Cleveland Guardians: 3 surprises from aggressive 40-man roster moves

1. Cleveland Guardians brass must really love Tobias Meyers

Who? You’re asking. The Guardians acquired right-handed pitcher Tobias Meyers from the Rays in exchange for short stop Junior Caminero.

Myers is 23 years old and on the cusp of being a big leaguer. The former sixth-round pick of the Orioles (2016) started the season at Double A, but finished the season by making 12 starts for Class AAA Durham. He had a 4.50 ERA, but posted 65 strikeouts in 58 innings.

Here’s what Baseball America said about the prospect:

"“The righthander’s fastball features some of the biggest vertical movement of any pitcher in the minors. He pairs it effectively with a mid-80s sweeping breaking ball he calls a cutter, an above-average changeup and an over-the-top curveball in the high 70s.”"

The Guards have to be high on Myers, protecting him over someone such as Scott Moss or Joey Cantillo. Moss battled neck injuries last season and his season never got off the ground. Cantillo was acquired in the trade for Mike Clevinger.

His season was also derailed by injury (abdominal strain in May) and he was cleared to play until late August. He made just five appearances. Factor in missing 2020 because of Covid, and it’s been a long time since Cantillo carried a heavy workload. Perhaps that why the Guardians thought leaving him exposed may be OK.

As for who they gave up, Caminero is a teenage shortstop prospect. Baseball America lists this 17-year-old as being 5-feet, 157 pounds. He just played 43 games in the Dominican Summer League (rookie ball) and hit .295 (.914 OPS).