Will past drafts determine who Guardians take with No. 1 pick? Hey, Hoynsie! (2024)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Do you have a Guardians question that you’d like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? You can subscribe to Subtext here, text Hoynsie at 216-208-4346 for a two-week free trial or email him at phoynes@cleveland.com.

Hey, Hoynsie: How much will the status of Chase DeLauter and other top prospects factor into who the Guardians select No. 1 in the upcoming draft? -- Jim Z., Durham New Hampshire.

Hey, Jim: None. You can’t draft for need. You have to draft for talent because this isn’t the NFL where the No. 1 pick is drafted in April and is helping his team win games in September.

The No. 1 pick in the MLB draft, even a fast-track player, might take one or three years to reach the big leagues. Who knows what your roster is going to look like by then?

Hey Hoynsie: I’ve read and heard that the Guardians may not choose one of the consensus top two players with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft to save money so they can spread it around to other picks. Please tell me this is not true. -- Mark Scott, Malvern.

Hey, Mark: I think if the Guardians take anyone besides Charlie Condon from the University of Georgia or Travis Bazzana from Oregon State with the No. 1 pick it will be considered a surprise. But nothing is certain.

The slot value for the No. 1 pick is over $10.5 million. It’s possible they could sign Condon and Bazzana for slightly under slot and use the savings to help sign the players they take with the 36th overall pick (Competitive Balance Round A) and the 48th overall pick (second round).

Teams like Baltimore and the Pirates have had success spreading their bonus pools around to acquire as much talent as possible. The Guardians have done it as well.

Hey, Hoynsie: When the Guards get good starting pitching, they are virtually unbeatable. They have to cash in some prospects to acquire an ace like lefty Garrett Crochet from the White Sox to make them a serious playoff contender don’t you think? -- Roger Amoroso, Macedonia.

Hey, Roger: I don’t see the White Sox helping the Guards unless it’s highway robbery. But you’re right they must address the rotation internally or externally. One more thing -- the Guards already are a serious postseason contender.

Hey, Hoynsie: Jose Tena is ultra hot at Columbus. Could he get called up to improve the offense at shortstop or be used as a trade chip? -- Steve Cornelius.

Hey, Steve: Well, they called up Angel Martinez instead of Tena, but that could be a short-term thing with Gabriel Arias on the medical family emergency list. Love what Tena is doing at Columbus. He has power in his background -- 16 homers at Class A Lake County in 2021 and 14 at Class AA Akron and Columbus in 2022. Didn’t see it in his brief big league trial last year, but it’s resurfaced in 2024.

I’d be reluctant to trade him without getting a real read on what he can do in Cleveland. One of these middle infielders has to pan out, right? The hitch is the Guardians love the way Brayan Rocchio is playing shortstop.

It’s a good problem to have -- I think.

Hey, Hoynsie: What has changed this year with closer Emmanuel Clase - compared to last year? He looks like the Clase from 2022. -- Tim Corbett, Dana Point, California.

Hey, Tim: He’s been really efficient with his cut fastball. He’s throwing it 81.5% of the time through his first 36 appearances. The opposition is hitting .147 against it.

Last year Clase threw it 67.6% of the time and the opposition hit .267 against it. There’s more to it than that. Clase is 3-1 with a 0.76 ERA this year. After 36 games last year he was 1-4 with a 2.55 ERA. The saves are the same (22), but this year Clase has three blown saves compared to five after 36 games last year.

Hey, Hoynsie: I don’t have a ticket stub or anything, but I’m pretty confident I saw Willie Mays take his final jog around the bases on Aug. 17, 1973, in Shea Stadium when he homered off Cincinnati’s Don Gullet.

I was 10 and my uncle took me to the game. Mays was playing for the Mets. -- Scott Striffler.

Hey, Scott: There’s nothing like a 10-year-old’s memory. Yes, you did witness Mays’ 660th and final home run. The Say Hey Kid, who died Tuesday, homered off Gullet in the fourth inning.

Hey, Hoynsie: With an opening at DH, could the Guardians take a flyer on Jose Abreu? Seems like a zero downside opportunity that could potentially help the club in the second half. -- Ryan, Austin, Texas.

Hey, Austin: Before the Astros swooped in and signed Abreu to a three-year $60 million deal when he was a free agent, the Guardians were hot on Abreu’s trail. Based on how Abreu’s stay went with Houston, the Guardians are happy they didn’t land Abreu, even though he tortured them for years as a member of the White Sox.

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