Guardians Skipper Hints At Bringing Back Former Gold Glove Winner

Stephen Vogt mentions the Cleveland Guardians have had conversations about bringing back Myles Straw.

Apr 12, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians center fielder Myles Straw (7) catches a ball it by New York Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians' outfielder remains a revolving door of prospects and veterans that the organization hopes will become mainstays in the lineup. With no one proving to be an everyday player, the front office and coaching staff may look to bring back a player they let go of back in March.

Stephen Vogt was asked on Saturday about how Myles Straw could factor into the center field equation moving forward. Cleveland's manager was surprisingly candid about the possibility of adding Straw back to the major league roster.

"Yeah, we've had conversations about Myles, we have. You know, he's been working really hard on his base stealing, and we all know his defense is very, very good. That's an understatement. So, we've had conversations, and Myles very well could join us up here at some point," said Vogt.

Straw hasn't appeared in a big league game this season. He was placed on waivers ahead of Opening Day, eventually cleared waivers, and accepted an outright assignment to play the Columbus Clippers at Triple-A.

Sep 1, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians center fielder Myles Straw (7) catches a ball hit by Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Straw hasn't been overly impressive at the plate in his 121 minor league games this season. He's hitting just .234/.315/.316 with a .631 OPS and a 67 wRC+.

We all know how good Straw is as a defender. He won the 2022 Gold Glove Award in center field and was routinely in the top percentile in outs above average (Baseball Savant). The defense was one of the key reasons Straw was given a contract extension through the 2028 season after just a half-season with the team.

If Cleveland does bring back Straw, it likely won't be in the same role he had during his first year and a half with the club. The Guardians relied on Straw to be their everyday center fielder and, at one point, lead-off hitter. That just isn't the type of player he currently is.

However, as Vogt mentions, the team could use him as a situational player late in games, possibly as a pinch runner or defensive sub.

Cleveland's skipper made no guarantees the team would bring Straw back. This is also easier said than done, considering the organization would also have to make a 40-man roster move for Straw to be added back to the major league roster.

But the fact they are having conversastions about it is an interseting development in Cleveland's current outfield sitaution.