Farm System Snapshot: Cleveland Guardians

Blessed with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 Draft, the Cleveland Guardians saw a massive upsurge in bonus pool money and subsequent talent added to the organization in July.

Second baseman Travis Bazzana gets the headlines, but high school arms like Braylon Doughty, Joey Oakie, Chase Mobley, and Cameron Sullivan should help extend this competitive window in Cleveland for the better part of the next decade.

But those guys are a long way away.

DEVELOPMENTS

While Bazzana projects to move quickly, despite mixed returns on his 27-game pro debut in High-A last summer, the Guardians may have another all-star budding in OF Chase DeLauter. The problem is, he hasn’t been able to stay on the field.

Since the LSU star was the No. 16 pick in 2022, he’s managed 96 games thanks to injuries. But when he’s healthy there’s no glaring weakness. His swing finish is unorthodox, but he’s direct to the ball and it’s plus bat speed for a chance at plus power. He’s athletic enough to see a prime Max Kepler-like defensive profile.

DeLauter’s injuries last season ranged from a late-season hamstring after an early-season fracture in his left foot.  A healthy DeLauter likely gets to the majors in 2025, perhaps right out of the gate.

C.J. Kayfus goes under the radar because he’s probably a first baseman and doesn’t posses the prototypical power to get everyone excited about his future.  But he’s hit for average and posted strong on-base marks at all three stops, including Double-A a year ago. He’s more a doubles bat, but did hit 17 homers in 107 games in 2024, and he has played some outfield in his career.

The Guardians’ depth at first base and DH (Josh Naylor, Kyle Manzardo, David Fry, Jhonkensy Noel) could make Kayfus expendable via trade, but with Naylor on the brink of free agency — or a trade out of Cleveland before then — Kayfus may have a big-league role to fill sooner than later.

Jaison Chourio, brother of Jackson Chourio, almost certainly sped up his timeline with a strong 2024. He doesn’t have the present power his brother did at the same age, but projects for average pop, perhaps more, and he’s already making a lot of solid contact and getting on base. It’s advanced judgment of the strike zone and above-average or better tools across the board.

There’s no reason to limit Chourio to a 2027 ETA. The bat can get him there in 2026, provided he’s fully recovered from a wrist injury that cut his 2024 short.

QUESTIONS

Cleveland is one of the most potent farm systems in baseball in terms of bats on the horizon. That lineup will be supplemented with new names consistently over the next two or three seasons. But where will the pitching come from? Now to be clear, there are other organizations in much rougher shape than Cleveland finds itself in.

Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Shane Bieber, and Ben Lively are a very strong top four. Beyond those names, it’s a bit more sketchy, and Cleveland is unlikely to spend the money necessary to add free agent starting pitchers, either.

Lefty Joey Cantillo made his debut last season but underwhelmed with an ERA nearing 5.00. On top of that, even if Cleveland is relying on him to throw important innings for the school in the coming years, durability has to be considered. He’s been beaten up with varying ailments over the last several years.

Names like Parker Messick, Dough Nikhazy, Ryan Webb and Matt Wilkinson will all be in play in 2025, though none of them have overwhelming profiles and each project more like back-of-the-rotation arms.

Maybe late-2025 is the time Daniel Espino puts it all together. But he’s still recovering from yet another shoulder surgery and is unlikely to take the mound for game action until at least June. He’ll likely go straight to Double-A when he’s ready to go. Long story short, it’s unlikely he’s an option for the Guardians in 2025.

Keep an eye on righty Dylan DeLucia as the season wears on. He came back from injury in 2024 and pitched 35.2 innings at High-A punching 39 tickets with just nine walks. DeLucia was a dynamic arm at Ole Miss and could be the name that skyrockets up prospect lists in 2025. He’s 24 years old and could conceivably push for big league innings late in the summer.

ADDITIONS & SUBTRACTIONS

Cleveland is an active club, constantly looking for the edge, top to bottom throughout their entire organization. Often, this leads to a lot of transactions involving their farm system, and 2024 is one example.

It was a busy January, February, and March, but it didn’t stop there. After adding depth over the winter, including acquiring RHP Darren McCaughan from Miami in May, only to lose him back to the Marlins via waivers in July.

Cleveland then went the buyer route and sent LHP Alex Clemmy and shortstops José Tena and Rafael Ramirez Jr. to the Washington Nationals for OF Lane Thomas, and followed that up by trading LHP Jacob Brenahan to the San Francisco Giants for RHP Alex Cobb.

The draft was resuled in Bazzana with the top overall pick, then prep righty Braylon Doughty in the comp round, C Jacob Cozart in Round 2, and Joey Oakie, another prep right-hander, in Round 3.

In all, the Guardians selected arms with nine of their first 11 picks, and 16 of 21 overall.

GRADUATIONS

Brayan Rocchio, SS
Cade Smith, RHP
Noel, OF
Daniel Schneemann, IF/OF
Manzardo, 1B/DH
Angel Martinez, OF

Smith was one of the elite relievers in baseball all year. Rocchio flashed at the plate among some struggles but showed off his glove and a future in some role in the show.  Noel offered some punch at the plate, while Mazardo had his moments.

BIG-LEAGUE RADAR

Bazzana, 2B
DeLauter, OF
Kayfus, 1B/OF
Juan Brito, 2B/OF
Cooper Ingle, C
Messick, LHP
Nikhazy, LHP
Webb, LHP
DeLucia, RHP
Wilkinson, RHP

SCOUT SAYS

“They do a lot of things pretty well and are outstanding at a few. That’s driving this winning thing they have going on. We know they aren’t into major free agency, but they are strong everywhere else. It’s impressive…”

“Is Bazzana the closest thing we’ve seen to Chase Utley?”