5 Guardians Playing Their Way Out of the Team's 2024 Plans

5. Cam Gallagher

One catcher already played themselves out of Cleveland this season, and Cam Gallagher may well be the second.

The whole thesis around having Gallagher in the lineup is that his defense is worth his offensive ineptitude (sound like anyone we've already talked about?). And sure, Gallagher is actually a plus defender. But not to the kind of groundbreaking level you'd need to justify having him continue serving as the team's top catcher with Bo Naylor and David Fry in the mix.

Statcast's defensive metrics have Gallagher ranked No. 10 among all catchers in framing, but that's the only category in which he even cracks the top-10. Like I said he's not bad (hovering around the 12th-15th range in most metrics), but it's simply not enough.

Never much of a threat from the dish, the 30-year-old has been especially bad in 2023, failing to even hit above the Mendoza line, with a .133/.167/.175 triple-slash.

He's one of the worst hitters in all of baseball right now, and whether we're hoping to contend next year or settle on building for the future, Gallagher just doesn't fit into the equation.

If you do still want to bet on the Guardian, then you'll want to do it on Caesars Sportsbook. If your first best on Caesars loses, they'll return the amount you wagered in the form of bonus credits. That means if you put $50 on a Guardians win, you automatically get a $50 bonus if we lose. That holds true from any first-bet amount from $10 all the way up to $1,250. Just sign up through the exclusive Factory of Sadness link below to unlock the offer!