.
Finally, with the Guardians’ committed to Jones for $2 million for 2026, designating him for assignment makes it likely no team will claim him. Since Jones is short of five years of major league service time, Cleveland can option him to Columbus when he likely clears waivers and mix him into all three outfield positions there, hanging on to him for needed outfield depth. In effect, they will gain an option on a player who has potential to be a league average bat against RHP and a playable fielder in center. That’s worth retaining… but not at the expense of a roster and lineup spot needed to give exciting, young players like Valera and DeLauter a real chance at establishing themselves.
If the Guardians start the season – as I expect they will – with Jones and Arias on the roster, I will be disappointed. I know, I know… it’ll probably just be for the month of April, but April games count just as much as September games. The reps that players like Brito, Bazzana, Valera and DeLauter could get in April can help them work out early struggles to be prepared for summer success. Nothing against Jones and Arias, personally, as both seem like good dudes, but we need to be clear-eyed about what is best for this team. Giving further opportunities to two players who are extremely unlikely to be above-average major league contributors would be a mistake, given the strategy that Cleveland has espoused publicly all offseason.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The Cleveland Liberation Center and nearly 100 other organizations rallied in Cleveland Sunday to protest the U.S. strikes on Iran, demonstrating significant grassroots opposition to the military action.
The recent U.S. military strikes on Iran and the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have ignited passionate discussions across the nation, and Northeast Ohio is no exception.
While state political leaders express support for President Donald Trump’s actions, local activists are raising urgent questions about the impact on American communities.
Dallas Eckman, a public school teacher and volunteer coordinator with the Cleveland Liberation Center, is taking a clear stance against the recent attacks.
“We need to step up as Americans and say violence is not going to be the way we solve out world’s problems,” Eckman said.
The frustration runs deeper for Eckman, who sees a disconnect between military spending and domestic priorities.
“It’s absurd that for me as a public-school teacher I am struggling to get funding for chrome books and books. I can wake up one morning and see we have spent millions and millions of dollars to bomb another country,” he explained.
Eckman questions whether these military actions actually benefit working people in Cleveland.
“Which does nothing for the working people here in Cleveland. It does nothing to make my schools safer. It does nothing to improve the road right outside the liberation center,” Eckman said.
Eckman’s concerns are shared by many in the region.
Despite local opposition, several Ohio’s political leaders are backing the Trump administration’s decision.
Senator Bernie Moreno released a statement expressing his support, stating, “President Trump sought for months to avoid conflict and negotiate with Iran to prevent them from rebuilding their nuclear program. I fully support his decision.”
Secretary of State John Husted also voiced his approval.
“For 47 years, the Iranian regime had ample opportunity to be a productive member of the global community — instead, it chose to export death, terrorism, extremism, and instability against America and our allies,” Husted said.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
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