Kikuchi of all pitchers was at 95-98 this week.
They just don't have the stuff right now...other than Cease and maybe Reynaldo.
Really miss leadership of Hendriks.
Forgot to add trading Clevinger lol.
Virtually everyone in SD wanted him gone.
But if Lynn/Giolito/Kopech don't rebound...it really doesn't matter what they do in the end.
This team has a lot more talent than those squads....where Ivan Calderon and Ozzie were two of the best players before Ventura and the Big Hurt arrived on the scene.
They have to get younger and more athletic across the field (Robert Colas Montgomery Vaughn the current foundation)...Andrew Benintendi for four more years is the last thing they really need to compete with CLE.
More than anything though...pitching pitching pitching.
You have to think about trading TA7 Giolito (if any value) anyone from the pen, Reynaldo Lopez, Grandal in walk year, etc.
Graveman/Bummer/Kelly.
Parting with Robert or Cease is the end, though.
He might have to be traded to jump start yet another rebuild lol.
Like the Angels...hard to go anywhere without enough starting pitching or minor league depth behind it.
https://awaybackgone.com/2021/07/14/cleveland-indians-2021-mlb-draft-pitchers-pitchers/
Indians/Guardians used 19/21 of their 2021 draft picks on pitching. Gavin Williams already one of their top prospects.
Angels used every single pick recently.
https://www.mlb.com/news/where-guardians-top-prospects-are-starting-2023-season
Nevertheless 17 of Top 30 prospects are position players. Gaddis is #28 and took McKenzie's rotation spot.
And a certain Sox pitcher traded for Cesar Hernandez graduated from rookie status, Konnor Pilkington. They have Bilous too.
Eventually the full bill will come due but not for another 4-5 years, possibly 6...
At that time all the pitching deals will pretty much be cleared and they will be left with Cronenworth, Machado, Bogaerts, Tatis and Ohtani/Soto.