Espino optioned, but Guardians hope to see him in Majors in '26

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Daniel Espino has been one of the Guardians’ best stories of Spring Training this year. At some point this summer, he could become one of the best stories of their entire season.

The Guardians optioned Espino (who's ranked as their No. 18 prospect by MLB Pipeline) to Triple-A Columbus on Sunday, as part of their latest wave of Spring Training roster cuts. The club also optioned right-hander Franco Aleman to Columbus, and reassigned lefty Ryan Webb and outfielder Alfonsin Rosario to Minor League camp.

Espino made a good impression on the Guardians’ brass this spring, which has marked another milestone for the 25-year-old who has dealt with incredible adversity over the past four seasons. But his option was unsurprising given how Cleveland is approaching his build-up process this season.

Espino has made one Minor League appearance since April 2022; he threw two-thirds of an inning with Columbus on Sept. 20 this past season. In between, he underwent a pair of right shoulder surgeries that kept him off the mound.

•After setbacks and tragedy, Espino nearing ultimate goal

The Guardians need to learn how much Espino can pitch and how frequently he can pitch. They want to do so appropriately, outside of the pressure cooker of the big leagues. They also want him to just get some action under his belt given his limited sample size the past four years.

“I'm just happy he's healthy,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “We’ve got to be mindful of how we build him up to see what he'd be capable of to help us. We need to do that for Daniel's future and for us right now. He’ll continue to work through a progression.

“We want him to impact our big league team this year. That’s all of our goals. We have to do that together."

Espino has made two Cactus League appearances thus far. He tossed a scoreless inning in a start on March 1 against the D-backs, in which he threw just nine pitches. His four-seam fastball averaged 96.3 mph and maxed out at 98 mph. He pitched in relief Saturday against the Padres, when he worked around a leadoff double by striking out the next three batters he faced in a scoreless appearance. Espino’s four-seamer averaged 96.7 mph and maxed out at 97.3 mph vs. San Diego.

Espino noted this spring how his velocity remaining where it is after two shoulder surgeries was a pleasant surprise to even himself. It’s a testament to the work he’s put in through years of rehab.

"This guy's super talented, and he's worked his absolute backside off,” Vogt said. “I don't know if there's a harder worker or a better teammate in this building than Daniel Espino. He brings joy to everybody he's around and has worked really closely with. Kudos to our medical staff and [strength and conditioning] staff just to have him back on mounds throwing. But all the credit goes to Daniel.”

Cleveland now has 55 players remaining in big league camp.