CLEVELAND — Fresh off of their home sweep of the division rival Minnesota Twins, the Cleveland Guardians are shaking up the structure of their outfield by promoting 24-year-old power-hitting prospect Johnathan Rodríguez.
To make room for Rodríguez, the Guardians designated Ramon Laureano for assignment.
Laureno showed flashes of production in late 2023 after Cleveland claimed him on waivers from the Oakland Athletics in August, but was unable to carry any of that production into 2024. He slashed a paltry .143/.265/.229, had a sub .500 OPS and struck out 32 times in 83 official at bats.
While Rodríguez lacks the positional flexibility Laureano gave the team defensively, much like his former teammate in Columbus Kyle Manzardo, Rodríguez's production was becoming too much to ignore.
In 43 games for the Clippers, Rodríguez has slashed .276/.389/.449 with an .838 OPS. He has hit 7 home runs and driven in 28 RBI while playing in a majority of games in the corner outfield spots.
Ranking as the Guardians' 16th best prospect according to MLB.com, Rodríguez has the potential to fill the power hitting, run producing void that has been missing in Cleveland's lineup for decades.
The Guardians' hot start to the 2024 season has certainly afforded them the opportunity to call up hot-hitting prospects like Manzardo and Rodríguez and ask them to be a complimentary piece to their offense, not a savior.