3 Former Guardians that Cleveland Will Regret Letting Walk in 2024
3. C Eric Haase
The 2023 season marked Eric Haase's second stint with the Guardians. The Detroit, MI native began his MLB career with Cleveland when he was drafted in the seventh round back in 2011. He was later traded to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations in 2020 before being reclaimed by the Guardians off waivers in 2023.
Having said that, Haase wasn't all that productive between the two AL Central clubs last season. He only tallied four home runs and 26 RBIs with 81 strikeouts while slashing .201/.247/.281 across 89 games (293 plate appearances). It got to the point where the Guardians sent him to Triple-A Columbus at the end of August and didn't give him a second look.
Eventually, Haase inked a one-year, $1 million with the Milwaukee Brewers while Cleveland replaced him with former Texas Rangers catcher Austin Hedges.
I understand that Haase's campaign was disappointing, but there's also a chance it was just one off year. After all, it was only in 2022 that he put up a career-best .254/.305/.443 slash line, which came one year after he recorded career highs in both HRs (22) and RBIs (61) in just 98 games. I understand that he's 31 now, but it's hard to believe that Haase fell off a cliff that fast and that hard.
In addition to Hedges, the Guardians already have Bo Naylor and David Fry, so it isn't like they're totally lost without Haase. At the same time, Haase also doubles as a designated hitter and outfielder, meaning Cleveland now has one fewer versatile player to work with.
Again, losing Haase won't completely derail the Guardians' campaign, however, he's one of those role players who can make a difference the longer a season goes.
Whether the Guardians will miss these players remains to be seen as they try to have a bounce-back season. FanDuel Sportsbook has Cleveland's odds of winning 90+ games at +570. Head over to FanDuel and take advantage of their sign-up bonus of $150 when you make a winning wager of $5.
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