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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cleveland-guardians/guardians-news-minor-league-contract-tyler-naquin-pitcher');   ga('set', 'title', 'Guardians agrees to contract with ex-outfielder as pitcher');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Guardians-news-Cleveland-agrees-to-contract-with-ex-outfielder-as-pitcher.jpg"></figure><h1>Guardians agrees to contract with ex-outfielder as pitcher</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-06T17:42:43-08:00">March 6th, 5:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-06T17:42:43-08:00">March 6th, 5:42pm</time><address><a>Josey Curtis</a>Josey Curtis is an avid sports fan, with passions for MLB, the NFL, and college basketball. Josey has been writing about sports since middle school, including a seven-year stint at SB Nation. She also interned as a Baseball Video Scout at Sports Info Solutions. When she's not catching a game, you can find Josey in a barn. She has backgrounded 200 head of beef cattle annually since 2021.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>If all 30 MLB teams could agree on one thing, it would be that there is never enough pitching depth. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cleveland-guardians/guardians-news-stephen-vogt-andres-gimenez-mlb-playoffs-twins">Cleveland Guardians won the American League Central</a> last season, and the club knows it takes a plethora of arms to get through October.</p><p>Thus, the Guardians <a href="https://x.com/ZackMeisel/status/1897757612328018031" rel="noopener">signed right-handed pitcher</a> Tyler Naquin to a minor-league contract, per Zack Meisel of The Athletic. You read that correctly; Naquin, a former outfielder, is now a pitcher.</p><p>Naquin reported to the Guardians’ training facility in Goodyear, Arizona, on Thursday, and began working out on the mound.</p><p>The Guardians drafted Naquin in the first round of the 2012 MLB draft out of Texas A&amp;M University. The former Aggie made his big-league debut with Cleveland in 2016, and he finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Naquin spent five seasons with the Guardians before joining the Cincinnati Reds in 2021. The left-handed batter split time between the Reds and New York Mets in 2022 before joining the Chicago White Sox organization in 2023.</p><p>In 562 career games at the MLB level, Naquin has garnered 1,819 plate appearances with a .263/.316/.445 slash line. The 33-year-old hit 61 home runs and had 237 RBIs. Naquin’s best season was his rookie season in 2016, when the Guardians won the AL pennant. The then-outfielder batted .296 with 14 homers and a 128 OPS+.</p><p>Nonetheless, in his new job, Naquin’s offensive statistics aren’t relevant. It is worth noting that over his last three qualified seasons, the Texas native ranked between the 94th and 99th percentiles in arm strength. That’s a pretty important qualification for a pitcher.</p><p>The Guardians’ starting rotation will feature Tanner Bibee, Ben Lively, Gavin Williams, Luis Ortiz, and Triston McKenzie. The Guardians proudly have Emmanuel Clase as their closer; <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/emmanuel-clase-must-do-beat-out-tarik-skubal-2024-al-cy-young-award">Clase earned Cy Young Award consideration</a> in 2024. Hunter Gaddis, Cade Smith, and Paul Sewald will be out in the bullpen as well, with Tim Herrin expected to be the team’s only lefty reliever.</p><p>The Guardians will open the regular season on March 27 against the Kansas City Royals.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Guardians agrees to contract with ex-outfielder as pitcher

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cleveland-guardians/guardians-news-star-prospect-out-months-after-hernia-surgery');   ga('set', 'title', 'Guardians star prospect out months after hernia surgery');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Guardians-star-prospect-out-months-after-hernia-surgery.jpg"></figure><h1>Guardians star prospect out months after hernia surgery</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-05T08:55:25-08:00">March 5th, 8:55am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-05T08:55:25-08:00">March 5th, 8:55am</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a Senior Associate Editor with ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn't producing content for CP,  he's writing sports betting predictions for numerous sites across North America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>One of the Cleveland Guardians’ top prospects will be sidelined for the coming months.</p><p>Chase DeLauter <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44114014/guardians-chase-delauter-8-12-weeks-hernia-surgery" rel="noopener">has undergone hernia surgery</a> and will miss time to begin the season, per AP Sports. The 2022 first-round pick suffered a core injury in late February in practice and had the operation done on Monday in Philadelphia. DeLauter is currently the organization’s second-best prospect and was expected to begin the campaign in Triple-A Columbus.</p><p>Despite the setback, there’s still a high chance that he will make his MLB debut at some point in 2025. DeLauter’s timeline for a return is 8-12 weeks. Last year, he slashed .261 across three levels, spending most of the season in Double-A. DeLauter finished the year in Columbus, batting .304 with two long balls in 23 at-bats.</p><p>The former James Madison standout is an exciting player with a complete skill set. He hit over .400 in college and also led the Cape Cod in homers in 2021. After being lightly recruited out of high school, the Guardians youngster fully proved that he is the real deal before making the jump to the pro level.</p><p>Yes, his ’25 debut has been pushed back, but there’s still little doubt that DeLauter will make an impact at the big league level sooner rather than later. Cleveland’s roster looks quite different this season compared to last after a busy offseason that saw them part ways with several different players, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/diamondbacks-news-acquires-josh-naylor-trade-guardians">including Josh Naylor</a> and Andres Gimenez.</p><p>But, they also managed to re-sign Shane Bieber and reunite with Carlos Santana, among others. Cleveland should certainly be in the mix for the AL Central title once again <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/guardians-most-blame-2024-alcs-loss-yankees">after losing in the ALCS last year to the New York Yankees</a>. Perhaps DeLauter will get a taste of playoff baseball at some point. First, the focus will be to recover properly from surgery and that will be a process.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Guardians star prospect out months after hernia surgery

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/diamondbacks-news-josh-naylor-thing-does-everytime-sees-terry-francona');   ga('set', 'title', 'Josh Naylor hilariously reveals one thing he still does every time he sees Terry Francona');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Josh-Naylor-hilariously-reveals-one-thing-he-still-does-everytime-he-sees-Terry-Francona.jpg"></figure><h1>Josh Naylor hilariously reveals one thing he still does every time he sees Terry Francona</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-03T20:36:24-08:00">March 3rd, 8:36pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-03T20:43:09-08:00">March 3rd, 8:43pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Arizona Diamondbacks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Guardians found some success of late, reaching the playoffs in two of the last three seasons. However, the team hasn’t advanced beyond the division round since 2016 and so Cleveland felt it was time for a change. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/diamondbacks-news-acquires-josh-naylor-trade-guardians">Guardians traded Josh Naylor</a> to the Arizona Diamondbacks this offseason, moving on from a fun and productive player.</p><p>Naylor, however, can get a little over excited at times. Former Guardians manager Terry Francona found this out the hard way, suffering a headbutt from Naylor after a walk-off, two-run bomb that beat the Minnesota Twins in the 10th inning back in 2022. And Francona was even wearing a batting helmet at the time. But the gear failed to adequately protect the veteran skipper.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DGwom-nCHxn/?e=9ca32c0b-b022-413d-8c9b-482124d4cc44&amp;g=5&amp;img_index=1" rel="noopener">iconic celebration</a> was brought up recently in a sit down with Naylor. “I apologize to this day every time I see him,” Naylor said of his former manager, per MLB Network on Instagram.</p><p>“I do still feel bad to this day. I know he had neck pain for the next five days after that, so it’s kinda sad,” the Diamondbacks’ new first baseman acknowledged. “He’s awesome. I love Terry,” Naylor added.</p><h2><b>New Diamondbacks slugger Josh Naylor celebrates hard</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Josh-Naylor.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Naylor’s a big guy, tipping the scales at 250 pounds. So the Diamondbacks better be prepared for some contact when he gets a game-winner. The dramatic bomb he crushed in Cleveland was part of a solid 2022 season for the Guardians, who went 92-70 en route to winning the AL Central. And Francona was named Manager of the Year that season.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cleveland-guardians/guardians-news-terry-francona-truth-bomb-cleveland-departure">Francona stepped down</a> from his role as manager of the Guardians after the 2023 campaign and now the team has traded Naylor. In his last season in Cleveland, he hit 31 home runs with 108 RBI and 84 runs scored, finishing with an OPS+ of 118 and 1.5 WAR.</p><p>The Diamondbacks were in the market for a new first baseman after losing Christian Walker in free agency. The veteran Gold Glover spent eight seasons with the Diamondbacks before signing a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-houston-christian-walker-nolan-arenado-trade-fiasco">three-year, $60 million deal</a> with the Astros this offseason.</p><p>Despite making the playoffs for just the second time in the last 12 years in 2023, the Diamondbacks reached the World Series, losing 4-1 to the Texas Rangers. Last season, Arizona was unable to overcome a competitive division and missed the playoffs altogether.</p><p>Perhaps Naylor will bring a new spark to the club. Just steer clear of the 27-year-old All-Star during post-game celebrations.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Josh Naylor hilariously reveals one thing he still does every time he sees Terry Francona

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-francisco-lindor-drops-truth-bomb-talking-trash');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mets’ Francisco Lindor drops truth bomb on talking ‘s**t’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Francisco-Lindor-drops-truth-bomb-on-talking-s.jpg"></figure><h1>Mets’ Francisco Lindor drops truth bomb on talking ‘s**t’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-28T15:20:38-08:00">February 28th, 3:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-28T15:21:05-08:00">February 28th, 3:21pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It is hard to believe that Francisco Lindor is about to enter his 11th MLB season. It does not feel that long ago that he was a rising star shortstop with the then-Cleveland Indians, doing his part to redefine the position by swinging a big bat that perfectly complemented his dependable glove. Despite Lindor’s bountiful talent, his teammates still pushed him hard. He is returning the favor on the New York Mets.</p><p>The 2024 National League MVP runner-up and four-time All-Star admitted that he takes a firm but sincere approach to his leadership style, making it his mission to <a href="https://x.com/FoulTerritoryTV/status/1895565492666188137" rel="noopener">get the most out of the younger ballplayers</a>.</p><p>“I talk a lot of s**t,” Lindor told the “Foul Territory” podcast at Mets spring training camp in Port St. Lucie, Florida. He is continuing the cycle that started in Cleveland, one that preaches tough love. Though, the 31-year-old emphasizes the importance of being supportive while talking trash. That was not always his experience on his former team.</p><p>“There were some players that talked c**p, but they had my back, and they legitimately wanted the best for me,” Lindor recalled. “And others talk c**p because… {I don’t know}. So, I try to be the one that talks and also pushes the players to be better, and be there for them and back them up whenever I got to back them up.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Full quote. 👇 <a href="https://t.co/tIZvG5qJcQ">pic.twitter.com/tIZvG5qJcQ</a></p><p>— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoulTerritoryTV/status/1895565492666188137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Can Francisco Lindor lead the Mets to another special season? </b></h2><p>Lindor is the unofficial captain of the Mets, with many anticipating the title to become a ceremonial one ahead of the 2025 season. He has taken on a vocal leadership role over the last couple of years and settled in as the face of the franchise following Jacob deGrom’s exit. Juan Soto has a strong claim to that label after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/grading-juan-soto-mets-historic-765-million-contract">signing a historic 15-year, $765 million contract</a> in free agency, but Lindor will still be looked upon as the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-francisco-lindor-heartfelt-message-ny-faithful-2024-season">heart and soul of the squad</a>.</p><p>Since Jose Iglesias might not be returning to New York, the four-time Silver Slugger and two-time Gold Glover (one platinum) is one of the guys tasked with infusing energy and a strong veteran presence in the clubhouse. That job is easier when he is coming through in the batter’s box and on the field, both of which he did plenty of in 2024.</p><p>Lindor batted .273 with 33 home runs and 91 RBIs while slugging .500 and recording <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/players/francisco-lindor/12916/stats?position=SS#advanced-fielding" rel="noopener">16 outs above average</a>, per FanGraphs. His value can effectively be summed up by a playoff-clinching, heart-stopping two-run blast versus the Atlanta Braves in the first game of a regular season finale doubleheader. Mets fans are eager to see what he has in store for them this year.</p><p>And so are his teammates. Francisco Lindor aims to find a balance between instilling motivation and encouragement, as New York gears up for a highly anticipated MLB campaign.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mets’ Francisco Lindor drops truth bomb on talking ‘s**t’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cleveland-guardians/guardians-news-cleveland-signing-john-means-injury-timeline');   ga('set', 'title', 'Guardians’ latest signing provides injury timeline');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/5303740e-f08b-11ef-a9d5-0242ac120004.jpeg"></figure><h1>Guardians’ latest signing provides injury timeline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-21T13:23:45-08:00">February 21st, 1:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-21T13:23:45-08:00">February 21st, 1:23pm</time><address><a href="https://alexasabatte.wordpress.com">Alexa Sabatte</a>Alexa Sabatte is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints and a passionate sports writer dedicated to storytelling in the ever-evolving world of sports media. A graduate of NYU's American Journalism MA program, she has honed her skills at outlets like LAFB, ABC7 Los Angeles, and TMZ Sports, where her SEO expertise and interviews propelled stories to trend nationally.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Former Baltimore Orioles left-handed pitcher <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cleveland-guardians/mlb-rumors-guardians-set-to-add-1-time-all-star-pitcher">John Means signed a one-year, one million dollar contract with the Cleveland Guardians</a> earlier this week. Should the team exercise its 2026 option, Means’ two-year deal could reach $8.5 million, contingent upon him pitching at least 150 innings in that season.</p><p>However, Means isn’t immediately available as he’s recovering from Tommy John surgery. He underwent the elbow surgery last June, his second since 2022.</p><p><a href="https://x.com/ZackMeisel/status/1892971319878385672" rel="noopener">But in due time</a> for the Guardians, John Means says he’s aiming for an August return. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cleveland-guardians/guardians-news-guardians-fans-will-love-shane-biebers-latest-move">Shane Bieber is also targeting a mid-season return</a> from Tommy John surgery, Zack Meisel reported.</p><p>Both pitchers have missed extended time due to their injuries. However, their potential returns could be a game-changer for Cleveland’s pitching staff. With the season starting without Means and Bieber, the Guardians will rely on current starters like Ben Lively and Liz Ortiz to carry the load.</p><p>However, the prospect of having both pitchers back in action by midseason provides optimism for a stronger rotation in the second half of the season.</p><p>In his limited time on the mound in 2024, Means showed promising results. Across four starts, he went 2-0 with a 2.61 ERA, a 0.871 WHIP, and a 0.7 WAR. His performance was strong before the injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season.</p><p>On the other hand, Bieber also started 2024 strong, going 2-0 with a 0.92 WHIP. Unfortunately, discomfort in his elbow led to his early 2024 exit, emphasizing the impact of both of their respective injuries.</p><p>The Guardians’ rotation, while solid, could look much different by summer when both Means and Bieber are expected to return. With this return, it would come at this most important time for Cleveland. Until then, the team will focus on weathering the early season without these arms. The Guardians hope for a smooth recovery as they aim for a strong second half.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Guardians’ latest signing provides injury timeline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-guardians-set-to-add-1-time-all-star-pitcher');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Guardians set to add 1-time All-Star pitcher');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/MLB-rumors-Guardians-set-to-add-1-time-All-Star-pitcher.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Guardians set to add 1-time All-Star pitcher</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-17T09:39:15-08:00">February 17th, 9:39am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-17T09:39:15-08:00">February 17th, 9:39am</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Guardians are close to adding a one-time All-Star to their pitching staff <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cleveland-guardians-2025-over-under-win-total-prediction-odds-pick">ahead of the 2025 season</a>, with MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reporting that the American League Central division club is <a href="https://x.com/ChrisCotillo/status/1891236747033342119" rel="noopener">“in advanced talks”</a> with southpaw hurler John Means.</p><p>The 31-year-old Means has been pitching in the big leagues since the 2018 MLB season with the Baltimore Orioles. But after brutal elbow injuries, Means managed to appear in just a total of 10 games since the 2022 campaign. Over that stretch, Means <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/meansjo01.shtml#2022-2024-sum:players_standard_pitching" rel="noopener">posted a 2.75 ERA</a> with a 4.00 FIP and 0.860 WHIP to go along with a 145 ERA+.</p><p>It appears that the Guardians remain interested in Means despite him undergoing two Tommy John surgeries in the past. He <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/orioles-news-john-means-gets-real-on-making-first-start-for-baltimore-since-tommy-john-surgery">had his first Tommy John procedure in 2022</a>, which effectively ended his campaign that year. Despite going under the knife for the said surgery, Means still secured a deal with the Orioles to avoid arbitration. Means made four starts for the Orioles in 2024 before needing another Tommy John operation.</p><p>Since it’s been just several months since his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/orioles-news-john-means-unfortunate-injury-concerns-continue-latest-update">second Tommy John surgery</a>, it’s possible that even if Means signs with the Guardians, he would not be available to see action on the mound for at least a considerable time.</p><p>Amid these talks about his seemingly looming addition to the Guardians, the door remains open for him to return to the only team he’s pitched so far in his big league career. So far, Means’ best season in the MLB is still his second year with the Orioles when he went 12-11 and racked up a 3.60 ERA, 4.41 FIP and 1.135 WHIP through 31 starts while also earning an All-Star nod.</p><h2><b>Guardians show interest in Means amid Shane Bieber’s recovery from injury</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Shane-Bieber-hopes-to-return-to-the-mound-in-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Speaking of Tommy John, Guardians star pitcher Shane Bieber is also still in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/guardians-news-shane-bieber-other-injury-updates-ahead-spring-training">process of recuperating from that medical procedure</a> in April of 2024.</p><p>Should Means ultimately end up with Cleveland, he and Bieber could provide a major boost for the team’s pitching staff later in the 2025 campaign. For now, the Guardians can be expected to have a starting rotation bannered by Tanner Bibee and with the likes of Ben Lively, Gavin Williams, Luis L. Ortiz and Triston McKenzie.</p><p>In 2024, the Guardians’ starters posted just a collective 4.40 ERA and 4.51 FIP — both good for just 24th overall in the big leagues.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Guardians set to add 1-time All-Star pitcher

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/guardians-news-guardians-fans-will-love-shane-biebers-latest-move');   ga('set', 'title', 'Guardians fans will love Shane Bieber’s latest move');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Cleveland-fans-will-love-Shane-Biebers-latest-move.png"><figcaption>2/15/25</figcaption></figure><h1>Guardians fans will love Shane Bieber’s latest move</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-15T16:22:57-08:00">February 15th, 4:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-15T16:22:57-08:00">February 15th, 4:22pm</time><address><a>Steve Silverman</a>Steve Silverman has been covering the NFL for more than 35 years, and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly, and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including "Who's Better, Who's Best in the NFL." He has won multiple awards from the Pro Football Writers of America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cleveland-guardians-2025-over-under-win-total-prediction-odds-pick">Cleveland Guardians have become</a> one of the most consistent teams in the American League. The Guardians have earned a spot in the postseason in 6 of the last 9 years, and  there’s little doubt that manager Stephen Vogt has a team that expects to get back to the playoffs once again in 2025. The Guardians lineup features Jose Ramirez, one of baseball’s most productive hitters, along with Steven Kwan and veteran Carlos Santana. However, the key over the 162-game season is likely to be the performance of the pitching staff.</p><p>In the early days of spring training, Vogt and Guardians fans got encouraging news about Shane Bieber. The 29-year-old right-hander was limited to 12.0 innings last year, but he was able to have a successful bullpen session as spring training for the Guardians ramps up.</p><p>There are no guarantees that Bieber will be able to return early in the 2025 season and take his spot in the Cleveland pitching rotation. Bieber underwent Tommy John surgery last April and Bieber still has quite a bit of work to do, but he is clearly making progress. There is hope that he will be back with the Guardians this season and will be able to take a spot in the team’s pitching rotation.</p><p>After throwing a bullpen session Saturday, the Guardians are hoping there will be no ill effects and that the pitcher will be able to continue throwing shortly. The team had <a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/guardians/news/cleveland-guardians-shane-bieber-takes-massive-step-in-injury-rehab">put out a release</a> earlier in the week concerning Bieber’s rehabilitation efforts.  “Shane has been able to progress his throwing to five days per week and his throwing distance out to 120 feet.</p><p>“Shane will initiate his mound progression in mid-February.”</p><h2><b>Guardians hoping for a full recovery Bieber</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Shane-Bieber-hopes-to-return-to-the-mound-in-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/guardians-news-shane-bieber-other-injury-updates-ahead-spring-training">The Guardians</a> will have an ace on the mound if Bieber can make a full recovery early in the season. Bieber won the Cy Young Award during the Covid-impacted 2020 season and he has been a two-time All-Star. He has a Gold Glove to his credit and he also won the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award.</p><p>Bieber had his best season in 2020 when he went 8-1 with a 1.63 earned run average. He struck out 122 batters in 77.1 innings. He had a 15-8 record in 2019 with a 3.28 ERA while throwing a career high 214.1 innings. He struck out 259 batters in 213.1 innings that season.</p><p>The Guardians are expecting their starting rotation to include Tanner Bibee, Ben Lively, Gavin Williams and Luis Ortiz. Triston McKenzie should also some of the team’s starting assignments. However, if Bieber continues to make progress and is healthy enough to return to active duty, it is clear that he will be in Vogt’s starting rotation.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Guardians fans will love Shane Bieber’s latest move

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cleveland-guardians-2025-over-under-win-total-prediction-odds-pick');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cleveland Guardians 2025 Over/Under Win Total Prediction, Odds, Pick');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Cleveland-Guardians-2025-OverUnder-Win-Total-Prediction-Odds-Pick.jpg"></figure><h1>Cleveland Guardians 2025 Over/Under Win Total Prediction, Odds, Pick</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-15T08:37:54-08:00">February 15th, 8:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-15T08:37:54-08:00">February 15th, 8:37am</time><address><a>RB Hayek</a>RB Hayek has been writing about sports for over a decade and is currently a member of ClutchPoints' Betting team. In addition, he is also a published author of thriller novels, available on Amazon. Rob went 46-33 against the spread and 36-43 overall in January.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Guardians hope to win their second consecutive American League Central division title. The optimism is high in Ohio as we continue our MLB odds <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting" rel="noopener">series</a> with a Cleveland Guardians over/under win total prediction and pick.</p><p>The Guardians went 92-69 last season but ended the season with a loss to the New York Yankees in the American League Championship. Surprisingly, there were not many changes in Cleveland, as Carlos Santana was the only significant addition on offense. But they recently <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/guardians-news-guardians-sign-veteran-reliever-7-million-contract">added Paul Sewald to bolster their bullpen</a>. Conversely, they lost Josh Naylor and Alex Cobb.</p><p><i><b>Here are the <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/mlb?tab=win-totals">MLB odds</a>, courtesy of FanDuel. </b></i></p><h2><b>MLB Odds: 2025 Win Total Odds</b></h2><p>Over 83.5 Wins: -106</p><p>Under 83.5 Wins: -114</p><p><i><b>*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/mlb/?irad=377812&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">(Get Access | Save $30)</a>*</b></i></p><h2><b>Why You Should Bet the Over</b></h2><p>The Guardians are the divisional champions. Yes, they lost some players, but this team is still the favorite in the Central. The Guardians went 30-22 against the AL Central in 2024. Likewise, they held their own against the Baltimore Orioles, going 4-3 against them.</p><p>Tanner Bibee is one of the reasons why this team is good, as he went 12-8 with a 3.47 ERA last season. Bibee excelled with a good fastball and an above-average cutter and slider. Ben Lively hopes to take his game to the next level after going 13-10 with a 3.81 ERA over 29 starts. Ultimately, he thrived with a 90 MPH fastball and a barrel rate of .6 percent.</p><p>The Guardians had the best bullpen in baseball, led by the best closer. Amazingly, Emmanuel Chase dominated again, making 47 saves in 50 chances. He produced an elite cutter that fooled everyone. Cade Smith struck out 35.6 percent of the hitters he faced in his rookie season while working in important roles in the back end of the bullpen. Ultimately, he needed just a strong fastball and a good splitter to get the job done. Hunter Gaddis had increased velocity and a plus slider that thrived under pressure. Additionally, Tim Herrin had a 1.92 ERA, and Cade Smith had a 1.91 ERA.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/guardians-news-jose-ramirez-confident-message-alcs-deficit">Jose Ramirez was dominant last season</a>, crushing 39 home runs, 118 RBIs, and 114 runs while also stealing 41 bases. Remarkably, it was his fourth straight season with at least 32 home runs, and he was incredibly close to having a 40-40 season. Steven Kwan is an elite leadoff hitter who walks a lot and is a gold glove defender. Overall, he had 14 home runs, 44 RBIs, and 83 runs while swiping 14 bags. These two power the Guardians and are often the reason the offense hums. Pitchers always have a tough time getting Kwan out. Then, when they have a runner on base, it gets even tougher when they have to face Ramirez. The Guardians love what these two bring to the table.</p><p>The Guardians will win 84 games because they have an elite top half of the rotation that will keep them going, along with the best bullpen in baseball. Also, Ramirez can change the game with one swing of the bat and will do it often this season.</p><h2><b>Why You Should Bet the Under</b></h2><p>The Guardians struggled against the New York Yankees, going 2-4 against them last season. Furthermore, they went 1-4 against the Houston Astros. Beating these teams seemed impossible last season, contributing to their 69 losses.</p><p>While Ramirez and Kwan are exceptional, the rest of the lineup has some questions. Brayan Rochio is a good defender but a poor hitter. Likewise, Juan Brito is unknown, and the Guardians hope he can be solid. Santana still has some power left after smacking 23 home runs but is 39 years old. Meanwhile, Lane Thomas hit just .237 last season, while Bo Naylor could barely scrap the barrel of the bet. The bottom line? This offense is not scary when Ramirez and Kwan struggle. Instead, they turn into one of the worst.</p><p>Besides the top three pitchers, this rotation has some questions. First, what will the Guardians get out of Gavin Williams? Williams went 3-10 with a 4.86 ERA last season and needs better control of his fastball and more consistency with the curveball. Tristan McKenzie lost velocity on his pitch. Also, Joey Castillo must master more pitches than his offspeed pitch.</p><p>The Guardians will not win 84 games because their lineup has too many holes. Also, their rotation is still not good enough, besides the top half, to get the ball into the hands of the best bullpen in baseball.</p><h2><b>Final Guardians Over/Under Win Total Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>The Guardians are a great team. I think they should be higher than the 83-win prediction they have listed. Remember, this team won 90 games last season despite any issues they had. While they will lose to the elite teams, they will beat the bad teams. It will be enough to net them 88 wins this season. Ultimately, that will be enough to cover the win total prediction and shatter the spread.</p><p><b>Final Guardians Over/Under Win Total Prediction &amp; Pick:</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cleveland Guardians 2025 Over/Under Win Total Prediction, Odds, Pick

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/guardians-news-shane-bieber-other-injury-updates-ahead-spring-training');   ga('set', 'title', 'Guardians provide Shane Bieber, other injury updates ahead of spring training');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Guardians-news-Cleveland-provides-Shane-Bieber-other-injury-updates-ahead-of-spring-training.jpg"></figure><h1>Guardians provide Shane Bieber, other injury updates ahead of spring training</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-14T10:05:05-08:00">February 14th, 10:05am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-14T10:05:43-08:00">February 14th, 10:05am</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Guardians did not really make any splashy additions this offseason. One can even say that the team’s biggest move in free agency was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/guardians-news-shane-bieber-cleveland-mlb-free-agency-reunion">retaining its most accomplished starting pitcher</a>, Shane Bieber. There are questions scattered throughout the rotation, so manager Stephen Vogt is counting on the 2020 Cy Young to bring stability. But first, he has to get healthy.</p><p>Bieber is still recovering from Tommy John surgery, which he required after suffering a season-ending elbow injury last April. Now that pitchers and catchers have officially reported to Goodyear, Arizona for spring training, fans are anxious to know if and when they can expect to see the two-time All-Star in action. Luckily, there are some new updates available.</p><p>Bieber is making solid progress, <a href="https://x.com/GuardsInsider/status/1890430230835220814" rel="noopener">throwing up to five days a week</a> from 120 feet out, per the GuardsInsider X account. He “will initiate his mound progression in mid-February.”</p><h2><b>Guardians need Bieber</b></h2><p>The 29-year-old logged just two starts last season, but oh how magnificent those two starts were. He pitched 12 scoreless innings and struck out 20 batters, exhibiting the kind of dominance that helped him post a 1.63 ERA and 3.2 WAR in the abbreviated 2020 campaign. Bieber did not quite reclaim that form in the following seasons but was still an upper-echelon hurler. Though, after battling elbow issues the last two seasons, there is no telling how he will bounce back in 2025.</p><p>But for now, fans will take satisfaction in knowing that the ace is moving along nicely in his rehabilitation. When healthy, Shane Bieber will join a starting pitching rotation that includes Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams and Ben Lively. Depth was an issue in the playoffs. Vogt cannot ask his bullpen to carry such a heavy burden once again this upcoming season. No. 57 will have to pick up where he left off, or someone else will need to emerge.</p><h2><b>Cleveland hopes to get healthy as a group after injury-ridden 2024</b></h2><p>In addition to briefing fans on Bieber’s status, GuardsInsider provided updates on the club’s other injured players. All-Star utility man <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/guardians-news-david-fry-out-2025-elbow-surgery">David Fry is recovering from elbow surgery himself</a> and will meet with his orthopedic surgeon in early March to discuss the next steps forward. He should return at some point in the middle of the season but is unlikely to play the field.</p><p>Righty reliever and former first-round draft pick Daniel Espino is still five-to-eight months away from returning after undergoing shoulder surgery in early 2024. Left-hander Sam Hentges (also the shoulder) is not expected to join the club until late in the year, if at all. Fellow bullpen piece Trevor Stephan missed all of last year due to Tommy John surgery and is about where Shane Bieber is in his recovery process.</p><p>With multiple pitchers still on the shelf, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/guardians-news-land-jakob-junis-amid-spring-training">Guardians’ Jakob Junis signing</a> should be particularly beneficial. Hopefully, Cleveland will have Lady Luck on its side a little more often in 2025.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Guardians provide Shane Bieber, other injury updates ahead of spring training

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/guardians-news-land-jakob-junis-amid-spring-training');   ga('set', 'title', 'Guardians land 2.69 ERA pitcher amid spring training');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Cleveland-lands-2.jpg"></figure><h1>Guardians land 2.69 ERA pitcher amid spring training</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-13T21:54:02-08:00">February 13th, 9:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-14T09:27:22-08:00">February 14th, 9:27am</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Guardians know their identity and are not seeking to change it anytime soon. They have <a href="https://x.com/kileymcd/status/1890259338146857423" rel="noopener">agreed to a one-year, $4.5 million contract</a> with right-handed relief pitcher Jakob Junis, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.</p><p>The 32-year-old owns a lackluster 4.48 career ERA but was highly reliable last season. He recorded a 4-0 record with a 2.69 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 67 innings pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds. American League Manager of the Year Stephen Vogt will have the option to employ Junis as a long reliever or starter, giving the pitching staff more depth.</p><h2><b>Guardians enhance their strength</b></h2><p>Cleveland has taken a fairly conservative approach this offseason. The organization <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/guardians-news-shane-bieber-return-cleveland">re-signed former Cy Young Shane Bieber</a>, traded Josh Naylor and Andres Gimenez and reunited with Carlos Santana, among other transactions. It is quite obvious the Guardians are trusting their elite bullpen to push it into the playoffs for a second consecutive season.</p><p>They are now adding to their robust relief unit. While Junis might eventually slide into the back end of the rotation, he has the potential to act as an effective bridge to the later innings. Emmanuel Clase’s cataclysmic October notwithstanding, the Cy Young finalist notched a sensational 0.61 ERA and .154 batting average against in 74 1/3 regular season innings. Hunter Gaddis, Cade Smith and Tim Herrin all joined <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/guardians-news-team-reacts-emmanuel-clase-second-al-reliever-of-the-year-award">the top closer</a> in posting a sub-2.00 ERA while logging 70-plus appearances.</p><p>Although bullpens can obviously vary year to year, the Guardians are taking measures to ensure that their group is once again among MLB’s best. Surrounding six-time All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez with enough firepower in the lineup is always a challenge, but Cleveland might be able to rack up wins by playing smart baseball and silencing batters in the final stretch of games.</p><p>The reigning divisional champions rode that formula to the ALCS last season, and they hope to achieve more noteworthy success in 2025. Jakob Junis will do what he can to aid their efforts.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Guardians land 2.69 ERA pitcher amid spring training

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/guardians-news-terry-francona-truth-bomb-cleveland-departure');   ga('set', 'title', 'Terry Francona drops truth bomb on Guardians departure');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Guardians-news-Terry-Francona-drops-truth-bomb-on-Cleveland-departure.jpg"></figure><h1>Terry Francona drops truth bomb on Guardians departure</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-05T08:45:49-08:00">February 5th, 8:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-05T08:45:49-08:00">February 5th, 8:45am</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut based sports journalist and a graduate of both Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University. Dan has spent time covering high school and professional sports in both the print and online medium. He hopes to see his beloved Chicago Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After 11 years with the Cleveland Guardians, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/guardians-news-terry-francona-gets-heartfelt-tribute-standing-ovation-ahead-retirement">Terry Francona decided to step down</a> from his managerial role after the 2023 season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/reds-news-terry-francona-manager">Now with the Cincinnati Reds</a>, Francona revealed exactly why he made the decision.</p><p>It was spearheaded by health concerns, which were cited at the time of his decision. Now, Francona confirms that leaving that Guardians came with <a href="https://x.com/jaysonst/status/1887145967427743897" rel="noopener">no ill will towards the franchise</a> or the game of baseball, via Jayson Stark of The Athletic</p><p>“I had a nice year being away from the game, it was good for me,” Francona said. “When you fess up that you need to be away, you’re probably a little late on pulling the trigger.”</p><p>“I didn’t leave because I was mad or I hated the game. I just didn’t feel like I was doing my job right. I worked hard this past year to try and be in a position where I can do it,” Francona continued. “I know when the season starts, it’ll be a test. But it just feels good to be excited. I didn’t want to just jump into something I wasn’t going to be comfortable with. Even on good days, this can be a hard job.”</p><p>Francona’s final season in Cleveland saw the Guardians register a 76-86 record and miss out on the playoffs. It was the second time in three years the Guardians failed to reach the postseason. At that time, Francona decided it was time for him to step away and revaluate where he stood as a manager.</p><p>His time with the Guardians ended with a 921-757 record. Cleveland made the playoffs six times under Francona’s tenure, winning the AL pennant in 2016.</p><p>After a year away from the game, Terry Francona has now found himself. He’s joining a Reds team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2020. However, the team is littered with young stars ready to make an impact. Cincinnati is hopefully Francona’s 1,950 wins, three Manager of the Year awards and two World Series rings will be the missing piece.</p><p>As for the Guardians, Francona has no beef with the organization. His still thinks of his time in Cleveland fondly. Simply put, he just needed a reset to get back to where he wants to be as a manager.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Terry Francona drops truth bomb on Guardians departure

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/guardians-news-cleveland-contract-phillies-vince-velasquez');   ga('set', 'title', 'Guardians agree to contract with ex-Phillies starter');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Guardians-news-Cleveland-agrees-to-contract-with-ex-Phillies-starter.jpg"></figure><h1>Guardians agree to contract with ex-Phillies starter</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-04T12:59:43-08:00">February 4th, 12:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-04T13:04:10-08:00">February 4th, 1:04pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Guardians and pitcher Vince Velasquez are <a href="https://x.com/JonHeyman/status/1886865584996147674" rel="noopener">reportedly in agreement</a> on a contract, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post.</p><p>“Vince Velasquez to Guardians, pending. Minors deal. Invite to MLB camp,” Heyman wrote on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>The Guardians have had a fairly quiet offseason for the most part. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/guardians-news-shane-bieber-cleveland-mlb-free-agency-reunion">Re-signing Shane Bieber</a> and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/diamondbacks-news-acquires-josh-naylor-trade-guardians">trading Josh Naylor</a> have been two of their more notable moves. The Guardians also <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/guardians-news-reunite-with-carlos-santana-after-josh-naylor-trade">agreed to re-sign Carlos Santana</a> to replace Naylor at first base.</p><p>Cleveland is fresh off a deep postseason run that saw them reach the American League Championship Series. Will the Velasquez signing help them have another big campaign?</p><p>The 32-year-old right-handed pitcher has not appeared in a big league game since the 2023 season when he pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Velasquez made his MLB debut back in 2015 with the Houston Astros. He has since spent time with the Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox and the Pirates.</p><p>Velasquez suffered an injury in 2023 and ultimately underwent surgery. He is hoping to return and make an impact at the MLB level. The Guardians are giving him a chance with the invite to MLB spring training. It is a minor league contract, but it appears that Velasquez will have an opportunity to make the big league ball club.</p><p>The Guardians had previously relied on their starting pitching to lead the way. In 2024, though, it was Cleveland’s bullpen and offense that led them to success. Shane Bieber suffered an early-season injury and the rest of the rotation endured its share of ups and downs. Tanner Bibee has established himself as a reliable hurler, but Cleveland’s rotation still could use more depth.</p><p>Velasquez has experience as both a starter and reliever. He has appeared in a total 191 MLB games, 144 of which have been starts. It will be intriguing to see if Cleveland decides to have him start games or make an impact out of the bullpen.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Guardians agree to contract with ex-Phillies starter

2024 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
292	5.73	79	1.58	8

2024 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
292	5.73	79	1.58	8

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Logan
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