Behind The Cleveland Guardians' Decision To Option Bo Naylor To Triple-A

The Cleveland Guardians option Bo Naylor to Triple-A Columbus.

Tommy Wild | Mar 10, 2023

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Cleveland Guardians

Fans who are eagerly awaiting to see the Bo Naylor era officially get underway for the Cleveland Guardians will have to wait a little bit longer. The organization informed Naylor that he had been optioned Triple-A Columbus for the start of the season.

This wasn't necessarily a shocking decision based on how Terry Francona talked about the situation, but there was a lot to consider when making it.

Mike Zunino Looking Sharp At Catcher

One of the biggest factors in coming to the decision to start Naylor with Columbus this season had nothing to do with him at all. It has everything to do with how Mike Zunino looked at a catcher.

The Guardians signed Zunino to a one-year contract in December but there was still a few question marks around him. How would he look after missing the majority of the 2022 season with injury? Will he be able to handle the Cleveland pitching rotation alright?

The answer to both of those questions is, good. Zunino has looked sharp behind the plate defensively, but his offense is still looking to find some rhythm.

Naylor's Lack Of Experience

It feels like the hype around Naylor has been building for years now. But, the 23-year-old hasn't gotten a ton of experience.

Naylor started off the 2022 season with the Akron Rubber Ducks (Double-A) and was promoted after 52 games. He then went on to play 62 games with the Clippers (Triple-A) before being called up to make his MLB debut as a part of September call-ups.

That's still just 62 games at Triple-A which isn't a lot. Naylor did slash .257/.366/.514 with 15 home runs in that time period, but that's still only about two months of experience.

It's not that we'll never get to see Naylor catch for the Guardians. But it does make sense to let him start the year in the minors, start every day while Zunino holds down the fort in Cleveland, and then call him up when the weather gets a little nicer and he has more innings behind the plate.

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Published Mar 10, 2023