Guardians of the Future: Recent Episodes
Guardians Baseball Insider
The Guardians Baseball Insider crew talks about Guardians baseball from the MLB to the minor leagues.
On a long overdue episode of Guardians of the Future, Lake County Captains broadcasters Luke Potosky and Tyler Danburg join the show to recap the Captains 2024 season, including the first half division title, Travis Bazzana's debut, and the Captains rigging home the Midwest League Championship
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZHSgcZO_FP4
Big news in the Guardians farm system on August 19 as Chase DeLauter gets promoted to Triple-A Columbus after a three homer game stretch despite 33 games played in 2024.
This episode of Guardians of the Future discusses DeLauter's promotion, what's next for him and the Guardians, what could have been, and the ripple effects.
Other items discussed in this episode
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Where are Kyle Manzardo and George Valera?
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Breakouts of Austin Peterson and Parker Messick- Some thoughts on the Guardians 2024 draft and draft pick debuts- Travis Bazzana starts to get comfortable- Luis Merejo making top 30 prospect noise?
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A quick interview with Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson
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Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fCHoK7EoNN0
Guardians of the Future is back talking to Lynchburg Hillcats broadcaster and Cleveland native Jason Prill about how Ralphy Velazquez and Jaison Chourio impressed at the MLB Futures game, how Angel Genao and Austin Peterson have taken off this year as prospect. The Hillcats pitching staff this year and potential future Hillcats are also discussed.Link to the Hillcats upcoming jersey auction as mentioned on the podcast: https://www.milbauctions.com/iSynApp/showHomePage.action?sid=1103205&isynsharedsession=5AoH57R-ouIw8gWC-qLPDcTIfvZ7M2FQhVOBv87VffdEdaSACl02r4aCDzYhNvUmSubscribe to the newsleter: https://nextyearincleveland.substack.com/
Talking Cleveland Guardians draft strategy with Willie Hood.What rumors do we believe?How much money are the Guardians trying to commit to the picks 1.1, 1.36, 1.48?What are the odds at 1.1?Whats the plan at 1.1 if it's Wetherholt?And other prep and college options we like down the board.Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/CVUhXqB1Hy8Subscribe to the newsletter: https://nextyearincleveland.substack.com/
We're finally back for another Cleveland Guardians of the Future episode.In a solo episode this week, I talk about the promotions of Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson and how he's looked at High-A so far, including my in-person observations at his stuff.I also discuss the promotions of Nate Furman and CJ Kayfus, the latest injury to Chase DeLauter, and what promotions need to come next.This episode also covers why promotions are slower than usual for Cleveland due to roster limits and injuries.I also discuss why my tier of players at 1-1 is pretty firm now and why.And this episode ends with interviews from the Captains last home stand with Nate Furman and why he's hitting for some power this year, and why CJ Kayfus has hit the ground running this year and hasn't slowed down.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HNcl6Jc-NU4
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There have been a number of bats on the Lake County Captains showing some good early season signs of development, from Nate Furman's power, Guy Lipscomb's Kwan-lite abilities, and CJ Kayfus' dominance.Doug Nikhazy, Tommy Mace and Aaron Davenport are all showing signs of progress in Double-A as well, all part of Cleveland's 2021 draft class.
We welcome good friend Michael Mahoney, gameday stringer for the Captains, to talk about the recent power surge in Lake County, and the development of the pitching in Akron. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://nextyearincleveland.substack.com/
The Guardians are finally calling up Kyle Manzardo, but it comes at the expense of Steven Kwan.
But, what does Kyle Manzardo bring to the Guardians? What does he do well and what should we expect from his skill set and tools?
I dive into that, discuss the return of George Valera, as well as another injury to Chase DeLauter.
Also get into observations on Trenton Denholm, CJ Kayfus, and Alex Mooney from my latest trip to Lake County.
I also cover Matt Wilkinson and Alex Clemmey in Lynchburg, as well as what to look for on the ACL Guardians club.
And finally, I talked about why I like the day two college pitching in the 2024 MLB Draft.
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Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lKKGAcX-pn4
After a slow start, some Lynchburg Hillcats bats are catching fire.
Ralphy Velazquez, Jaison Chourio and Angel Genao are hitting everything in sight, which has promoted some talk about promotions.
But when is the right time to promote prospects up a level and what goes into that?
This episode ponders when those three will be promoted, and what has to happen for them to get to the next level.
Also discussed is the return of an injured pitching prospect, Guardians relief prospects that are surging and Kyle Manzardo's big weekend.
We wrap up this episode with part of an interview I did with Guardians 2023 pick Alex Mooney from Lake County over the weekend.
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The Lynchburg Hillcats will be must see-tv when it comes to the Cleveland Guardians farm system and prospects in 2024. Hillcats broadcaster and Cleveland native, Jason Prill, joins Guardians of the Future to talk about the exciting young Hillcats roster, some exciting insights into players like Jaison Chouio, Ralphy Velazquez, Alex Clemmey, Matt "The Tugboat" Wilkinson and Rafael Ramirez, and more.Jason also lets us know what's going to be going on in Lynhcburg this year in promos and new, great ways to watch and listen to the Hillcats this year! Subscribe to the newsletter: https://nextyearincleveland.substack.com/
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/siX4VfwDLpI
The Guardians of the Future podcast is back for the 2024 season!
The 2024 minor league season is sort of underway. The Columbus Clippers have a few games under their belt though mother nature is holding them back some, and Akron, Lake County and Lynchburg will all get started this week.
This week's episode looks at the most fun rosters in the Guardians system and thoughts on where certain prospects are starting.
How much will Ralphy Velazquez catch or play first? Why Lynchburg's roster is the most fun, and we look at the rotations and lineups throughout the system. We also look at the impact of major injuries to Daniel Espino, Joey Cantillo and Justin Campbell.
And at the end, we talk about how Braden Montgomery is putting himself into the 1.1 discussion quickly.
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Fresh off of a trip to Guardians spring training in Arizona and two days at the player development facility, here are my observations from the backfields of Guardians spring training and some prospects in big league camp as well.
Players and storylines discussed:
What has to happen for Chase DeLauter to debut in the majors
Angel Martinez's adjustments have him as a prospect to watch this spring
Deyvison De Los Santos is having a rough camp
How can Kyle Manzardo making the Opening Day roster?
Kahlil Watson in CF?
Rafael Ramirez Jr.'s exciting physical build
Alex Clemmey looks big and impressive
Injury updates on George Valera and Daniel Espino
Subscribe for more coverage https://nextyearincleveland.substack.com/p/cleveland-guardians-mlb-draft-coverage
The 2024 D1 college baseball season starts Friday, February 16. And in case you haven't heard, the Cleveland Guardians are picking #1 overall in the 2024 MLB Draft.So we get the D1 college season talking 2024 MLB Draft with Willie Hood.
We talk about the Guardians strategy at 1-1, how to view early season college baseball performances, and of course the three impact bats at 1-1: JJ Weatherholt, Nick Kurtz, and Travis Bazzana.
We also dig into if any college arms that could force their way into the 1-1 conversation, if Jac Caglione has any chance, and our favorite lower round college bats.
Check the watch list: https://nextyearincleveland.substack.com/p/cleveland-guardians-mlb-draft-coverage
Watch and subscribe on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WA05AkQ8faM
It's been a busy offseason for Guardians pitching prospect Will Dion. He got married, spent some time working out with Driveline, and caught up on some of his favorite hobbies. He was nice enough to take a half hour of his time to talk to us this week about all of that, the change in his delivery away from the Clayton Kershaw motion late last year, getting closer to his major league debut, what he's working on and what he thinks of his teammates music choice.
Thanks to Will for making time for us on the podcast.Subscribe to the Next Year in Cleveland newsletter for more on Dion and other Guardians prospects heading into spring training: https://nextyearincleveland.substack.com/
Watch on YouTube and subscribe: https://youtu.be/ocq8LbQ9WLo
It's a new year, and it's a big year for the Cleveland Guardians farm system. Not only did they win the draft lottery to pick #1 in the 2024 MLB draft, but there are a number of prospects in the farm system who are down to their last option season, who are Rule 5 eligible coming in November that need a big year, and a number of big name prospects coming off of injured 2023 (and 2022 in some cases) seasons that need a big 2024. On the first 2024 episode of the Guardians of the Future podcast, we discuss all these names and storylines of who needs a big year and why.Subscribe to the newsletter: https://nextyearincleveland.substack.com/
Perhaps the biggest news of the baseball offseason for the Cleveland Guardians is winning the draft lottery for the 2024 draft, picking # 1 overall. On this episode of Guardians of the Future, Justin Lada is joined by Joe Werner (@ JoletinJoey on Twitter/X) of the self-published Prospect Digest Handbook to talk about the Guardians options at the #1 pick in 2024 as well as some historical looks at the draft for Cleveland and MLB in general. They also discuss the Guardians picking a lottery-type player in the Rule 5 draft in Deyvion De Los Santos.
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Follow Joe: https://twitter.com/JoltinJoey
https://www.amazon.com/2023-Prospect-Digest-Handbook/dp/B0BW38DFBY
Justin Lada and Willie Hood react live to the Guardians 40 man roster decisions ahead of the Rule 5 protection deadline on Nov. 14, 2023, running through who will or won't be added, the Cal Quantrill news and Daniel Espino and Cade Smith being added
The voice of Huntington Park and the Columbus Clippers, Matt Leinginger, joins the podcast to share what powers he does and doesn't have over the Columbus Clippers roster, working in minor league baseball and social media, why he's optimistic about Jhonkensy Noel, Angel Martinez, Kyle Manzardo, Cade Smith and others. And we also discuss what makes a good minor league ballpark experinece, and why he never settles for just good enough.
https://x.com/CLBClippers?s=20
https://www.tiktok.com/@clbclippers
https://www.milb.com/columbus/schedule/2024-04
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Akron RubberDucks broadcaster Marco LaNave joins the podcast to put the bow on the 'Ducks 2023 season.
Even though Akron didn't make the playoffs, there was plenty to talk about from Chase DeLauter's brief stint at the end of the season, Franco Aleman's incredible run in Double-A, and what he needs to work on. We talked about Will Dion's impressive output at Double-A and how he's able to keep it up despite the low velocity.
We also talked about Juan Brito's future in Cleveland, Aaron Bracho's resurgence, Tanner Burns' move to the bullpen, Ross Carver being an underrated pitcher, and what may be ahead for the RubberDucks in 2024.
Subscribe and watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WInH_QRwniU
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Follow Marco on Twitter: https://x.com/LaNaveMarco?s=20
Link to Jim Clark articles:
https://www.milb.com/indianapolis/news/akron-rubberducks-broadcaster-calls-3500th-game
https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2023/09/a-steady-voice-rubberducks-announcer-jim-clark-hits-milestone-in-the-booth-in-23-season.html
https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/local/2023/07/12/akron-rubberducks-play-by-play-announcer-jim-clark-3500th-game/70383697007/#:~:text=Now%20about%2060%20or%20so,or%20Aeros)%20on%20the%20airwaves.
The Lynchburg Hillcats finished the 2023 season over .500 for the firs time since 2018, despite making the playoffs in 2022. They did it with interesting hitters between Jose Devers' surprising power at the end of the year, Guy Lipscomb's wheels, Wuilfredo Antunez's tenacity and more.
Hillcats broadcaster Jason Prill stops by to put a bow on the Hillcats 2023 season.We get into Devers' season, Jaison Chourio's brief stint, why strikeouts and walks are inconsistent at the Low-A level, if Yorman Gomez is going to be an interesting international pitching prospect, and what the 2024 Hillcats will look like.
https://nextyearincleveland.substack.com/
As minor league baseball winds down for the 2023 season, the Lake County Captains season has come to a close. It was an interesting year with the biggest story being Chase DeLauter's exciting second half once he was healthy, showing why he was a first round pick.
On this week's Guardians of the Future, Michael Mahoney, a game day operator for the Captains, joins Justin Lada to talk about the Captains roster in 2023 including Chase DeLauter, Parker Messick, Ethan Hankins, Dayan Frias, Jake Fox, Kahlil Watson, Franco Aleman, Steven Hajjar, Cooper Ingle and more.
Follow Mike on social media https://twitter.com/MMahoney157?s=20 and subscribe to the Next Year in Cleveland newsletter https://nextyearincleveland.substack.com/
Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/CzTbsMNub8I
On this episode of the Guardians of the Future, we discuss the recent rehab games from new prospect Kyle Manzardo and if he could and will come up before the end of the year. We also talk about if George Valera should come up in September for Cleveland, what prospects could be promoted in the system like Jaison Chorio and Ralphy Velazquez. We talk about who's hot and who's not in the minors for the Guardians, why they didn't make Bryan Lavastida the backup option when Cam Gallagher got hurt, and I chat with Parker Messick after his 10 strikeout performance last week in Lake County.
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Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7pfq43LvsQ
The Cleveland Guardians had an interesting and somewhat controversial trading deadline. On this episode of Guardians of the Future, we discuss why the Guardians decided to move Aaron Civale now, why Kyle Manzardo could solve a long term need for the team, and how the Guardians got a lot of potential out of the Josh Bell deal.
We also discuss some the 2023 draft class debuting in the minors this week and why the Guardians are suddenly having these guys play in games in their draft year.
This week's episode wraps up with an interview with Guardians OF Jake Fox after his 4-4 day two weeks ago and how he's improved a the plate and in the field throughout the year. And our final interview with Akron manager Rouglas Odor, who discusses Will Dion's ability to pitch, the current roles of Tanner Burns and Jack Leftiwch, Juan Brito's success and health, Franco Aleman's breakout, and what got Angel Martinez and Jose Tena promoted.
https://nextyearincleveland.substack.com/
Justin Lada and Willie Hood run through the Cleveland Guardians 2023 draft class, their thoughts on first round pick Ralphy Velazquez, high upside high school arm Alex Clemmey, interesting day two and day three players and answer your draft questions.
https://nextyearincleveland.substack.com/
Watch on YouTube
Justin Lada, Jared Sziber and Joe Werner banter about the first round of the 2023 MLB draft leading up to the Guardians pick at 23 and then react to the pick. A long one, but plenty of fun draft and Guardians banter.
Just before the 2023 MLB draft, Justin Lada and Willie Hood look at the latest mock drafts from over at Next Year in Cleveland, the big outlets and look at possibilities for the Guardians at pick 23, 534 and 62, and then deeper in the draft. A deep dive on the Guardians draft philosophies, strengths, weaknesses, what to know, tyes like Brock Wilken, Nolan Schaunel, Colt Emerson, some of our favorite pitchers and deep sleeper hitters. If you love the Guardians and the MLB draft, this one's for you!
Latest Next Year in Cleveland mock draft: https://nextyearincleveland.substack.com/p/next-year-in-clevelands-2023-mock
Next Year in Cleveland draft coverage: https://nextyearincleveland.substack.com/p/cleveland-guardians-mlb-draft-coverage
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/J6_4srC3dOo
For the first time this year, Willie Hood is back to join Justin Lada to recap the highlights and lowlights from the first half of the minor league baseball season from the Cleveland Guardians minor league system and then a whole lot of 2023 MLB Draft talk and who the Guardians could take at 23/58/96.
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Former Guardians Baseball Insider intern and current Baseball Prospectus/Red Black Green Baseball writer Pat Ellington joins Justin Lada on this week's episode of Guardians of the Future to discuss Cleveland Guardians prospects in High-A Lake County.
Topics/players discussed:
- Juan Brito and the unfair comparisons to Jose Ramirez
- Ethan Hankins' first few starts back
- Other standout players in Lake County
- Which Lake County starter deserves a promotion
- Sleeper pitcher Reid Johnston
- Gavin Williams' dominance but a deeper question about his arsenal and pitch usage
- Joey Cantillo's promotion to Triple-A
- Can Bo Naylor finish off his development at the big league level?
- Will George Valera continue to have little injuries?
- Should Gabriel Arias be the next shortstop or is he better utilized in other roles?
- Parker Messick is ready for a promotion
- Gabriel Rodriguez's recent power surge and how he can do it more often
Watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/4Z6qy9yYOiM
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https://twitter.com/tangible_uno
https://www.clippings.me/tangibleuno
Akron RubberDucks broadcaster Marco LaNave joins host Justin Lada for this week's episode of the podcast.
Marco gives some insight into Joey Cantillo's efforts to attack the zone and be more consistent following his 13 strikeout performance a few weeks ago, as well as looking into what has Aaron Bracho off to a potentially resurgent start to the season.
Also discussed is the tandem starter group of Doug Nikhazy and Jack Leftwich that is loaded with potential, how Bryan Lavastida can respond from his removal from the 40 man roster, what has helped Cade Smith become the top closer in the Eastern League, and getting Angel Martinez turned around.
Justin also discusses the return of George Valera, the differences between Brayan Rocchio and Amed Rosario as prospects, what's holding Bo Naylor back, Parker Messick winning Pitcher of the Week in the Carolina League, and the return of Ethan Hankins, including two interviews with Hankins before his start back and following his second start last week.
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This week on the Guardians of the Future podcast, we check in on the Double-A Akron RubberDucks.
What does the pitching depth look like in Akron with Gavin Williams up to Double-A?How will Akron replace Williams' innings?
What's with Angel Martinez's slow start and the lack of hitting so far by the prospects on the RubberDucks?
We also review the impressive rookie debuts of Logan Allen and Tanner Bibee, discuss why the Guardians decided to give David Fry a try in their three catcher experiment.
We discuss the return of Ethan Hankins to an affiliate for the first time since 2019, Bryan Lavastida's future now that he cleared waivers.
I also give as many injury updates on guys as I can, talk a little bit about the pitching pipeline looking suspect below Double-A and answer some listener questions.
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You can watch the podcast as well: https://youtu.be/_LYNevuGWSc
It was a weird week in Columbus with rainouts and promotions and callups. Logan Allen was called up to make his debut with the Cleveland Guardians Sunday, so on this week's episode, we get into his debut and where's been first.
While talking about the Clippers we also talk about Tanner Bibee's first start where he "struggled" by his standards and what's next for him.
We also get into:- Jhonkensy Noel's slow start and struggles
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David Fry's future
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Brayan Rocchio's brief call-up
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The Touki Toussaint Experiment
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Micah Pries slowing down after a strong start
We also check in on Akron to talk about another dominant start by Gavin Williams, the decision to designate Bryan Lavastida for assignment, Tanner Burns' most recent solid start
At Lake County, also discussed is Juan Brito looking like a good hitter that belongs right away, a live look at Trenton Denholm for the first time, Joe Lampe's hot start and Tyler Thornton's stuff.
In Lynchburg, we talk about their record setting day for stolen bases and their advanced offense.
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Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/80KA6ZwwrDA
On this week's episode of the Guardians of the Future podcast, Lynchburg Hillcats broadcast Jason Prill joins Justin Lada to talk about the Hillcats mature offense and pitching staff, as well as:
- Jason's background growing up in Cleveland and becoming the Hillcats broadcaster
- Nate Furman moving into the leadoff spot, being a sparkplug and leader
- Wuilfedo Antunez's mature approach
- Manuel Mejias being the youngest position player at a Guardians affiliate this year so far
- Guy Lipscomb's chances of an early promotion to Lake County
- Parker Messick dominating early
- What to look for coming up in Lynchburg
Jason also sticks around to talk about:
- Reid Johnston being underrated
- Will Dion and Trenton Denholm off to good starts in '23
- Joe Lampe's early season success
- Yordys Valdes' offensive improvement
Justin also discusses why it's likely you will see Logan Allen and Tanner Bibee before Joey Cantillo in 2023 despite Cantillo being on the 40 man roster, Allen's impressive two start week, Bibee's buzzworthy start, Gavin Williams hitting 101, and which prospects are missing from rosters.
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The Guardians of the Future podcast is back with another epsiode before the start of the minor league season this week! Topics discussed this week:
- Guardians acquire LHP Steven Hajjar to complete the Will Benson trade with the Reds
- Tim Herrin and Hunter Gaddis make the opening day roster out of the bullpen
- Taking your prospect questions
- My Guardians prospect predictions for 2023
https://nextyearincleveland.substack.com/
On this week's episode of the Guardians of the Future podcast, we give the reminder about how Bo Naylor's role was always going to play out in 2023, how Cleveland might handle the injuries to Sam Hentges and Cody Morris with regards to Tim Herrin's case in the short and long term, what role we could see for Joey Cantillo in 2023. We also look at the possible role for Peyton Battenfield. Some good news on Ethan Hankins and how Micah Pries and Petey Halpin are getting noticed in spring training. And of course an update on prospects playing in the World Baseball Classic.
https://nextyearincleveland.substack.com/
https://www.mlb.com/guardians/news/cody-morris-may-find-spot-in-guardians-bullpen
https://www.mlb.com/guardians/news/guardians-prospect-petey-halpin-gets-spring-opportunity
https://theathletic.com/4281077/2023/03/07/guardians-spring-training-observations/
On this episode of the Guardians of the Future podcast, I'm joined by new Lake County Captains owner Alan Miller to talk about the exciting changes coming to the Captains franchise and Classic Park this season. We talk about what got Alan into baseball, specifically minor league baseball, his history in marketing and working in baseball and sports, as well as some of the cool changes and promotions we'll see at Classic Park in 2023.
I'll also give some spring training thoughts and observations on players making noise right now and some players I think have a chance to be in Lake County this year.
https://www.milb.com/lake-county/tickets/promotions
https://nextyearincleveland.substack.com/
This week's episode of the Guardians of the Future podcast is a solo venture. - Breaking down the Will Benson/Justin Boyd trade with the Cincinnati Reds - Notable Cleveland Guardians minor league coaching assignments - Cleveland's non-roster prospect invitees to spring training - Guardians prospects playing in the World Baseball Classic and the impact of that on those prospects - And which Guardians prospects could benefit from other players on the team playing in the World Baseball Classic
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https://linktr.ee/JLCLE
On this episode of the Guardians of the Future podcast, 2022 Cleveland Guardians draft pick Nate Furman was gracious enough to join us to talk about a lot of different things. We talked about his Philadelphia Eagles playing in the Super Bowl, his time in the Cape Cod League and why teams like the Guardians may value players who have had success playing there, his draft day experience, what he's working on as a player and how he approaches the game, all the way to his walkup song and what he's been watching on Netflix, and how important his family is to everything he does.
Find more about Guardians prospects over at Next Year in Cleveland - https://nextyearincleveland.substack.
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The Guardians of the Future podcast is back. You can now find my Cleveland Guardians minor league coverage over at the newsletter, Next Year in Cleveland (https://nextyearincleveland.substack.com). On the first episode of Guardians of the Future in 2023, I went over some housekeeping items about the podcast and coverage of the Cleveland Guardians farm system at Next Year in Cleveland. Find all about what you can expect from this podcast going forward as well as my writing about the Cleveland Guardians farm system.
I also put out a call for some prospect questions for the podcast, and we did answer a few of those on the 2022 draft picks, Tanner Bibee, and Chase DeLauter.
Towards the end, I talked about one of the writing projects I have been working on, which is the prospect report reviews of 2022 Cleveland Guardians that exhausted prospect eligibility last year. The ones that are still in Cleveland are Steven Kwan, Oscar Gonzalez, Richie Palacios and Konnor Pilington (and I will touch on Kirk McCarty). I reviewed my prospect scouting report in March of 2022 on Steven Kwan and what he looks like as a player after 2022 compared to what I thought about him as a prospect last year.
Again, you can follow the new site account on Twitter @NextYearInCle and you can subscribe (for free) to the newsletter - https://nextyearincleveland.substack.com/
To anyone who continues to listen, thank you for your patience and support.
Justin Lada and Willie Hood speculate live about who the Cleveland Guardians will protect from the Rule 5 draft on the roster deadline day, November 15 at 6PM ET. The guys live react to news of the Carlos Vargas for Ross Carver swap with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and then the other 3 additions of Angel Martinez, Joey Cantillo, and Tim Herrin. The Nolan Jones to Colorado trade for Juan Brito was announced after we finished live recording, so you won't hear that reaction here.
The Guardians of the Future podcast is back. Justin Lada and Willie Hood breakdown the Cleveland Guardians 2022/2023 offseason ahead.
- What moves the Guardians will make to open spots on the 40 man roster
- A deep, deep dive on the Guardians will protect ahead of the Rule 5 draft and who they won't
- Talking trade and free agent targets for the Guardians
On this week's episode of the Guardians of the Future podcast, Justin Lada and Willie Hood discuss:
- Bo Naylor's callup and why now
- What does Naylor's arrival say about Bryan Lavastida's future?
- Will Brennan's hot start and his future
- The shape of the postseason roster
- And we take a look back at our preseason prospect draft.
On this week's episode of the Guardians of the Future podcast, Justin Lada and Willie Hood discuss:
- The Guardians prospects help lead them to an improbably division title
- Will Brennan's call-up and future
- What it means for Nolan Jones and George Valera
- Playoff roster
- Players of the Year in the minors at each level for the Guardians
- Revisiting our pre-season predictions
On this week's episode of the Guardians of the Future podcast, Justin Lada and Willie Hood discuss:
- The Guardians prospects help lead them to an improbably division title
- Will Brennan's call-up and future
- What it means for Nolan Jones and George Valera
- Playoff roster
- Players of the Year in the minors at each level for the Guardians
- Revisiting our pre-season predictions
On this episode of the Guardians of the Future podcast, Justin Lada and Willie Hood disucss
- The Guardians delivery of a knockout blow to the Minnesota Twins
- Cody Morris' future role
- The future catching tandem
- How to fit Will Brennan on to the roster
- Guardians Arizona Fall League 2022 participants
- Lake County Captains and Lynchburg Hillcats playing for championships.
On this week’s episode of the Guardians of the Future podcast, Willie Hood joins Justin Lada to talk about:
- The Guardians pitching plans to cover Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac’s innings
- Which pitching prospect should come up to start this week
- Prospects in the Guardians org impacted by the new rules (shift ban, specifically)
- Rodney Boone and Will Dion’s arsenal and success
- Ryan Webb’s late season success
- Carlos Vargas’ timeline
- Will Brennan’s 16 hit series and future
On this week's episode of the Guardians of the Future podcast, IBI/GBI's first Carolina League reporter, Josiah Elmore, joins Justin Lada to discuss:
- Basically every player who played in Lynchburg this year
- Will Dion
- Jack Leftiwch
- Rodney Boone
- Jake Fox
- The bullpen
- Isaiah Greene
- Carson Tucker
- Dayan Frias
We also run through Cody Morris' first start in the majors, Cleveland's pitching plans with Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale down, and other players debuts at new levels.
On this week's episode of the Guardians of the Future podcast, Justin Lada and Willie Hood discuss:
- An Amed Rosario extension vs. the Guardians shortstop prospect group
- Promotions of Doug Nikhazy, Will Dion, Angel Genao and Joe Lampe
- Who will join Cody Morris as a September callup
- Which Guardians prospects will be playing in the AFL?
- Minor league is unionizing? Finally!
On this 8/22/22 episode of the Guardians of the Future podcast, Will Cunningham (https://twitter.com/willocunningham) joined Justin Lada to talk about:
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The Lake County Captains 2022 season thus far
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Promotions of Johnathan Rodriguez, Angel Martinez and Mason Hickman
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Mason Hickman taking off as a reliever?
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Why Rodriguez>Planez
-
Petey Halpin's late season run of success
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What players have stood out for Will this season
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Other moving parts in the Guardians system including Nolan Jones, Richie Palacios and Cody Morris
This week on the Guardians of the Future podcast, Guardians Baseball Insider's Akron RubberDucks beat reporter John Elrod joins Justin Lada to discuss:
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Debuts of Xzavion Curry and Hunter Gaddis
-
George Valera and Johnathan Rodriguez's promotion
-
Tanner Bibee's impressive run at Akron
-
What they learned about Micah Pries
-
The health of Joey Cantillo
-
Who might make the next MLB debut for Cleveland
-
What will the roster in Cleveland look like a year from now
On this week's episode of the Guardians of the future podcast Justin Lada and Willie Hood
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Discuss the promotions of Will Benson, Tyler Freeman and Hunter Gaddis
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How these moves affect the 40 man roster
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How Cody Morris might impact the roster
-
Could we see Bo Naylor in Toronto?
-
The Framil Reyes decison
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How Joey Cantillo's recent arm troubles make him more attractive in the Rule 5 draft.
-
and more...
On this week's episode of the Guardians of the Future podcast, Justin Lada and Willie Hood:
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Record live as the buzzer ticked down on the MLB trading deadline
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Reacted to Cleveland's inactive deadline
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Figuring out how the 40 man roster is going to shape up
-
Discuss the callup of Will Benson
-
What is the future of Franmil Reyes?
On this week's Guardians of the Future podcast, Justin Lada and Willie Hood look back at the Cleveland Guardians 2022 draft class, give their favorite picks, their biggest upside and risks, where they rank among the Guardians current prospects and more.
Here's a link back to the Twitter Spaces Justin and Willie hosted on Night 1 of the MLB draft to talk about Chase DeLauter, Justin Campbell and Parker Messick
https://twitter.com/JL_Baseball/status/1548850629782736896?s=20&t=jE_dMSEZ1CJ3HM0SrPBl0g
On this week's Guardians of the Future podcast, Justin Lada and Willie Hood discuss:
- Alex Call's callup
- Nolan Jones' debut
- Columbus' catching situation
- Some injured arms are returning to affiliates
- Talking MLB Draft targets for the Cleveland Guardians
On this week's episode of the Guardians of the Future podcast, Justin Lada and Willie Hood discuss:
- Some odd roster moves by the Guardians including Gabriel Arias' recent big league stint
- Reclaiming Oscar Mercado vs. calling up Alex Call
- Recent pitching promotions in the minors
- When we will see Jones, Brennan and Naylor
- Why trading Amed Rosario is difficult
- More 2022 MLB draft discussion for the Cleveland Guardians
https://www.gofundme.com/f/lenny-torres-srs-cancer-fight?qid=1aa3426ebc68266b39731ba5cd0d0ea4
On this week's episode of the Guardians of the Future podcast, Justin Lada and Willie Hood of Guardians Baseball Insider discuss
- The Guardians letdown against the Red Sox over the weekend
- How things are shaping up for the trading deadline
- Jhonkensy Noel's promotion to Double-A
- Micah Pries' hot streak
- Daniel Espino's health and subsequent prospect ranking
- Prepping for the Prospects Live 2022 MLB Mock Draft
https://twitter.com/longenhagen/status/1436794462714281985
On this week's episode of the Guardians of the Future podcast, Justin Lada is joined by GBI's Columbus Clippers beat writer Megan Husslein (https://twitter.com/meganhusslein) to check in on some of the storylines in Columbus lately.
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Franmil Reyes' rehab
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The Clippers loaded outfield of Will Brennan, Will Benson, Nolan Jones, and Alex Call
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Tyler Freeman's recent hot streak
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James Karinchak's rehab
-
Update on Bryan Lavastida's hamstring injury and Bo Naylor's promotion
-
Some arms in Columbus that are struggling and thriving
-
Carlos Vargas' return
and some questions...
Justin Lada returns from vacation and is joined by Willie Hood to talk about Will Brennan's recent tear in Columbus, Oscar Gonzalez's hot start in Cleveland, if they're worried about Brayan Rocchio or Tyler Freeman, Jack Leftwich's future, Nolan Jones' return and new swing, and more...
This week, Justin Lada and Willie Hood discuss:
- Oscar Gonzalez callup
- What have we seen so far?
- What do we expect?
- Some thoughts promotions
- Will Brennan to Columbus
- Kevin Kelly and Tim Herrin to Columbus
- Robert Broom and Brett Daniels back to Akron
- Junior Sanquentin to LYN
- Gavin Williams appears to be OK, on schedule to start Friday
- Tanner Burns appears to be starting this week
- George Valera back in lineup tonight
- Daniel Espino thew a bullpen today, good sign
- Next set of promotions?
Justin Lada and Willie Hood of Guardians Baseball Insider talk about the Player of the Week honored earned by RHP Hunter Gaddis and INF Milan Tolentino at Akron and Lynchburg respectively. They also discuss Jhonkensy Noel in OF, George Valera and Bo Naylor's hot week, more good pitching from Joey Cantillo, the best performers from the 2021 draft class, and a look at risers and fallers in the rankings.
This week on the Cleveland Guardians of the Future podcast, Justin Lada is joined by GBI's RubberDucks beat report, John Elrod
Some of the topics covered:
Logan T. Allen's good start but a strange start Sunday
Who stands out from the impressive Akron rotation?
Thoughts on the 'Ducks bullpen of Enright, Marman, Herrin and Kelly?
What’s up with the hitting? Geroge Valera and Bo Naylor are drawing walks, but are having a hard time getting the bats going.
Will Brennan's hot start
Injury updates on Espino/Rocchio/Burns
Thoughts on adding Gavin Williams to Akron’s rotation
https://twitter.com/johnelrod_19
https://twitter.com/JL_Baseball
On this week's Cleveland Guardians of the Future podcast, Justin Lada and Willie Hood discuss:
-
The big pitching performances in Cleveland's system this week led by THE Logan Allen, Gavin Williams, Hunter Gaddis, Joey Cantillo and Tanner Bibee
-
More injuries to the Guardians prospects including Brayan Rocchio and Tanner Burns
-
What Richie Palacios going back to Triple-A means for the Guardians OF, Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez
-
What Bobby Bradley's spot in Triple-A means for Nolan Jones
-
Willie Two Bags stays hot
-
Your questions
Justin Lada and Willie Hood of Cleveland Guardians Baseball Insider are joined by Cleveland Guardians pitching prospect Peyton Battenfield. We discussed many topics with Peyton, including the baseballs at Triple-A, the pitch clock, how he applies data and metrics in his approach to pitching, what he's working on with his pitches right now, how he spends his free time, and a quick scouting report on a potential Guardians draft prospect pitching at his alma mater (Oklahoma State).
Before the interview, Justin and WIllie also discuss
- Are we worried about Daniel Espino’s knee injury
- Impact of Gabriel Arias’ injury
- Tyler Freeman is back
- Oscar Gonzalez keeps crushing
- Interesting starts by Milan Tolentino, Jake Fox, Marcos Gonzalez, Will Benson
- Hunter Gaddis is crushing it
- Gavin Williams/Doug Nikhazy starts over the weekend
- GBI and NorthSide Bound's 2022 MLB Mock Draft
https://guardiansbaseballinsider.com/2022/05/03/2022-gbi-mock-draft-version-1-part-1/
https://northsidebound.com/2022/05/03/two-heads-are-better-than-one-a-collaborative-mock-draft/
https://guardiansbaseballinsider.com/2022/05/03/justinside-baseball-5-3-22-daniel-espinos-dominance-and-injury-logan-t-allens-new-pitch-jake-fox-in-cf-and-more-%ef%bf%bc/
Justin Lada and Willie Hood of Cleveland Guardians Baseball Insider delve into:
- Daniel Espino's 14 strikeout performance
- What to expect from Richie Palacios
- Looking into the brief debuts of Bryan Lavastida, Tanner Tully, Kirk McCarty and Gabriel Arias
- Joe Naranjo and Jose Fermin's hot starts
- The tough spot Aaron Bracho might be in
- Some little known relievers throwing tons of strikes
The 2022 minor league season is underway. Justin Lada and Willie Hood talk about the hot starts by Cleveland Guardians prospects in Daniel Espino, Gabriel Arias, Will Brennan, Gavin Williams and more, and discuss the first impressions by the 2021 draft class.
DOWNLOADED AUDIO from Guardians Baseball Insider's Twitter Spaces chat on April 6, 2022 - The Guardians Baseball Insider team of Justin Lada, Joe Collins, Arthur Kinney, and special guest appearances from Pat Ellington Jr. and Spencer Carlson preview the Cleveland Guardians 2022 season ahead.
The Cleveland Guardians have a very complex 40 man roster situation heading into the 2022 season. Justin Lada and Willie Hood debate how the organization is going to fit what they need on the opening day roster with injuries and lack of options, along with any chance of Jose Ramirez signing an extension.
MLB is back with a new CBA, ending the arduous lockout. but the Cleveland Guardians haven't made any moves within the first week. Well, they did add Luke Maile. Justin Lada and Willie Hood talk about the new CBA's effects on Cleveland, why the Guardians haven't made any moves yet, and what they might do.
Justin Lada, Willie Hood and Pat Ellington Jr. complain about MLB's lockout issues a little bit, but if you fast forward past the first 20 minutes, the last 1+ hours are spent on the 2022 Guardians Baseball Insider prospect rankings.
https://guardiansbaseballinsider.com/cleveland-guardians-prospect-rankings-reports/
With the owners still locking out the players and no progress being made in MLB's CBA, Justin Lada and Willie Hood talk about Guardians Baseball Insider's top prospect rankings by way of a prospect draft. Willie and Justin each draft a team of all Guardians prospects and our listeners will decide which team they like better.
MLB might not be able to find a fair deal to offer the MLBPA to get the CBA finished, but that's not stopping Justin Lada and Willie Hood from talking about Guardians Baseball Insider's 2022 Cleveland Guardians top prospect list coming out on 2/2. CBA talk, prospect rankings talk and more...
Justin Lada and Willie Hood recap the Cleveland Guardians 2022 International Signing Day class with some focus on Jaison Chourio and Victor Izturis. They also take a look at the latest CBA proposal from MLB to the MLBPA and what could work and what won't work. They also take your question.
Justin Lada and Willie Hood look at the Cleveland Guardians trade of Francisco Lindor to the New York Mets a year later and where the franchise has gone since the big move. They also break down a little of the January 15 International Signing Class, and answer a bunch of questions.
On the final episode of 2021 for the Guardians of the Future podcast, Justin Lada, Willie Hood and Joe Coblitz look back at the 2021 Cleveland Indians season and the farm system. We go over the developments of the 2021 season and look ahead to who we're excited to see in 2022 and some predictions as well.
In the penultimate Guardians of the Future podcast in 2021, Justin Lada and Willie Hood of Guardians Baseball Insider take a look at the news that David S. Blitzer is reportedly buying a 35% stake in the Cleveland Guardians and what it means. They also look at the top-10 prospect lists of Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus, as well as ZiPS projections for the team in 2022.
Travis Sawchik of The Score joins Justin Lada on a special Cleveland Guardians of the Future podcast to talk about MLB's lockout and the CBA negotiations. Travis educates us on some of the finer points of the labor issues in MLB, some ideas for the CBA and if baseball could have missed games due to the lockout in 2022.
Travis is a native Clevelander and has covered baseball for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, The Athletic, Fangraphs, 538 and now The Score. He is also the author of Big Data Baseball
Follow him on Twitter @Travis_Sawchik https://twitter.com/Travis_Sawchik/status/1466577614143905798
Read his coverage of the CBA at The Score here - https://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/2241177/manfreds-letter-ought-to-be-a-call-for-players-to-dig-in
It's day 5 of the Major League Baseball lockout of 2021. Justin Lada and Willie Hood of Cleveland Guardians Baseball Insider are talking about the lockout issues, what it means for the Guardians, the MLB and MiLB Rule 5 draft, an interesting nugget of info on Jhonkensy Noel, some possible moves for Cleveland after the lockout and take your questions.
The 40 man roster deadline has passed and the Cleveland Guardians added 11 new players, and removed 7. Justin Lada and Willie Hood break those moves down, looking at the trade for Tobias Myers, what the plan looks like for the rest of the off-season, and are the Guardians hard to trade with?
Decision day is coming soon for the Cleveland Guardians 40 man roster additions. Justin Lada and Willie Hood of Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider are here to break the decisions and options down, make some choices and talk about the MLB offseason a little in the process
Justin Lada and Willie Hood welcomed some listeners/fans of the show onto a live recording of the podcast to talk about the Cleveland Guardians offseason ahead, including the 40 man roster decisions, losing coaches, the CBA negotiations as it relates to Cleveland, among other MLB topics. IBI's Pat Ellington also joined the show.
For the die-hard Cleveland Indians baseball and Cleveland Guardians prospect fans, Justin Lada and Joe Coblitz break down Richie Palacios' hot AFL start and his future, among other Arizona Fall League topics.
Justin and Joe also review the Arizona Complex League season and Lynchburg Hillcats season.
Some thoughts on baseball finally helping to provide minor leaguers housing in some form, your questions and a dog protecting Joe from a scorpion.
On this week's episode of the Cleveland Guardians of the Future podcast, Justin Lada and Willie Hood discuss the end of the year for the Cleveland Indians at the major league level and minors.
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Some thoughts on the 40 man roster decisions coming up
-
Players who impressed this year and took a step forward
-
Cody Morris' future role
-
More exciting pitching coming
-
What to do with Oscar Gonzalez
-
Why there will be a lot of discussion around the team all winter
On this week's episode of (Cleveland) Guardians of the Future Justin Lada and Joe Coblitz discuss:
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The Akron RubberDucks championship victory
-
Nolan Jones' surgery and future now
-
Anthony Gose's impressive debut as a pitcher
-
Wrapping up the season's for the Lake County Captains, Lynchburg Hillcats and the ACL/DSL teams
On this week's episode of (Cleveland) Guardians of the Future with Justin Lada and Willie Hood:
-
More on the Nolan Jones/Jose Ramirez situation
-
Gabriel Arias' season and comparing him with Brayan Rocchio
-
Daniel Espino's impressive finish to the season
-
Akron RubberDucks' playoff rotation
-
Who is the next Jose Ramirez?
Justin Lada and Stacy Hannan continue to debate where Nolan Jones' future is for the Cleveland Guardians
Also discussed:
-
If/where Oscar Gonzalez fits in the OF
-
Is Will Benson adding a new position?
-
Xzavion Curry's rise in 2021
-
Brayan Rocchio makes Baseball America's Top 100
-
Francisco Perez is back, but Daniel Johnson is sent back to Triple-A
Follow @Official_IBI @JL_Baseball and @StacyHannan1 on twitter
On this week's episode of (Cleveland) Guardians of the Future: Justin Lada and Joe Coblitz play a game of pick'em between the future middle infielders and outfielders that are on, or need to be on the 40 man roster. Luis Durango Jr.'s gamesmanship is also discussed, what to make of James Karinchak's future, the debate between Bryan Lavastida and Bo Naylor, and more..
Justin Lada, Joe Coblitz and Willie Hood on this week's Guardians of the Future: Joey Cantillo returning, injuries and Nolan Jones' situation, finding bullpen help, 40 man OF options including will Benson, Steven Kwan and Oscar Gonzalez..
Justin Lada and Spencer Carlson talk about the future of the Cleveland Guardians roster
-
Does Amed Rosario have to have a spot on the team in 2022?
-
Why the bullpen is the most concerning spot going into next year
-
Does Bradley ZImmer have a roster spot in 2022?
-
Cal Quantrill and Triston McKenzie have provided good answers
-
Does Nolan Jones fit this roster next year?
This week on Guardians of the Future with Justin Lada and Joe Coblitz:
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George Valera and Jhonkensy Noel's promotions to Akron and Lake County, respectively
-
What relief prospects could be in the Cleveland Guardians bullpen in 2022?
-
What are the timelines of Peyton Battenfield and Konnor Pilkington
-
Will the 2022 Columbus Clippers pitching rotation be better than some MLB rotations?
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Other debates about who will be on the Cleveland Indians 40 man roster this winter
This week on Guardians of the Future, Justin Lada and Caleb Philips discuss why Baseball America and Fangraphs have the Cleveland Indians farm system ranked so different right now.
Also discussed:
-
When will we see Cody Morris of Nolan Jones?
-
What is Richie Palacio's future role?
-
Juan Hillman held together the Akron RubberDucks now loaded pitching staff
-
Will playoffs push promotions for George Valera and Jhonekensy Noel?
-
What happened to Aaron Bracho?
-
Which middle infielders will move positions
Follow Justin @JL_Baseball and Caleb at @CalebPhilips8 and read the latest feature on C Bryan Lavastida and check out the latest prospect rankings update
https://indiansbaseballinsider.com/2021/08/16/adapting-quickly-nothing-new-for-cleveland-catching-prospect-bryan-lavastida/
https://indiansbaseballinsider.com/prospect-rankings-reports/
Jacob Benge and Stacy Hannan check-in from Columbus with Justin Lada about Cody Morris' first start for the Columbus Clippers.
Also this week
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More on the rising Gabriel Arias
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Has Logan Allen improved?
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The promotion of Francisco Perez
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George Valera's rocket keeps rising
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Who will be in the Cleveland Guardians rotation in 2022?
-
Who will man SS and 2B for the Guardians in 2022?
Follow @StacyHannan1 and @JacobBenge and @JL_Baseball and @official_IBI
Justin Lada and Pat Ellington talk about the promotions in the Cleveland Indians/Cleveland Guardians system of Bryan Lavastida, Brayan Rocchio, Cody Morris and more.
Gabriel Arias developmental leap, Jose Tena and Daniel Espino’s next steps are discussed as well as the cases to protect Jhonkensy Noel or Steven Kwan in the Rule 5 draft.
New mid-season prospect rankings will be coming soon so keep an eye on that and check out Pat’s piece on Gabriel Arias and why he deserves more prospect hype.
https://indiansbaseballinsider.com/prospect-rankings-reports/
https://tangibleuno.medium.com/random-baseball-rambling-1-ss-gabriel-arias-cleveland-indians-triple-a-affiliate-d4f871ea044c
Joe Coblitz joins Justin Lada from soggy Arizona to talk about the Arizona Complex League Cleveland Indians such as Isiah Greene, Junior Sanquintin, Milan Tolentino and more. Also discussed - When and where will Nolan Jones debut? - Alex Call's future - Will Francisco Perez get a call-up? - Futures for Steven Kwan and Richie Palacios - George Valera not being a top 100 prospect? - Is Bryan Lavastida catching up to Bo Naylor? And your questions... Please subscribe and leave a review if you enjoy the show.
Justin Lada and Spencer Carlson banter about a ton of topics surrounding the Cleveland Indians heading into the 2nd half
-
Trading deadline
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Why the team isn't a buyer or a seller
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What to do with Eddie Rosario and Cesar Hernandez
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The future of the team in Cleveland and the future of Jose Ramirez
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The complexity of trading for a long term outfielder
And a bunch of other random topics
Justin Lada and Willie Hood recap the Cleveland Indians 2021 MLB Draft Class going over big picks like Gavin Williams and Doug Nikhazy and then talk about the three Florida Gators they took, the only two bats they drafted, sleepers in Hunter Stanley and Tommy Ventimilgia, Jake Fox, Tanner Bibee, Jack Letwich and more. Plus we answer your draft questions.
Willie Hood and Justin Lada come together for a special 2021 MLB Draft episode of the podcast
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What are the traits the Cleveland Indians look for?
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Pitchers to know for Cleveland including Chase Petty, Andrew Painter, Anthony Solomento, Frank Mozzicato, Gunnar Hoglund
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Hitters to know for Cleveland including Carson Williams, Harry Ford, Joe Mack, Edwin Arroyo, Peyton Stovall
-
More trends and types to watch out for that fit the Cleveland Indians MLB Draft model
Justin Lada and Caleb Philips are back on this week's episode of the Farm report to discuss:
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Oscar Gonzalez continues to prove this is real
-
Bo Naylor being selected to the MLB Futures Game
-
Logan T. Allen's promotion to the Akron RubberDucks
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Cody Morris & Adam Scott join Akron's rotation
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Will Benson taking off as Akron's leadoff man
-
Tyler Freeman's injury
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Bryan Lavastida's bat with the Lake County Captains
-
Mason Hickman and Tanner Burns' varying arsenal's in Lake County
and more on the Cleveland Indians farm system
Justin Lada is joined by Jacob Benge on this week's Farm Report to talk about the Cleveland Indians minor league system
-
Hot bats for the Columbus Clippers including Andres Gimenez, Nolan Jones, Oscar Mercado and Trenton Brooks
-
Triston McKenzie and Logan Allen's most recent starts
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Oscar Gonzalez's bat carrying the Akron RubberDucks in a long week
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George Valera's continued success
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More good starts in Lake County from Xzavion Curry, Logan T. Allen and now Mason Hickman
-
Alexfri Planez heating up
On this week's episode of the Farm Report, Caleb Philips joins Justin Lada to break down the goings on in the Cleveland Indians system:
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George Valera's return
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Xzavion Curry's promotion
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Shane Bieber's injury and its ripple effect on the pitching in the minors
-
Trenton Brooks' promotion
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Alex Call and Richie Palacios' offensive success for the Akron RubberDucks
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Nolan Jones' hot streak
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What other promotions could be coming?
Justin Lada is joined by Willie Hood to split this week's Farm Report podcast up between the Cleveland Indians minor league system and 2021 MLB draft prep.
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Xzavion Curry's promotion
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Is Logan T. Allen not far from a promotion?
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Will Brennan and Trenton Brooks' power surge
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Jhonkensey Noel hurt again
-
Angel Martinez stays hot
-
Willie drops some names to watch out for in the 2021 MLB draft for Cleveland
Almost a month into the minor league baseball season. Justin Lada is joined by IBI's Columbus Clippers beat reporter Jacob Benge to dive into a number of topics in the Cleveland Indians system: - Columbus Clippers being swept by the Nashville Sounds - Nolan Jones' progress with the bat and in the outfield - The pitching carousel with Kirk McCarty, Logan Allen, Scott Moss and the bullpen mishmosh - Infielders Ernie Clement/Gabriel Arias/Andres Gimenez, Bobby Bradley - Lake County Captains swept by the Spencer Torkelson and the West Michigan WhiteCaps - More injuries in the system to George Valera, Jhonkensey Noel, Ramond Burgos, Matt Turner and more...
Justin Lada and Caleb Philips dive into the Akron RubberDucks early play and another weekly roundup of the Cleveland Indians farm system.
Topics covered
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Tyler Freeman's bat taking off
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Akron's big relievers Nick Mikolajchak, Francisco Perez, Dakody Clemmber
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Columbus' pitching woes with Logan Allen, Scott Moss and players leaving to play for team USA
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Update on Jhonkensey Noel's big bat and injury
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Will Brennan's consistency for the Lake County Captains
-
George Valera's absence causing concern
Follow Justin at @JL_Baseball and Caleb at @CalebPhilips8
Justin Lada and Pat Ellington have a realistic conversation about getting Owen Miller to Cleveland, along with realistic expectations. They also cover the speed and base running acumen of Jose Tena, Raynel Delgado and the rest of the Lake County Captains infielders as well as struggles of Nolan Jones/Bobby Bradley and Tyler Freeman's hitting prowess.
The Cleveland Indians continue to find ways to win despite a bottom of the league offense. Can they put together a more consistent offensive attack and take off? Justin Lada and Spencer Carlson debate that, Shane Bieber's high pitch counts, Zach Plesac's recent brilliance, is it time for Owen Miller, and the overuse of Bryan Shaw, James Karinchak and Emmanuel Clase.
Minor league baseball is back and Justin Lada and Willie Hood are back to breakdown the first week of action in the Cleveland Indians farm system. From the pitching debuts of Tanner Burns, Logan T. Allen, Daniel Espino, Josh Wolf and more, to Jhonkensey Noel hitting balls to moon this week.
The Cleveland Indians are in first place. Justin Lada and Spencer Carlson talk about how a frustrating April still kept the team .500 as the bats of Eddie Rosario and Josh Naylor get hot. Harold Ramirez has come to save centerfield. Jose Ramirez is somehow getting better. Is Nick Sandlin part of Terry Francona's circle of trust in the bullpen? And a surprising answer on a question about Albert Pujols?
With the announcement of the Cleveland Indians minor league rosters, Justin Lada, Willie Hood, and Joe Coblitz breakdown the rosters throughout the system, provide injury updates on Ethan Hankins, Carlos Vargas, and the future of Nolan Jones.
Justin Lada and Spencer Carlson are once again talking about the Cleveland Indians first base situation and a team that is getting more offensive production from it's pitchers. But they also stress patience with Josh Naylor, Logan Allen and talk about the debut of Sam Hentges as well as Jordan Luplow the full time leadoff hitter.
Justin Lada and Spencer Carlson discuss why Cleveland being no hit doesn't make the teams offensive woes any worse than they were, why Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, Emmanuel Clase, James Karinchak and Bryan Shaw will keep the team in games. They also explain why service time isn't why Daniel Johnson and Bobby Bradley aren't in Cleveland.
Justin Lada and Spencer Carlson banter about early season exit velocites for Jake Bauers and Josh Naylor, getting fired up over lineup construction, Ben Gamel and Tyler Naquin.
On the eve of the 2021 season, Justin Lada, Willie Hood, Spencer Carlson, and Joe Coblitz give their Cleveland Indians predictions and MLB postseason and awards predictions.
Justin Lada and Spencer Carlson discuss the injury to Eloy Jimenez, Bryan Shaw and Trevor Stephan making the bullpen, the CF quandary and can Franmil Reyes have a breakout season. Random stats on Adam Dunn. Plus we rate Spencer's fantasy baseball team.
Justin Lada and Spencer Carlson debate the impacts and potential of Amed Rosario's move to CF, other roster decisions and why baseball can't get it's sport on tv en masse.
Justin Lada and Spencer Carlson reminisce about Joe Tait and other Cleveland legends that have passed lately, Franmil Reyes posting his haircut on instagram, and death to spring training stats.
Justin Lada and Spencer Carlson on on the Cleveland Indians rotation situation jobs Logan Allen, Cal Quantrill and Triston McKenzie are vying for, Bryan Shaw and a bunch of veteran relievers are hoping for spots, and the Indians over/under win total and how many outfielders play for them in 2021.
Indians Baseball Insider has released it's 2021 top prospect rankings 1-70. Justin Lada, Willie Hood and Joe Coblitz talk over this year's rankings, the changes to how IBI evaluates players and a lot more on the Cleveland Indians farm system.
Justin Lada and Willie Hood discuss the surprising and good signings of Cesar Hernandez and Eddie Rosario including the impact on the MLB roster and prospects. Speaking of prospects, they also debate the obsession over players being ranked top-100 prospects.
2021 starts off with Cleveland finally trading Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco as well. Justin Lada and Willie Hood go through another tough day in one of the final chapters of Cleveland Indians history and the return from the New York Mets.
Justin Lada, Willie Hood and Joe Coblitz go off script talking about a number of Cleveland baseball related topics including how to add revenue with the name change in some... different ways.
Justin Lada, Willie Hood and Joe Coblitz discuss the Cleveland Indians 40 man roster additions of Nolan Jones, Gabriel Arias, Eli Morgan, Carlos Vargas and Ernie Clement and the game of musical chairs that will be the teams roster from now till next winter.
The off-season isn't officially underway but Justin Lada and Willie Hood look at the reality of a Francisco Lindor trade, the 2021 payroll & roster decisions as well as some news from Cleveland Indians Instructs in Arizona, 40 man roster news to get you ready for an offseason of change in Cleveland.
Justin Lada and John Fanta put the dirt on the coffin of the Cleveland Indians 2020 season, discuss the future of Francisco Lindor and the 2021 season and beyond.
Justin Lada and John Fanta recap the Tribe's final crazy week of the 2020 season and get you ready for the Cleveland Indians matchup in the 2020 Wild Card series against the New York Yankees. Breakdowns of the rotation, offense, bullpen, x-factors and more.
Justin Lada and John Fanta rant about how the Cleveland Indians managed to lose 8 games in a row, the potential playoff matchups in spite of that and how the Indians need to lineup their rotation, get Carlos Santana and Franmil Reyes hot and play mistake free baseball over the final 10 games
Justin Lada and Willie Hood finish talking about IBI's new Cleveland Indians top prospect rankings #30-#1 from Angel Martinez, Cody Morris, Petey Halpin, Tyler Freeman, Daniel Espino and more.
Justin Lada and Willie Hood give their insights into new bullpen call-up Kyle Nelson, the Tribe's newest prospects Gabriel Arias, Joey Cantillo and Owen Miller. They also get into the freshly updated IBI top prospect rankings from 54-30 with a part II coming soon 29-1.
Justin Lada and John Fanta discuss Cleveland's trade deadline deal to trade Mike Clevinger to the Padres for six players and break it all down. Padres wrapup show host Jim Russell of 1360 Fox Sports San Diego joins us to talk about Josh Naylor, Cal Quantrill, Austin Hedges, Gabriel Arias, Joey Cantillo, and Owen Miller.
Lake County Captains broadcaster Andrew Luftglass joins Justin Lada and John Fanta to talk about Triston McKenzie's time in Lake County in 2016 and some time at the Tribe's Alternate Training site as well some other great insight and notes on the Cleveland Indians pitching development and the arms that have come through Lake County over the last four seasons.
Justin Lada and John Fanta discuss the Cleveland Indians dominance over the Detroit Tigers, the six game winning streak, how ridiculously good Shane Bieber continues to be and how he's kept getting better every year since college. They also touch on how big the series with the Minnesota Twins will be next week and if we could see a resolution to the Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac situation soon.
Justin Lada, John Fanta and Willie Hood discuss Zach Plesac's ill-advised Instagram bashing of the media, the situation in the Indians clubhouse because of Plesac and Mike Clevinger's decisions, the anemic offense and how critical the next week might be for the team.
Justin Lada and Willie Hood talk about the Tribe's pitching staff, the evolution of Shane Bieber and Zach Plesac, Mike Clevinger's inconsistencies, the 2.6 runs a game the team was averaging through 12 games and the surprisingly good bullpen.
On this episode of Smoke Signals, Justin Lada and Willie Hood are joined by Matt Trueblood from Baseball Prospectus, Penning Bull, and Twins Daily to get a rundown on the Tribe's biggest competition in the Al Central and how they're prepared for the 60 game sprint. Justin and Willie also discuss the Tribe's rotation, bullpen and the battle for the final infield and outfield spots.
Follow Matt on Twitter, read him at Baseball Prospectus, check out his newsletter, Penning Bull and read him at Twins Daily.
Justin Lada and IBI's Tribe beat reporter John Fanta go over the latest developments in Summer Camp, if Yu Chang's hot streak matters, and the outfield situation.
Veteran sports PR pro Adam Liberman, most recently with the Akron RubberDucks, joins Justin Lada to talk about the minor league season being cancelled and the impact that will have. Adam also shares his experience and stories from his time working with the Atlanta Braves as well as Akron. We also touch on team name changes, what it's like to work in sports and a lot more.
Justin Lada is joined by John Fanta to talk about his role with IBI covering the Tribe the vibe around the team at the start of Summer Camp, some pitching strategy, the news about changing the team name and the 2020 MLB schedule
Justin Lada and Willie Hood look at the roster rules and stipulations for baseball in a pandemic in 2020, how the Indians put together their roster and how they'll utilize it.
Justin Lada and Willie Hood discuss the details of MLB's 2020 season that is going to happen during the pandemic, what players might be on the taxi squad and details about the Indians undrafted free agents
Sleep-deprived Justin Lada and Willie Hood recap the Indians 2020 draft class and throw out some names the Indians could sign as UDFA on Sunday
Justin Lada and Willie Hood quickly debate the MLB owners non-offer to have a 2020 baseball season and then turn their attention to the draft. We go deep on players mocked to the Indians and other names to know, breaking all of them down.
Justin Lada and Willie Hood discuss the fight between MLB and the MLBPA on having a 2020 season, players the Tribe cut recently and bringing the draft into focus.
Willie Hood and Justin Lada talk about news and notes about the upcoming MLB draft, how the Indians are affected by the new 'rules' and some other Indians draft strategy and targets.
Justin Lada and Willie Hood debate the latest proposal from the MLB to the MLBPA for a potential 2020 season and who's benefits would be sacrificed? We also give our 15 Indians players we would protect in a hypothetical expansion draft in a recent series done by MLB Trade Rumors
Justin Lada and Willie Hood recap IBIs picks in the Prospects Live mock draft from May 1 and share their disappointment in the MLB cutting the draft to five rounds.
Justin Lada and Willie Hood discuss the rumored new plan for the 2020 MLB season, Fransisco Lindor reportedly not wanting to talk contract extension, the hypocrisy of Emmanuel Clase's suspension compared to the Astros punishment and some news about new IBI features and content
Justin Lada and former WKNR Indians reporter Chris Coon continue the look back at the early 2000s Cleveland indians. Part II focuses on 2006-2009 and then some extras.
On this edition of Smoke Signals Justin Lada is joined by Chris Coon, former WKNR Indians reporter to talk about the Cleveland Indians of the early and mid-2000s from 2002-2008 and then some. In Part I of this two part podcast Justin and Chris talk about the 2002-2005 Indians, how the teams were built and what went wrong with those teams. Look for Part II (2006-2008) early next week.
IBIs Justin Lada and Willie Hood discuss the affects of the Indians sending Zach Plesac, Aaron Civale and James Karinchak to AAA and MLBs Arizona/Florida plan and all its flaws.
On a special episode of the Smoke Signals Podcast, Justin Lada of Indians Baseball Insider is joined by Tim Shirer of the Lake County Sentinel to dive in to how the Lake County Captains won the 2010 Midwest League title with a roster of names that you may or may not remember and a pretty famous coaching staff. Well remind you of names you may have forgotten and give you some behind the scenes stories of that 2010 Lake County Captains team.
Justin Lada and Willie Hood discuss the impact of the changes to the MLB draft that were agreed on by the MLB and MLBPA. They also rant about how the MLB is using the virus to potentially eliminate minor league teams as well as the negative impact it will have on college and high school players, minor leaguers and teams.
Justin Lada is joined by Willie Hood to talk about some opening day memories, some other minor news and then part II of the Top 50 Indians Prospect podcast with prospects 25-1. The future of IBI is also addressed.
Justin Lada and Willie Hood discuss how Francisco Lindor has backed the Indians into a corner with no answer, the bullpen situation, Franmil Reyes hitting tanks and in the second half of the pod they go over the prospects 50-25 of the 2020 Top 50 Countdown
Dr. Brandon Bowers joins the show for the first time in 2020 to talk about injuries to Mike Clevinger, Emmanuel Clase, Carlos Carrasco and a few more members of the Indians roster dealing with injuries. Willie Hood joins Justin Lada to talk about the impacts of Clase's injury on the bullpen and the spring training battle for the last few roster spots.
On the edition of Smoke Signals, Justin Lada is joined by IBI writer Willie Hood to talk about Rob Manfred's handling of the Astros situation, Mike Clevinger's knee injury, a (minuscule) chance of a Fransisco Lindor contract extension, Domingo Santana and the Indians crowded outfield. We also address the future of Indians Baseball Insider.
IBI's Justin Lada and Michael Cuva are back for a new season of Smoke Signals discussing Paul Dolan's comments at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards, why Indians fans are begging to overpay Yasiel Puig and preview the IBI Top 50 Indians Prospect Countdown which start 2/1.
Justin Lada and Michael Cuva breakdown the Indians signing of Cesar Hernandez and what it means for their roster and organization. In the back half of the show Justin and Michael go over their best 5 moments of the last decade and bring up some other fun names and memories that you may have forgotten plus some other funny stories from the last 10 years of Indians baseball. Thanks for listening and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Justin Lada and Michael Cuva discuss Corey Kluber's departure in the trade to the Texas Rangers Sunday along with his value, fan sentiment, the money aspect, Delino DeShields Jr and a whole lot of Emmanuel Clase
IBI's Justin Lada is joined by Michael Cuva to rant about the serious talks the Indians had at the Winter Meetings about Francisco Lindor, Mike Clevinger, Corey Kluber, the impact that Boras Fest 2019 (AKA the Winter Meetings) had on the Indians roster. A few potential trade targets are bandied about and Justin and Michael spent a lot more time than anyone should have in a podcast about the Rule 5 draft.
Michael Cuva joins Justin Lada again to review the Indians 40 man roster moves, discuss the trade value of some current Indians. In the second half of the snow they name the All-Decade team and Michael tries to guess the runners up in fWAR at each position over the last decade of Indians baseball. Happy Thanksgiving!
IBI Editor and Chief is joined by contributor Michael Cuva to dig into the Indians off-season starting with the Francisco Lindor trade rumors, Roberto Perez's Gold Glove award as well as Lindor's. Justin and Michael also discussed potential free agent fits for the Indians and the 40 man roster crunch ahead of the Rule 5 draft next month.
The Indians are on the outside looking in for the 2019 postseason, so the question is what happened this year and were there any positive takeaways? Jake and Justin explore in a special, extended season recap on this week's Smoke Signals.
Are the Tribe's playoff hopes fading? Is Jason Kipnis done as an Indian? Jake and Justin examine these questions and more in the latest episode of Smoke Signals.
While the Tribe has played better this week the races are still tight with more obstacles to overcome, such as in the bullpen. Jake and Justin discuss the Tribe's relief pitching woes and whether help is on the way in a new Smoke Signals podcast.
The Indians have fallen on hard times and are starting to slip out of the division race. On this week's Smoke Signals podcast, Jake and Justin discuss whether they recover from this stall before its too late...
Jose Ramirez is out for the remainder of the regular season, but that doesn't change the goals of the team as they will need to pick up the slack. Jake and Justin discuss on this week's Smoke Signals podcast.
Things didn't go so well in New York this week for the Indians and Jake and Justin are here to figure out what went wrong and where the team goes from here in this week's edition of Smoke Signals...
The Indians continue to play well of late and are heading into a tougher stretch this month. Jake and Justin recap last week's action and preview a key part of the campaign...
Did the Indians trade Trevor Bauer and still make their 2019 roster better? Jake, Justin and Corey have their reactions to the Tribe's shrewd dealings on Tuesday night on a special, emergency Smoke Signals podcast.
Shane Bieber: Cy Young candidate? It may not be as far-fetched as it sounds. Jake and Justin discuss that and the latest trade deadline buzz in a new Smoke Signals podcast...
After all the frustration that Tribe fans endured over the first few months of the 2019 campaign, things finally seem to be looking up, as Jake and Justin discuss in this week's Smoke Signals podcast...
The All-Star break is over, but there are still a ton of memorable moments to discuss and then a lot of predictions to get to for the second half in a new Smoke Signals podcast...
As the city of Cleveland prepares to kick off the upcoming MLB All-Star festivities, the Indians are looking to finish their first half strong. Jake and Justin discuss the Tribe's standing in the division race along with who will and won't be at Progressive Field for the Midsummer Classic in a new Smoke Signals...
The Indians have been on an upswing lately and it's fun to finally talk about fun, winning baseball again. Jake and Justin discuss all the contributing factors to their success...
The Indians continue to tread water as they have been for most of 2019. The question is when does something finally give one way or another? Jake and Justin discuss on a new Smoke Signals podcast...
What was once the backbone of this Indians team has been decimated by injuries and illness in 2019. Jake and Justin discuss whether the starting pitching woes will be too much to overcome.
While the Indians have still been hard to watch sometimes, their recent series win in Boston has provided a break in the frustration. Jake and Justin try to look on the positive side of things in this week's Smoke Signals.
The Indians are falling further off the pace in the AL Central and the question is now looming of when the point of no return will come? Jake and Justin discuss their ongoing inconsistency in this week's Smoke Signals podcast.
The Tribe offense remains at the bottom of the major leagues in most major categories and it's getting to the point where a solution is needed soon. Jake and Justin explore the options in this week's Smoke Signals.
Corey Kluber's broken arm has left a lot of panic and doubts in its wake and Jake and Justin are here to discuss all facets of the injury and how it affects the Tribe's season moving forward on this week's Smoke Signals.
Francisco Lindor is back from Columbus and he brought Tyler Clippard up with him. In this week's Smoke Signals, Jake and Justin discuss how things are starting to come together for the Tribe and complete the Marlins roster challenge.
With guys coming back from injuries and others stepping up when needed, things could be a lot worse for the Indians right now. Jake and Justin discuss in a new Smoke Signals.
Carlos Santana has, by far, been the heart and soul behind the Tribe's success to this point in 2019. Jake and Justin discuss his impact and more on a new Smoke Signals...
It's opening day and while all the news has not been good for the Indians this spring, it's still an exciting time of year. Jake and Justin are back on a new Smoke Signals...
As opening day is now a week away, it's time to preview the upcoming Indians' season. In this week's Smoke Signals, Jake, Justin and Corey lock in their predictions for 2019.
Pitchers and catchers have reported and spring training is underway, but are the Indians reporting to camp with unfinished business with their roster? Jake, Justin and Corey discuss the Tribe's perplexing offseason plan in an all-new Smoke Signals podcast.
Right before the winter meetings adjourned, the Indians made big headlines with a three-team deal that saw five players, cash considerations and a draft pick change hands. Jake, Justin and Corey are here for an extended Smoke Signals to discuss the trade and more.
The hot stove season is officially underway as the Tribe has already made some moves and is involved in a few more rumors. Jake and Justin discuss all of them in the first offseason Smoke Signals podcast.