Can George Valera regain elite prospect status with Guardians in 2025? (Podcast)

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Joe Noga 0:04 Welcome back to the Cleveland Baseball Talk podcast. I’m Joe Noga. Joined by Paul Hoynes. Hoynsie, it’s Thanksgiving eve. We’re getting ready for the the biggest meal of the offseason, I guess. Coming up, we’ll talk more about our favorite Thanksgiving foods here in a bit, but right off the top, guardians made some made some news yesterday with the re signing of a George Valera. Former, you know, top prospect in the organization who had been released after a couple of disappointing seasons dealing with some injuries. Still dealing with an injury in terms of a a knee surgery at the end of last season, but he has been assigned to a minor league deal with a spring training invite, a Major League spring training invite. Not a really good chance that this is a guy that probably could could make the opening day roster. But pretty good chance that they’ll be able to keep him around in the organization, at least for another year.

Paul Hoynes 1:09 Joey, he has an option left. And you know, he’s coming off a ruptured Patella tendon in his right knee. And they said at the time he underwent surgery on September 18th, they said at the time that he’s going to need probably 6 to 9 months of recovery. So you know, I I don’t see how he, you know, even participates in spring training or if he is it’s going to be on a limited limited program for sure. But yeah, you know, always an interesting prospect. It seems like he’s been around forever. They signed him as part of that 2017 International free agent class. That was, you know, that was really produced a lot of talent, gave him a $1.3 million signing bonus. And even last year, Joe, when he was coming back from the hamstring injury that slowed him down in spring training. He still he when he went to Columbus, he had 248 with seventeen home runs, 50 Rbi’s, 90 RBI. Is I mean 90 games so and he’s only 24 years old. So still an interesting guy, but he’s got to stay on the field, Joe.

Joe Noga 2:23 Yeah, that’s that’s the thing. It’s always been with him is is the the upside is is tremendous as as long as he’s healthy and and able to be on the field and and we’ve seen him be a guy who can get on base a lot you know a. High Walk percentage high on base percentage and the power is there. The the tools are are all there. It’s just a matter of getting a long enough look at him and and getting a consistent look at him. You know for for a while there he was always. A guy who is not necessarily untouchable, but a guy that they didn’t want to part with in in any sort of trade talks or anything like that as as far as. A prospect went. Now this is a guy who’s in a different position in terms of the organization where he’s he’s going to be, you know, sort of fighting for. Stay relevant in the organization you look at who they’ve got ahead of him necessarily in in the outfield. I mean, this is the reason why you go out and you get a lane Thomas at the at the trade deadline. Is because you don’t know that George Valera is gonna be a guy who can come along and be productive for you in in the outfield. He just hasn’t been able to to to stay out there long enough.

Paul Hoynes 3:36 Yeah. And you know, as Mark Shapiro said, about a million years ago, you don’t need 1 prospect. You need waves of prospects. And just because the attrition rate is so great and guys get hurt and pitchers get hurt and outfielders get hurt and you need somebody you know behind them and, you know, Valera’s kind of on the bubble now and it’s going to be really interesting to see what. He’s able to do, you know, #1. He’s got to recover from this surgery. #2. He’s got to get back on the field. #3, you know, he’s got to show them that you know that he can still be a productive player, that he can still. You know, there’s still a possibility for him to help the big league club.

Joe Noga 4:19 So he spent two years on the 40 man roster. Already. He’s got one option left. You know that makes this this year and this season kind of really important for him. He’s got to do something, recover from the injury, get out there at some point during the season and prove to the organization that that he has that value. Otherwise, you know he’s probably looking at, you know, trying to find a new home at this time next year. And you know that that makes this year a big year for him.

Paul Hoynes 4:51 Yeah, and and this is like the game doesn’t wait long for you. You get a certain amount of time and you’ve got to take advantage of that and you know, and this is these are like circumstances beyond George’s control. I mean, he’s been heard. He got, you know, he collided with the outfield wall this past season. That’s how he hurt his knee. I mean, injuries are are you know that that that’s nobody’s fault. I mean, that’s just they just happen. But look at the outfield. Position players ahead of them. Now you’ve got. Kind of. The number one prospect. Chased a lot or an outfielder? #2, Jason. Cheerio, another outfielder. #3 Angel giannano. You know the infielder ahead of him, so you know the the all of a sudden a pitching rich organization has become. I’m. I’m sorry. Yeah. Pitching Rich organization has become a position player Rich organization where the top prospects are all position players.

Joe Noga 5:50 Yeah, and and and that makes, you know, talking about maybe working trades or anything like that to to bring in pitching at the Major League level that that’s sort of what you’re looking for with you know those those top prospects being there so. Yeah, I just you hope for for George Valera’s sake that that he is able to to recover quickly and strong from the the knee injury that he’s able to get out there at some point either at the end of spring training or extended spring training and and. Start the season and and do something in the minor league that. That sort of, you know, proves his value again to this organization because, like you said, they’re not gonna wait around for him, especially with some of those names that you mentioned ahead of him. Position player wise, we saw a list of the Arizona Fall League top prospects and. The the guys that sort of produced and turn heads in the in the Arizona Fall League and I saw Chase de Lauder was on there. That was his second tour of duty in the Arizona Fall League after. Dealing with some injuries during the the minor leagues season. So you gotta believe Chase de Lauder’s gonna come into Major League camp. Or if he gets an invite there to. To you know, with a chance to, if not make the opening day roster, then put himself on the short list of guys to to come up early in the season.

Paul Hoynes 7:17 Yeah, you know, chase kind of, you know, was on a limited type program this year, this fall in the Arizona Fall League. You know, we play a couple games a week, then you spend the rest of the time at the Guardians Goodyear facility in Arizona, just working on his body, trying to, you know, trying to get to a point where he can avoid a bunch of injuries that have H. Him. But he still, you know, showed really well. Joe in the Arizona Fall League hit 340. In 12 games. You know, not too much power. Only you know one one home run, but 11 Rbi’s and you know the and you know, even the in last year at the Arizona Fall League, he drove in a bunch of runs as well. So you know he’s he’s moving in the right direction and you know it’s going to be really interesting to see just how he, you know, how he performs in in spring training this year or this, you know this coming year. He was, you know, a spring training invite. Well, he wasn’t really a spring training invitee last year. He just kind of showed up and he and he never left. So I don’t know if they’ll invite him to camp this year. I would imagine they would because I think you want to get a look at him after he had what he had over 500 last year in camp, didn’t he? Or 450. Or some some crazy number. He had a great spring so, and you know, so I I would think they’re going to take a longer look at him this year, this time around.

Joe Noga 8:47 Yeah, it was really funny. Every time we would ask Steven. Vote or. You know any of the the guys in the front office about chase the water during spring training last year? They were quick to remind us. Well, you know, he’s technically he’s not in camp and it’s like, but he’s he’s there.

Paul Hoynes 9:01 Yeah.

Joe Noga 9:02 He’s playing in every game. It’s like, what do you? What are you guys doing? And I think that sort of drove the whole idea that, you know, fans back here are are thinking he’s he’s that much closer than he really actually is to. To, you know, having a spot in, in, in a, you know, a possibility of of making the opening day roster. I think a lot of the speculation as we got into late February and and all through March last year was, oh, yeah, well, he’s he’s got a chance. Maybe he’s he’s he’s got a spot there and you know the guys, the front office and Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff and and Steven vote all new. Where he was headed even before any of the injuries took place for Gelato last year.

Paul Hoynes 9:48 Yeah, no doubt about it. He was headed for AA. Everyone has seen spring training phenoms guys that get hot and camped. They come out of nowhere and and just, you know, hit the ball all over the place. But as everyone knows, you can get fooled in spring training. You’ve got to be careful. You have to on on making snap judgments in spring training and and delta just needs time. Joey is he’s barely played in the minor leagues.

Joe Noga 10:12 Yeah.

Paul Hoynes 10:15 So you know, I would not be surprised if he starts in this year this coming year in, in, in, in the minors again. But I think if he stays healthy, I would think the chances of us of us seeing him in the big leagues in Cleveland in two. 1025 are much better than they were last year.

Joe Noga 10:32 Yeah, a lot of these scouting sites and Landlv pipeline and things like that. They they rate his arrival date. They always list that and and you know, for most of them it’s, you know 20/25/2020 I think 2026 is a bit of a stretch because unless he’s hurt again, I I I got to believe he makes his Major League debut in 20. 25 at some point, he’s the the future of the franchise in the outfield, I think. And. That’s the the the way that they’re heading. So, George Valera, you know, chased a lot, are always looking to the future there. But the guys that are in the outfield now at the Major League level. You know, a big turn around in in terms of productivity last year for the Guardians, they at least got something out of it wasn’t just Steven Kwan hitting singles and left. It was there. There were a few home runs. John Kenzie Noel with thirteen home runs. Big Year for him coming up, I think as well if he can come into camp and. Sort of continue the the trajectory that he was on, the momentum that he had that that’s, you know, a nice spot for them to be able to if they have to platoon in, in right field to to start. Noel can do that.

Paul Hoynes 11:48 Yeah. And, you know, we’ve got to see with Noel, you know. He kind of, you know, yeah, Noel and Will Brennan in in, in right field.

Joe Noga 11:54 And will Brennan.

Paul Hoynes 11:59 You know Noel is an interesting guy. Joe, he got power, you know, power, power through the roof. But we’ve got to see a lot more consistency from him. I believe, you know, between the home run he hit against the Yankees in the postseason and, you know, there was an over 56 or A1 for 56. You know, before that came and that happens to young guys, it happens to power hitters. But you know, so I think he’s got to take a step forward in, in the consistency of his game. I think that the Guardians seem to be giving him a chance. You know, we’ve seen big guys come up. You know, Jesus Aguilar and and other people. It kind of along the same vein of him and you know, they haven’t got much of a shot, but they gave. They gave Noel a long look. I think they’re they like him. He hit thirteen home runs. This past season, so I think he’s going to get another chance, you know, to find some, you know, whether he’s in right field, platooning in right field, DH, somewhere along those maybe first base even. I mean, he played a little first base too.

Joe Noga 13:09 Yeah, he does give you that option there to, especially if there’s a a tough lefty on the mound, you can, you can put him in at first base as well. Wanna remind our listeners best way to stay up to date on all the signings and free agency and and rumors and everything here in the offseason with the Guardians guardian subtext, our subscription texting service. It’s 399 a month subscribe. Go to cleveland.com/subtext or send a text message. 162084346 and we’ll get you signed up there and you can. Give us your thoughts on who you think the Guardian should go after and who will be on that opening day roster in a couple of months here. As far as free agency. The big news over the weekend and last night. Late got notifications that Blake Snell had agreed to what A5 year deal with the Dodgers. He’s pretty much the top. Picture out there starting pitcher out there on the free agent market and Snell now going from the Giants to the Dodgers, making the Dodgers rotation. That was already pretty strong. Probably the best in the league now going into things. Don’t. Don’t forget that they’ve got Shohei Ohtani coming back off of elbow surgery and he will be. It’s factoring into their rotation as well. A rotation that now includes Blake Snell. Winner and a guy who really. Came on at the end of last season, pitching for the Giants. You know, this is a a big move for the Dodgers right off the bat. After winning World Series.

Paul Hoynes 14:56 Yeah, five years, 182,000,000 for Blake Snell through a no hitter last year. And I don’t think Snell was gonna do, you know, kind of repeat what he did last year. Which was he? Kind of got frozen out. Didn’t sign until what? March and, you know, had to sign some two year deal with the with the Giants had an opt out.

Joe Noga 15:11 Mm hmm.

Paul Hoynes 15:18 Opted out. You know, just had no spring training. I think he was on the IL twice, so I think he wanted to take care of business really, really early this year. So he could enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, you know, knowing he, you know, he’s he knows where he’s headed for this spring training and he can get a full full camp in. That’s really important, especially for pitchers Joe and yeah, look at Snell. Yamamoto, Glasnow, Otani and Kershaw. If he comes back, that’s not too bad. The way to start the season if if everybody’s healthy for the Dodgers.

Joe Noga 15:55 And they got they. I think they resigned gonzalan as well and.

Paul Hoynes 15:58 Yeah, they’ve got like 10 other guys, like Ed stepped guys.

Joe Noga 16:01 Yeah, there’s there’s also, yeah. Their death guys would be like, you know, #2 #3 starters on most other rotations. So yeah, it was. It Dustin may. He’s coming back off of injury as well.

Paul Hoynes 16:13 Right.

Joe Noga 16:13 I mean, they’re loaded in terms of starting pitching. That’s a place where, you know, they can. They can be flexible and and maybe add pieces using their starting pitching as well. So yeah, just a a big move for the Dodgers, and again, that Ohtani deal. From last offseason makes them able to go out and and spend a 182,000,000 on Snell because. So Otani’s money is mostly all deferred, and and that makes it easier for them to sign guys in the present to make that, or to keep that roster as dominant as it is. And it it will be moving forward. Yeah, Blake Snell getting things taken care of before Christmas. You can throw a couple extra turkeys on the table for the the Snell feast. I guess with $182 million of. Spending money? No news yet on Juan Soto. You know, I think every day we’re getting the the Juan Soto updates out of New York because this is such a New York focused sort of free agency. We’re getting just daily bombarded daily with updates and and speculation and and all that. And I think the the winds blowing out of New York are are saying they think maybe the Mets had the inside track on that and they certainly have the deepest pockets. So you know we we we wait to see where Soto is going to sign. Do you think he could sign before the winter meeting? Is that a possibility?

Paul Hoynes 17:41 Thank you. So Joe, I would think they, you know, Scott Boros, you know he usually drags these things out, but he’s got a lot of teams interested in in Soto right now and perhaps Soto wants to get this thing done. But I’d be surprised if it gets done before, before the winter meetings start on what? December 8th. So we’ll see. But I I think there’s a chance and maybe that maybe it gets done at the meetings, you know, something like that. But it certainly is is kind of.

Joe Noga 18:02 Hmm.

Paul Hoynes 18:11 Boil right now I would think.

Joe Noga 18:13 Yeah, you gotta believe that. You know, places like Major League Baseball network and the and the league really wanna see something happen at the winter meetings to sort of, you know, pump up the the spectacle of the the winter meetings. And you know, there, there have been moments like that in the past. Where? Where that kind of news is broken and during the meetings and it sort of makes for a more impactful event there. I guess they they like to televise things during the day and have all the the players or the managers and the front office guys who are there. On the air and and whatnot. So we’ll we’ll see how that goes. But as far as hoynsie, what are your thoughts on the other news out of, you know out of the majors right now is a lot of people talking about the Tampa Bay Stadium situation with Tropicana Field being ravaged by the the? Hurricane and unplayable for the 2025 season. The Rays announced that they will be playing at George Steinbrenner Field for their home games. During the 2025 campaign, that makes 2 minor league ballparks. If you include Oakland now, that Major League games will be taking place in in 2025 S we go on the road this year will be a couple of couple of locations will be enjoying the. View from a minor league press box or a spring training type facility press box. As opposed to what we’re used to in, in, in a Major League facility. What do you think of the the prospects of of watching games Major League games in minor league parks this year?

Paul Hoynes 19:52 Yeah, I I don’t know, Joe. I mean, you know George Steinbrenner Field is really, really, it’s not really a minor league field. It’s it looks.

Joe Noga 19:59 Yeah. It’s about the nicest minor league field you’re ever gonna see.

Paul Hoynes 20:02 I mean, it’s the only thing. It’s limited seating. You know, it’s gonna be what, 10,010 thousand fans? Very similar to what Toronto went through, you know what in Buffalo and then in Dunedin when when they had the, you know, during the pandemic. So you know, I I don’t think the thing that strikes me about it is. A couple things. One you know does is this. You know a foreshadowing of the rays leaving, you know, Southern Florida or Florida. I mean relocating it because it’s certain, you know, you know the, you know, Tampa Bay City officials are trying to figure out, is it worth, you know, repairing the the the trap they have? You know, they seems like. An endless plans to build a new ballpark, but that’s kind of stalled out because you know there’s some, you know, a little feuding going on between the rays and and the city of Saint. Petersburg and now you know how long are they going to be in at George Steinbrenner Field? In in in the second thought is you know it isn’t a Dome, you know, and there’s going to be rain.

Joe Noga 21:12 Mm hmm right.

Paul Hoynes 21:13 There’s going to be heat. You know, the players on both sides are going to have to adjust to this. And you know, it’s so, you know it’s it’s that’s really kind of a concern I would think to Major League Baseball and the Players Association.

Joe Noga 21:28 Yeah, the, the, the league actually sent out an e-mail over the weekend talking about moving and rearranging some dates because of some changes in the overall schedule. Because of the the Tropicana Field situation. And you got to talk. You got to think about they can’t play day games there. They you can’t play in that Florida heat during, you know, August and. June and July, it’s going to be just intense. I mean, you know how it is down there. And and they have their rain patterns are are different. You know, it’ll rain. For an hour or two during the day and then be sunny for the rest of the day. And you know, how do you? How do you maintain a a schedule and you know routine with the the ball club when you know the weather impacts things that you you didn’t have those concerns when you were in in the Dome there? So yeah, I I think it’s going to be a lot different different situation with the with the as. Playing, I believe what they’re playing in Fresno or. Or Sacramento.

Paul Hoynes 22:35 No. Sacramento, Sacramento.

Joe Noga 22:37 Yeah, they’re playing in Sacramento. Their ballpark probably won’t be. You know the same as, you know, steinburner field in in Florida. So yeah, I I think there are pluses in terms of the the smaller crowd. It might be a a pretty neat environment. I mean, you remember. The the Puerto Rico series and how intense the. It it was a smaller ballpark. But the crowd was into it. And you know, the seats look more full every time that the players play better, when there’s more fans in the seats there and like the lower bowl of a stadium. So there’s there’s some pluses there, but certainly a a lot more to to tackle in terms of the logistics of things with the schedule and the, the weather and all that. So we’ll look forward to how they they handle that in Tampa Bay and it’s a lot, a lot is still up in the air. Moving forward with that. Lindsay, we’re we’re coming up on Thanksgiving here. It’s our one of our favorite times of year, mostly because every time we get to Thanksgiving, we’re we’re in the the off season mode where we’re just sort of monitoring things. But we we get to sort of kick back and enjoy some family time. And one of the. Best meals ever. What’s your? What’s your go to Thanksgiving side? Dish or meal or how do you do your Turkey, do you? Do you deep fry it? Do you you know, oven roast it? What’s your? What’s the the go to meal at the Hoyn’s house?

Paul Hoynes 24:02 Yeah, just traditional Joe. You know, oven roasted. You know, Jackie does all the cooking. I’d stay away from the cooking. They they don’t want me near the kitchen. But you know, I like. I like with the Turkey white meat gravy, mashed potatoes, corn rolls stuffing, you know, cranberry sauce.

Joe Noga 24:10 Ha ha ha.

Paul Hoynes 24:23 I I can’t get enough of it. I and then you know, we usually have. You have the leftovers. You eat it for three days, you know. So it’s it’s it’s like a.

Joe Noga 24:30 Mm hmm.

Paul Hoynes 24:34 A celebration of Turkey. I can’t get enough of it.

Joe Noga 24:37 I don’t know, man. So so you do. Have you ever done a deep fried Turkey? Have you ever done any of the the other variations?

Paul Hoynes 24:42 No.

Joe Noga 24:44 It’s always the traditional roasted in the oven, huh?

Paul Hoynes 24:45 Yeah, yeah.

Joe Noga 24:48 Yeah, I I, I I gotta I gotta say every once in awhile, maybe you know, mixing it up with a a deep fried Turkey kind of fun. But I I like the the regular traditional Turkey for some reason this year. I’m I’m big on mashed potatoes. I’m really. I’m looking forward to the mashed potatoes.

Paul Hoynes 25:04 Oh yeah.

Joe Noga 25:07 Year, but basically for the last, you know, 20 plus years.

Paul Hoynes 25:07 Yeah, I love mashed potatoes.

Joe Noga 25:13 My mother in law’s stuffing recipe and and she always made it. It was just the the the number one we used to cook extra. She used to cook extra Turkey. Another Turkey just to have more stuffing to go around because my sister-in-law always liked to to take home. Extra portions as well that that stuffing was out of this world and. You know, we’ve carried on the tradition of of making that over the last several years. But don’t count out my sweet potatoes, honey, one of these days I got to, I got to get you some my my candied sweet potatoes.

Paul Hoynes 25:46 Oh yeah. Oh, I love sweet potatoes. Joe, with with marshmallows on the top. Yeah.

Joe Noga 25:53 Red. Well, I do. I do brown sugar and red wine, so it’s it’s nice and sweet.

Paul Hoynes 25:58 OK.

Joe Noga 26:01 I’ll I’ll save you a portion. We’ll, we’ll get you some this year. That’s gonna wrap up today’s edition of the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast. We’re off for Thanksgiving. Tomorrow we’ll be back on Friday. Hoynsie happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, and we’ll we’ll talk to you then.

Paul Hoynes 26:16 All right, Joe.

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