CLEVELAND — Tuesday marked the deadline for teams across Major League Baseball to protect players on their 40-man roster, and the Guardians did so with a move that is sure to raise some eyebrows.
In a surprising action, Cleveland chose to designate starting pitcher Cal Quantrill for assignment in order to clear roster space for fellow right-handers Cade Smith and Daniel Espino. This means the Guards now have 10 days to either trade Quantrill, release him, or place him on waivers, and he can only stay with the organization in the minor leagues if he goes unclaimed by any of the 29 other clubs.
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The potential departure of Quantrill would mark the conclusion of a tenure that saw the 28-year-old sail to new career heights but also struggle to find consistency. A former first-round draft pick by San Diego and the son of ex-AL All-Star Paul Quantrill, Cal was part of the massive 2020 trade that sent Mike Clevinger to the Padres (Josh Naylor and Gabriel Arias also arrived in Cleveland as part of the deal). He made eight relief appearances for an Indians team that made the playoffs and remained in the bullpen a year later before eventually earning a spot in the rotation, going 8-3 with a 2.89 ERA in the process.
Quantrill's starting spot was assured in 2022, and he responded by leading the Guardians with 15 wins and posting a 3.38 ERA across 186 1/3 innings. Cleveland went on a run to the AL Central Division championship, but while Quantrill made a pair of starts in the division series against New York, he lost both of them, and the Yankees wound up prevailing in five games.
Unfortunately, 2023 was a massive step back for Quantrill, as he not only posted a career-worst 5.24 ERA but also missed nearly three months with various injuries. While he improved after returning in September (2.76 ERA in six appearances), the emergence of rookies like Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen, and Gavin Williams made him more expendable, and likely played a part in today's decision.
Also of note was salary arbitration, as Quantrill still has two years of team control before hitting free agency. According to MLB Trade Rumors' model, his 2024 salary is projected to be $6.6 million following arbitration, up from $5.55 million this past season.
Besides Quantrill, reliever Michael Kelly was also DFA'd after putting up a 3.78 ERA across 14 outings for Cleveland. Smith joins the roster from Triple-A Columbus, while Espino is ranked as the 80th-best prospect in all of baseball but missed all of last year following shoulder surgery.
Per Baseball Reference, the Guardians' 2024 payroll is projected to be north of $80 million total, with seven players (including former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber) still facing arbitration.