The Cleveland Guardians have claimed pitchers Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, and Matt Moore from the Los Angeles Angels on waivers. Will it be enough to push for the American League Central title?
Cleveland #Guardians were awarded both Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez on waivers after several teams put claims in on them.
— Jim Bowden
? (@JimBowdenGM) August 31, 2023
The Guardians have also claimed LHP Matt Moore from the Angels on waivers, per source.
— Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) August 31, 2023
A Parade of Fallen Angels
Exactly a month ago, the Angels traded two of their top ten prospects for Giolito and Lopez. The deal with the Chicago White Sox took two of Los Angeles’ three best prospects. It was a clear bid to mortgage their future for a playoff run this season, in the final year of star two-way player Shohei Ohtani‘s contract. Instead of boosting the club, the acquisitions flamed out. Since the trade was made, the Angels have been the worst team in baseball, playing to a 9-18 record. The release of these players to waivers came as a surprise to the league, but is a strategic form of roster management meant to save money since the team has fallen out of contention. Due to the waiver system, all three pickups were separate transactions.
Lopez pitched well in an Angels uniform, earning two saves while posting a 2.77 ERA in 13 innings. He brings a legitimate repertoire of pitches to the back end of the bullpen, though he occasionally struggles with command. While striking out 19 batters in August, he’s also walked eight. Moore, a left-hander, was one of most consistent members of the Angels’ bullpen in 2023. This season, he’s 4-1 with a 2.66 ERA in 44 innings pitched. In three appearances in the last week, Moore has allowed three earned runs in three innings. However, the Guardians waiver claim was not for just bullpen arms. Starter Lucas Giolito struggled mightily since the trade, going 1-5 with a 6.89 ERA in six starts. Despite his struggles, Giolito is a durable innings-eater on the mound, and is on pace to eclipse 160 innings for the third straight season.
A Push for the AL Central
As of this writing, the Guardians stand five games behind the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central standings. However, Cleveland and Minnesota just concluded a three-game series on Wednesday, in which the Guardians took two of three. After winning 92 games last season, Cleveland sold at the deadline, trading starter Aaron Civale to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for a top hitting prospect. They’ve struggled offensively all season, with the lineup ranking 23rd in the league by WRC+. Despite this, Cleveland opted to augment their pitching staff, understandably so. Of the Guardians five current starters, three are rookies approaching (or surpassing) previous career-highs in innings pitched. Giolito is no longer the elite starter from 2019 when he made an All-Star team, but he has proven that he cover bulk amounts of innings for a club that needs it.
As for their prospects in the division, Cleveland still faces an uphill battle. Part of the strategy for the Guardians’ waiver claims might be the scarcity angle: if Cleveland picks up these players, Minnesota could not. They’ve added to a place of strength in the bullpen, just in time to make a late push. Cleveland and Minnesota play their final head-to-head series beginning September 4th. The AL Central has been the worst division in baseball this season top to bottom; the Twins have an identical record to the Boston Red Sox, who sit 6 1/2 games out of the Wild Card standings. Cleveland hopes for a September surge to sneak into October. If they’re successful, the Guardians’ waiver claims will be a key moment to point to.
Photo Credit: © Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
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