Daily Archives: June 21, 2022

Guardians activate Civale, Reyes DFA Mercado

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The Cleveland Guardians announced a handful of roster moves prior to Tuesday’s game in Minnesota. Franmil Reyes and Aaron Civale have been activated from the injured list while they have designated Oscar Mercado for assignment.

Civale is slated to start against the Twins Tuesday while Reyes returns to the Guardians lineup.

Mercado has struggled mightily since his rookie season which saw productive output. This move from Cleveland is a continuance of forward thinking roster maintenance. The club has been willing to turn the page on non-productive players in order to give younger players more playing time. Cleveland could have just as easily kept Mercado instead of opting for the combination of Steven Kwan, Myles Straw, Oscar Gonzalez, and Richie Palacios. This proactive style has been long desired from fans and media alike. Continuing in this manner will result in proper roster evaluation and churning through players who are definitively not part of their future.

Jalen Williams to Cavs in mock

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A recent mock draft from Sam Vecenie of The Athletic (subscription required) has the Cleveland Cavaliers selecting Santa Clara’s Jalen Williams. Here is the explanation from Vecenie in terms of reasoning and fit with the Cavs.

“Williams spikes up the board here for the Cavs. He fills a legitimate positional need for the Cavaliers while also bringing a lot of high-level skills. He is long at 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. He can shoot off the catch and make plays off the pass. He can act as a secondary ballhandler in spots and also has versatility in terms of who he guards on the other end. The Cavs desperately need wing-sized players, so Williams would be a good swing for them.“

Sam Vecenie on Williams’ fit with Cleveland

One major takeaway here is the 7’2″ wingspan of Jalen Williams. This fits right in with their recent history of adding players with length. Williams in addition to Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen would create problems for their opponents. Williams averaged 18 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists during his junior season at Santa Clara.

At some point the addition of Jalen Williams to the Cavs would mean they would have some decisions to make roster wise. Ideally Williams would be able to start eventually and that would mean the team must evaluate the future of Lauri Markkanen in Cleveland. Markannen’s status with the team already feels to be on shaky ground. Perhaps the Cavs move Markkanen (and possibly others) to clear playing time for Williams should he be Cleveland’s pick. Putting together the right young pieces is crucial right now and this would help their cause.

Almost all civil lawsuits settled with Deshaun Watson

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All but four civil lawsuits have been settled with Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.

The representative of the plaintiffs in the cases against Deshaun Watson, Tony Buzbee, has announced that all but four of the civil lawsuits have been settled.

Buzbee also mentions that Ashley Solis, the first woman to sue Deshaun Watson, is one of the four who have not settled.

As the cases continue to be settle or potentially go to trial, the punishment from the NFL continues to loom over. The length of any suspension that gets handed to Watson has been a topic of debate with no real clear idea of what is to come. As the process progresses the picture of how Watson will be punished will only become more clear.

Browns deny stadium speculation reports

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A story spotlighting a potential new stadium for the Cleveland Browns sent speculation into a whirlwind over the weekend. The team did not do anything to quell things during this team, deciding to make a statement on Monday. As expected the team downplayed any and all speculation which came from the report.

Whether or not this is 100% honest or 100% dishonest can be debated, but the truth is it is more than likely somewhere in between. First Energy Stadium is far from a crown jewel and have spent plenty of money making improvements. At some point the Browns will need a new stadium but that time does not appear to be near.

Nick Sandlin optioned to Columbus

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When the Cleveland Guardians take the field Tuesday night in Minnesota they will be doing so without Nick Sandlin. The team optioned the reliever to Triple-A Columbus on Monday.

https://twitter.com/BerniePleskoff/status/1539026836587307008?s=20&t=gAYnGjaML_NzY9aj-8dxBg

While his ERA looks impressive at just 2.89, FIP and WHIP tell a different story. At 1.607 Nick Sandlin has seen plenty of baserunners and his 6.02 FIP paints a much different story about his performance.

Perhaps his time in Columbus could lead to improved performance from the 25-year old reliever. It will be about decreasing baserunners and increasing strikeouts for Sandlin. If not he could be passed up by other names on the roster and that is not referencing the imminent return of James Karinchak.

Lighting strike in Game 3 of Stanley Cup Finals

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Facing a possible 3-0 series deficit, the Tampa Bay Lightning were able to take Game 3 to turn a potential sweep into a competitive series.

A return trip home after trailing two games to none is sometimes all it takes to awaken a sleeping giant. Tampa Bay was coming off a 7-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals and needed to bounce back in the worst way. As the series shifted to Amalie Arena so did the winner of the contest.

After trailing midway through the 1st period it was Tampa Bay who rattled off three consecutive goals to take a 3-1 lead. Colorado would answer early in the 2nd, but it was the Lightning who added to their total with three more goals in the period.

This is the exact type of game that Tampa Bay needed. They were able to face adversity head on and overcome what could have turned into another win for Colorado. Eliminating an early goal deficit and answering when Colorado cut into their lead is why they are the two-time reigning Stanley Cup Champions.

Game 4 will take place Wednesday as the Lightning look to even the series at two games apiece. Meanwhile Colorado will look to shake off the four-goal loss and come one step closer towards claiming Lord Stanley for the first time since the early 2000’s.

Oneil Cruz arrives with a bang

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After much anticipation Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop prospect Oneil Cruz was promoted to the big league club and made his presence known. It was a dynamic outing for Cruz who went 2-5 with four runs driven in and two runs scored in Pittsburgh’s 12-1 drubbing of the Chicago Cubs Monday night. Cruz’ first hit for the Buccos this season was a bases clearing double in the 3rd making it a 7-0 game.

The second hit for Cruz came in the 7th as he drove in Daniel Vogelbach with the game already decided.

While the offensive display is the headline, do not let his defensive ability go unlooked. In the 3rd inning Oneil Cruz registered the hardest tracked throw by an infielder at 96.7 MPH.

The Pirates still have some work to do in regards to becoming competitive, but it appears they are piecing a good foundation together. Oneil Cruz in addition to Ke’Bryan Hayes and Bryan Reynolds should provide some excitement while the team begins their upswing towards escaping the cellar of the National League Central.

If you still have not bought stock in Oneil Cruz now is the time. Enjoy the ride as the towering 6’7″ shortstop is working towards making Pirates baseball appointment television.