Guardians 'pretty fired up' about Deadline additions Adell, Griffin, Lowe

CLEVELAND -- Austin Hedges contends he didn’t pay much attention to the Trade Deadline on Monday, and rather spent the Guardians’ off-day relaxing and seeing the new “Spider-Man” movie. But it was hard to avoid the news all day, certainly around his team.

“Late in the evening, I casually checked my phone and saw that we added some dawgs,” Hedges said. “I was pretty fired up about it.”

The Guardians could have sat idle and let their young roster ride out the season. Instead, they signaled their belief that, with a few upgrades, this group can make a run in a wide-open American League in October. Cleveland's flurry of go-for-it moves Monday addressed a series of deficiencies.

The Guardians acquired outfielder Jo Adell from the Angels, first baseman Nathaniel Lowe from the Reds and All-Star starter Foster Griffin from the Nationals.

“I think our front office did everything that we could have ever wanted from them,” Hedges said. “Two impact bats and an impact starter. That's all you can ask for.”

The Guardians lost, 6-2, to the Mets on Tuesday at Progressive Field in the opener of a three-game series. That result aside, Cleveland feels it is better now than two days ago. And Adell, Lowe and Griffin each are happy to join the Guardians (57-57), who hold the American League’s third Wild Card spot and sit three games behind the AL Central-leading White Sox.

“This seems like a really fun group that has a staff and an aura that is really special,” Adell said. “I'm excited to be a part of that and be a part of a chase and something that is bigger than ourselves and going out trying to win a ballgame every night. You can't ask for anything more than that.”

Adell had a feeling he could be traded Monday; the Angels appear to be undertaking a rebuild. The 27-year-old was golfing at Trout National in New Jersey when Angels brass called to inform him he was headed to the Guardians. Adell was on the eighth hole. He said he wasn’t shooting well anyway and caught a 7 p.m. flight to Cleveland.

Adell never reached the postseason with the Angels. He could help the Guardians get there as a power-hitting right-handed hitter, which Cleveland has been thin on this season. Adell hit 16 homers with the Angels. He went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk Tuesday.

“To be considered as a guy to come in and help this team do what they've been doing all year and to help them continue to do it is pretty cool,” Adell said. “It's an honor to be here. I’m really just excited to get started.”

Lowe spent Monday with his wife and son. He wondered, as the clock approached 6 p.m., if he was staying put with Cincinnati. News of his trade to the Guardians broke just before the buzzer.

Lowe expressed gratitude to the Reds for giving him a chance this season. But joining a Guardians team vying for the postseason is a shot in the arm. He seems to understand Cleveland’s M.O. well already, too.

“From the other side, I've always thought, ‘Man, the starters are so good. The bullpen's so good,’” said Lowe, who went 0-for-2 after entering as a pinch-hitter on Tuesday. “And no knock on the offense, but if they just score, these guys will run away with it. I'm excited to contribute to that goal.”

Lowe will get most of the first-base reps against righties, against whom he had an .885 OPS in 251 plate appearances with Cincinnati. That would have ranked first on the Guardians. Fittingly, he is locker neighbors with Hedges. They were teammates on the 2023 World Series-winning Rangers.

Griffin is set to start Thursday. That gives Hedges and catcher Patrick Bailey some time to learn about the lefty, who has a seven-pitch arsenal: cutter, four-seam fastball, sweeper, changeup, curveball, sinker and splitter.

The Guardians didn’t have to make a move for a starter, but they saw Griffin (who logged a 3.06 ERA in 22 starts with Washington) as an upgrade from Slade Cecconi. Cecconi is now in the bullpen.

“I feel like you can never have enough pitching, especially going into a playoff race,” Griffin said. “So any part I can help in that department, I’m excited.”

The Guardians have their work cut out for them and are playing catch-up in the Central. The new guys hope to help them get over the hump.

“The talent's all here,” Lowe said. “It's just about execution for the next two months. We need to get ourselves in the strongest position possible to make a deep run and make something happen. When the guys start believing that, anything could happen.”