CLEVELAND — The countdown began the moment the Cleveland Guardians traded Aaron Civale to the Tampa Bay Rays last summer.
The Tampa Bay Rays didn’t want to part ways with Kyle Manzardo, but they needed to strengthen their thin pitching staff. The Guardians believed Civale’s commercial value had peaked and they doubted their chances in the second half after a slow first four months of the season. They had struggled to develop mid-range bats, especially ones capable of throwing a fastball over the outfield fence.
The two teams therefore joined forces for an exchange. A league source said Athleticism at the time when Tampa would come to regret the trade. Nine months later, we will begin to find out if that is the case.
The Guardians are expected to add Manzardo to their active roster on Monday, a club source said. Athleticism.
It will come at a price: Steven Kwan will be on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring injury.
Kwan has fueled Cleveland’s lineup through the first six weeks of the season, a key reason why the Guardians sit in first place in the AL Central and have the third-best point differential in the league. It will now be up to Manzardo to provide some power and patience on the left side, behind José Ramírez and Josh Naylor in the bulk of Stephen Vogt’s batting order.
Manzardo, 23, has checked off every box on the organization’s to-do list so far. He returned from a shoulder injury last summer and showed his blend of power and plate discipline in both Triple-A Columbus and the Arizona Fall League. He thrived in spring training, so much so that Guardians hitting coach Chris Valaika said he reminded him of Wade Boggs in the batter’s box (and not just because of his mustache).
In 29 games with Columbus this season, Manzardo posted a slash line of .303/.375/.642, with nine home runs, 10 doubles and healthy walk and strikeout rates.
It certainly seemed like he had nothing left to accomplish in the minors, but the Guardians resisted promoting him early, according to sources, due to the makeup of their roster in the big leagues. They already lack right-handed bats, so they are hesitant to cut ties with veteran Ramón Laureano so early in the season. They’re still curious about what Estevan Florial, Will Brennan and Tyler Freeman can bring to the table as well. With Kwan sidelined, they have more time to address their issues in the outfield while integrating Manzardo into the everyday lineup equation.
The Rays selected Manzardo in the second round of the 2021 draft out of Washington State. The Coeur d’Alene, Idaho native was ranked as the 66th prospect in baseball by AthleticismKeith Law ahead of the 2024 season. Manzardo and outfielder Chase DeLauter are widely considered the organization’s two top prospects. DeLauter, however, suffers from a fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his left foot, the same foot on which he had surgery in January 2023. He will meet with a specialist on Wednesday. DeLauter had started the season at Double-A Akron after a torrid spring performance earned him plenty of attention from the organization’s top decision-makers.
Kwan, meanwhile, injured his hamstring Saturday night while chasing a ball in left field. He had no shortage of hamstring strains throughout his college career at Oregon State and in the minors, but he avoided injuries during his two-plus seasons in the major leagues. He leads the AL with a .353 batting average and ranks fourth with 1.9 fWAR.
(Top photo of Kyle Manzardo practicing with the Columbus Clippers on March 27: Adam Cairns / Columbus Dispatch / USA Today Network)