MLB Roundtable: Is José Ramirez Cleveland’s GOAT? What’s with the Braves?

ADVERTISEMENT

–>

Thosar: Forget by the time he retires; it’s not even a stretch to say he’s currently Cleveland’s best player of all time. And his milestones back it up. Ramirez became the first Guardians player, and only the 24th in MLB history, to hit 250 home runs and steal 250 bases. He became the only player since 1920 to lead his team in hits, doubles, home runs, runs scored, RBIs, and stolen bases through 65 games — and he’s done that three times (2022; ’24, ’25). His talent flies under the radar in Cleveland, but if he played for a large-market club, there’s no doubt Ramirez would be receiving the type of superstar attention that he deserves.

But, at this point, his career is even more extraordinary because he’s been in Cleveland’s organization since 2009, when he was signed as an amateur free agent, and that kind of homegrown loyalty is especially rare in today’s game. Plus, he posts! Since his 2014 rookie season, he ranks 12th among all active major leaguers in games played. Hidden in Cleveland or not, give Ramirez his flowers.

Luis Arraez is batting just .274/.308/.392 entering play on Tuesday. With Arraez a free agent at year’s end, should the Padres ride this out, or find an upgrade at the deadline?

Kavner: They need to find more offensive pop somewhere, whether that involves upgrading from Arraez or not. The Padres have the second-lowest hard-hit rate in MLB and the same OPS as the Marlins, which feels like a decent segue to Arraez talk. The thing about trading Arraez is you’re unlikely to receive much in return — he basically has to hit .300 just to be a slightly above replacement level player these days — so having him might be more useful than whatever you’re getting back. Their more pressing need is in left, where they rank 28th in MLB in wRC+, and there should be options on the market to upgrade there (Jarren Duran? Taylor Ward? Luis Robert Jr.? Cedric Mullins?). If Arraez can be part of a package to add more power, it should be something they consider. That would allow them to shift Gavin Sheets more permanently to first base/DH, which makes more sense than having him in left. But even if Arraez stays, adding more pop to the lineup elsewhere would mitigate the lack of power he provides.

Thosar: At first glance, you’d think a .274 batting average isn’t so bad, especially considering the league average is .244. But if Arraez can no longer hit like he used to in his .300-plus average days, then he would at least have to supplement that drop off with power numbers. But Arraez is easily one of the worst hitters in MLB at hitting the ball hard/on the barrel, so there’s no hope there. And he’s been no help defensively, sporting -3 Defensive Runs Saved and -7 Outs Above Average. Plus, looking at the Padres, they’re also dead-last among all 30 major-league teams in hard hit percentage, according to Baseball Savant. So it would certainly behoove the Padres to trade Arraez and find an upgrade at the deadline, particularly because another club could be interested in his services. Arraez still gets on base consistently and hardly ever strikes out, and he could be a strong candidate for the classic change-of-scenery transformation. If the Padres can find a taker for Arraez, they should absolutely part ways with him.

Denzel Clarke’s glove is unimpeachable. His bat has been a negative for the Athletics in his first few weeks in the majors, however. Just how much does he need to provide on offense to justify a lineup spot?

Kavner: The fact that Clarke has an OPS+ of 40 — he’s hitting 60% below league average — and is still providing slightly above replacement level value speaks to just how good his defense is. In just 18 games, he already ranks third among all center fielders in outs above average (+8).  For one of the worst defensive teams in MLB, his athleticism at a premium position up the middle is all the more important. It’s worth noting, too, that the A’s player who has logged the most innings in center, JJ Bleday, has graded out as MLB’s worst center field by OAA (-5). So the difference between their two best options is as stark as any in baseball, and it means Clarke just needs to be passable with the bat in his hands, especially considering that offense isn’t the problem in Sacramento. Now, a .500 OPS does not receive a passing grade. But if he can get that up above .600 — somewhere in the 70-90 OPS+ range — that would justify a regular spot in the lineup. And I think that’s possible. (Please let that be possible.

Thosar: It’s really tough to judge Denzel Clarke off roughly two weeks worth of major-league action, because the promotion from the minor leagues to The Show for hitters is regarded as the toughest jump in professional sports. Since the A’s have no shot at contending this year, sitting comfortably in the basement of the AL West and 16 games under .500, they should give Clarke every chance to let his bat develop and adjust to major-league pitching. In the meantime, he can continue growing his confidence as a defender. Even though his home-run robbery on Monday was the best catch of the year, something tells me he’s got more of those in the tank.

The Braves are in a weird spot. They’ve had two seven-game losing streaks, are well under .500 again because of the second of those, but still have a positive run differential and should probably be a few games over .500. When is it too late for them to hope to truly rebound?

Kavner: They’re 14.5 games back in the division and nine games out of a wild-card spot. If we’re sitting here on Aug. 1 saying the same thing, and they haven’t done anything to boost their club at the deadline, I think that would finally be the time. But if there’s even a sliver of a chance at competing this year, it’s hard to envision a world where Alex Anthopoulos makes the Braves full-blown sellers. Until then, as bad as it has been, FanGraphs still gives them a 26.7% chance to make the playoffs. PECOTA is even more optimistic at 41.8%. If it still looks this bad a month from now, maybe they consider moving Marcell Ozuna (who’s a free agent after this year), which would open up more at-bats for rookie Drake Baldwin. You are what your record says you are, but I still think with the talent in Atlanta we’ll be talking about the Braves fighting for a playoff spot come September.

Thosar: I wouldn’t count the Braves out until the All-Star break. There’s just too much talent and experience on that roster to believe they’ll continue playing under their expectations for a full season. Just ask the Phillies and the Mets, who know better. They’re just waiting for the Braves to heat up and make the NL East that much more competitive. As much as their losing streaks dipped them below .500, a couple of seven-game winning streaks can completely change their outlook, too. Now, if they’re still in this predicament around the All-Star break and trade deadline, when president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos will need to have a better idea of their direction in order for him to supplement the roster with some upgrades, then it’s tougher to believe in a true rebound. Still, though, thanks to the expanded playoffs, Atlanta could theoretically sit tight at the deadline and still have a shot at getting into October. But they would need to be closer to .500 ball for that to be a possibility. It’s long past time for the Braves to start stacking up some wins, but it’s still not too late.

MLB’s top prospect Roman Anthony was called up to the majors by the Red Sox on Monday, and debuted against the Rays. What are your expectations for him this season? Does he force his way onto the roster beyond the IL stint for Wilyer Abreu, or will Anthony’s time come later?

Kavner: It’s about time he’s here. Among the multiple unfortunate parts about the wait, though, is that he’ll now be viewed by some as the savior to Boston’s problems, which feels unfair for a 21-year-old to shoulder. I imagine he’ll endure the ups and downs most rookies experience, but most rookies also don’t have his ceiling. I don’t expect him to be overwhelmed by big-league pitching, as his prodigious power and bat speed come with preternatural plate discipline and patience. There may be stretches where he’s hitting the ball into the ground too often or struggling to make contact, but his tape-measure blasts should make up for that. The same outfield logjam that played into his delayed call-up still exists, so performance and health will dictate what happens next. Maybe they bump Cedanne Rafaella to second base once Abreu is back. Maybe they work out a trade. But if Anthony produces anywhere close to the level he’s capable of, I have a hard time thinking they send him back down once Abreu returns.

Thosar: If Roman Anthony can make the most of his opportunity while Wilyer Abreu is out with injury, there’s no reason for the Red Sox to send him back down after Abreu returns. The Red Sox need every spark of energy (and power) they can get as they try to creep up the AL East standings, and Anthony very well could be the answer. His plus-power stands out the most, particularly his quick bat speed that was among the fastest in the minor leagues. Scouts believe he has the potential to hit .300 with 30 homers per year, and even though it’s unlikely he’ll step into that level of projected dominance this season, the fact that Boston now has a hitter with that impressive ceiling in its lineup is a game changer. It’s not like the Red Sox rushed his promotion to the big leagues, as many industry experts believed this call-up was long overdue. So it certainly seems like his time is now. He just has to rise to the occasion. Easy enough, right?

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

<!–>

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

–>

This news was originally published on this post .

Share on

email

Previous

trending_flat

NFL executive Brian Rolapp leaving for PGA Tour CEO position

Sports

Next

trending_flat

NYCFC vs. Atlanta United prediction, odds, time, bets: Free 2025 MLS picks for Thursday, June 12

Sports