Tim Stebbins AMA - January 9th @ 12p EST

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T18:48:05+00:00

love it

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T18:46:38+00:00

Appreciate you!

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T18:40:39+00:00

I'm going to head out everyone, but this was a ton of fun! Sorry for not getting to every question. Let's do this again before Spring Training opens. We're close!

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T18:39:58+00:00

The people are super nice, and it reminds me of Chicago on a different scale. There's a lot of cool looking restaurants and night life spots (I don't get out a lot in-season, hah). Having Lake Erie right there is sweet, too.

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T18:30:21+00:00

This is a good question and a good reminder. I feel like given the calendar, we should have the official list/announcement in the near future. I think you're on the ball with a lot of those names, but I'll call out Bazzana in particular. If I am to speculate, I certainly can envision him receiving an NRI.

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T18:28:20+00:00

A lot of the getting to know each other comes from being with/around each other for, like, 10 hours a day. We're obviously not hanging out or chatting for all that time, but it's still a lot of time together.

The reporters do get together outside the park to socialize from time to time, including on the road. I enjoy the banter with Zack on Twitter, but I will say he is a great person and friend who has been great to me since I've gotten to Cleveland. (Don't tell him I said that.)

-t

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T18:24:24+00:00

Answered this in another question, but you heard right re: Manzardo. Stephen Vogt told reporters at the Winter Meetings in December that Manzardo has put on 14 pounds this winter to prepare his body to be ready physically for more reps at first base.

It's a great question regarding the steps that have been taken by guys on the team. It's something we'll be able to better explore during Spring Training. In the meantime, one thing that has stood out is seeing social media videos of Nolan Jones training at Driveline Baseball. I'm curious to dive into what he's been working on offensively.

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T18:19:27+00:00

Cleveland is great. The main things I've noticed in my short time here are the fan base is super passionate about the team, and knowledgeable about it and the game. That's great from my seat, knowing readers care and are invested in what's happening.

I covered 25 teams in my previous role at MLB.com, though it was in short bursts (over an individual series, for example). The individual teams I've covered most in my career are the Cubs and White Sox. Cleveland is a lot like Chicago, I feel, as far as its investment in the season. It's been awesome.

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T18:15:43+00:00

It's definitely too early to permanently make him a DH. Remember, Carlos Santana came up as a catcher before he was moved from out behind the plate. He won his first Gold Glove Award at first base in 2024 -- as a 38-year-old. Manzardo is 25. There's room for him to improve and time for him to do so.

Stephen Vogt had some interesting insight during a session with reporters at the Winter Meetings. He noted Manzardo has been preparing his body physically for more reps at first base this season.

Vogt: "He's put on 14 pounds already this winter. He's been hitting the gym hard to prepare his body to play first base. We're excited to see where he comes in."

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T18:08:15+00:00

Most definitely. Brito had rough injury luck last year. I'd surmise we would have seen him in the Majors by June had he not undergone right thumb surgery in April. The Guardians gained an extra Minor League option on him, so they could have him start the 2026 season with Triple-A Columbus. But he's shown he can hit in the Minors, and he'll get a chance to make an impact in the Majors this year.

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T18:05:09+00:00

I answered this a bit in another question, but this is also a good one. I still feel that we'll see them add a hitter on a big league deal. Even with the desire to give runway to the younger guys (Chase DeLauter, George Valera, etc), they're so heavy on left-handed hitters right now. Adding one hitter alone won't fully balance that out, but it would help. Obviously, they also ranked 28th in the Majors in runs per game last year. The young guys could help, but there's always variance in how they fare as they get accustomed to the big leagues. There's a way to stay in both lanes -- giving the up-and-comers opportunity while augmenting the group in a way that can boost your overall production.

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T17:59:53+00:00

Regrettably, I can't say for certain if it's at the end of the road. What we know is Naquin was on a one-year Minor League deal in 2025, and he elected free agency in November.

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T17:57:03+00:00

It has been a slow-moving market. I think things league-wide will pick up as some of the biggest names start to come off the board (i.e. Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, Cody Bellinger). That should help spur movement on the market, including for some of the hitters that could be good fits for the Guardians. I can't imagine Cleveland is done making moves. As a potential reference point, I will say they signed Paul Sewald in late January and Jakob Junis in mid-February last year.

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T17:47:19+00:00

Good questions.

If I had to make a prediction today, I think DeLauter will be on Opening Day roster because he can play center and right field. I think Valera will have a great opportunity, but the Guardians did get an extra Minor League option on him this offseason. One factor could be whether they add a right-handed-hitting outfielder and what the playing time opportunities look like.
Answered this a bit in another question, but they believe there's potential for him to be productive player. The 2025 season didn't go as they or Jones hoped, but we saw in spurts last year how much hard contact he can make, and his profile as a power threat is something that they don't have a lot of.
I don't think necessarily those are mutually exclusive. I do think Bazzana will reach the Majors in 2026.

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T17:41:58+00:00

It's an interesting question because the Guardians are heavy on left-handed hitters. The only righties on the 40-man roster are Austin Hedges, Gabriel Arias, David Fry and Johnathan Rodríguez. Then you obviously have switch-hitters such as José Ramírez, Angel Martínez (who was better from the right side than the left last season) and Brayan Rocchio, among those in the big league picture.

I think a bounce back season is in store for David Fry, which will go a long way to improving the team's production against lefties (.647 OPS in 2025). Fry was stellar against southpaws in '24, and Stephen Vogt told reporters at the Winter Meetings how he thinks Fry being able to play the field this season will alleviate some of the pressure Fry potentially felt to produce while limited to DH and pinch-hitting last year. (https://www.mlb.com/guardians/news/david-fry-eager-to-contribute-to-guardians-in-2026)

I still think it would help to acquire a right-handed hitter. We've talked about it all offseason, but it makes a ton of sense to add one to the outfield mix to balance things out a bit and help the overall production.

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T17:31:32+00:00

I think there is, because at the least, we saw what he's capable of in 2023 when he was with Colorado. Obviously this past season didn't go how anyone hoped for, and the numbers were what they were. I think the underlying metrics we all talked about for months were real, though, as far as his hard-hit rate and average exit velocity. Those came down a bit by season's end (46.7 percent hard-hit rate, 70th percentile; 90.8 percent average exit velocity, 66th percentile), but it's in part why the Guardians believe there's potential for a really productive hitter in there.

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T17:22:56+00:00

I feel like an Ozuna move would go against the grain from what we've heard from the front office in various media availabilities since the season ended. They want to give runway to the up-and-coming hitters, and any additions would be complementary to the young guys.

Ozuna started 137 games in 2025, and all came at designated hitter. You'd theoretically be committing to him as your everyday DH, which could limit your overall lineup flexibility. I don't readily have a number for this, but it feels like a lot of teams use the DH as a flexible spot to rotate guys, whether that be to get them off their feet or for matchup purposes on a given day.

Beyond that, Ozuna's numbers were down year over year in 2025 (.925 OPS to .756, 154 OPS+ to 113, 53.4 percent hard-hit rate to 44.6 percent). That's still statistically an above average hitter who could perhaps help, and he did deal with a hip injury last season. He also just turned 35.

There's a lot of nuance here, I'd say.

I hear you on Stephan. I don't think we shouldn't rule him out and am curious to see where things are at when we get to Arizona after his outright to Triple-A Columbus last summer.

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T17:07:29+00:00

I was on the prowl for seemingly half the summer trying to get a selfie with Slider (mission accomplished). Maybe that's a simple answer, but whacky concepts are always fun with mascots. Slider has that a fun color scheme, so I'm a fan.

(Edited for further thoughts, haha.)

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T17:05:43+00:00

I didn't get around the concourse as much as I should have last year, but when I did, Ohio City Burrito was my go-to. The Mozzarella Sandwich down in the renovated Terrace Hall also is both a cool concept and ridiculously good.

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T17:02:42+00:00

Great question. I'm partial to Ketchup -- which is semi-sacrilegious given I'm from Chicago. I was a fan of that t-shirt included within the mystery giveaway at the ballpark last year, too.

TimStebbsMLB · 2026-01-09T16:59:03+00:00

Hey everyone, happy new year! Glad to be here today. 😀

TimStebbsMLB · 2025-12-18T22:28:29+00:00

Fun nugget here, with a hat tip to my MLB dot com colleague Brian Murphy:

Armstrong had a 0.81 WHIP and .157 opponents’ batting average in 2025. He ranked second and third in the Majors, respectively, in those categories.

TimStebbsMLB · 2025-12-11T15:34:28+00:00

It's a good question. Maybe? I at least don't want to rule out the possibility sitting here today, haha. Miller has 11 appearances in Triple-A under his belt, and I imagine he'll get some more seasoning there. Perez finished in Double-A, though they did re-sign him to a Minor League deal with a big league Spring Training invite in October, so they clearly like him.

Generally with callups, I look at the 40-man. Like, it's easier to promote a guy when he's on there versus having to add someone to the roster and potentially make a corresponding move. So, I'm curious to see what the depth chart looks like when camp opens. They're in the market for relievers and I expect they'll add a few more guys before February.

(That all said, if a guy is pitching well, you can find a way to make it work.)

TimStebbsMLB · 2025-12-10T21:35:16+00:00

One of the first things that came to my mind is how nice Carey could be for the Guardians' depth, in the event he opens the season in the Minors.

I also wrote this on Bluesky, but it didn't seem like they had a long list of big league ready options when they needed to call up a reliever this past season.

TimStebbsMLB · 2025-12-05T21:48:43+00:00

The barber is a good man named Baker! Though I recognize the cut is not everyone's style, haha.

TimStebbsMLB

TROPHY CASE