The Cleveland Guardians made a little bit of a roster adjustment prior to Sunday afternoon’s win over the Houston Astros. Struggling outfielder Jhonkensy Noel has been sent down to Triple-A Columbus, in a move that was a long time coming.
Noel has basically been a complete non-factor at the plate this season, slashing .146/.168/.223 with two doubles and two home runs in 46 games. With 34 strikeouts compared to just three walks, Noel made the Guardians’ decision to send him to Triple-A rather easy. Noel’s OPS+ of 10 on the season is not major league roster-worthy (100 is considered average).
For comparison, Noel posted 13 home runs and seven doubles in 67 games last season. The slash line wasn’t great then either (.218/.288/.486), but his overall production more than made up for it. Now that Noel’s slash line has cratered and his power production has been non-existent, removing him from the major league roster was the only move for the Guardians to make at this time.
Jhonkensy Noel’s struggles made this an easy decision for the Guardians
No one should be surprised by this development in the least bit. Noel’s offensive profile was one that has been seen before, making his lack of production in 2025 pretty much expected. With his all-or-nothing approach featuring tons of swing-and-miss, Noel is just another Oscar Gonzalez or Bobby Bradley. There were plenty of warning signs that this could be the case, but far too many chose to ignore them out of convenience and blind hope instead.
Further complicating matters was Noel’s lack of versatility. Carlos Santana and Kyle Manzardo occupy two lineup spots on most days, leaving right field for Noel. The problem is that this is a spot where he never truly belonged. Sure, Noel’s arm can make up for some deficiencies, but not enough for lacking the necessary skills in other areas. The DH-only return of David Fry essentially relegated Noel to the bench, although his lack of production did most of the heavy lifting there beforehand.
Johnathan Rodriguez returns to the Guardians in Noel’s place
Cleveland brought up Johnathan Rodriguez from Columbus in a corresponding move with Noel’s demotion. While some are happy to see Rodriguez get another chance at the majors, the Guardians essentially swapped identical players here.
Rodriguez and Noel share many traits, and it would hardly be a surprise to see him similarly struggle. This swap is a chance for Noel to work on a few things and maybe even get right in Columbus. Meanwhile, it gives Rodriguez a chance to provide an offensive jolt for a team that desperately needs it. With that being said, expecting different results from basically the same player seems to be nothing more than a fool’s errand.
Perhaps Rodriguez can be something other than what his skillset suggests and be a meaningful member of the Guardians’ lineup. The more likely result is time in Cleveland is brief, getting bumped for a more rounded player sometime soon. Who is that player? Only time will tell.
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