WEST SACRAMENTO -- The Guardians recalled outfielder Petey Halpin from Triple-A Columbus on Friday, as the corresponding move to Thursday’s decision to option George Valera to the Clippers.
As manager Stephen Vogt explained prior to Friday's series opener against the A’s, the thinking behind the moves was multifaceted.
1. The Guardians want Valera to get more consistent reps than he was receiving in the Majors
“A lot of it was we wanted George to go get regular at-bats,” Vogt said. “I think the scarce playing time that he was getting, we want him to get everyday at-bats, get back into a groove. Because we know that when George is himself, he's giving quality at-bats after quality at-bats.”
Valera appeared in 13 of the Guardians’ 16 games after he came off the injured list (left calf strain) on April 13. But he made just nine starts over that span (six in left field and three in right field) and collectively logged a .534 OPS in 38 plate appearances. For comparison, Valera had a .748 OPS in 48 plate appearances following his Sept. 1 MLB debut last year.
The lack of opportunities for Valera has said more about the state of the Guardians’ outfield complexion. Entering Friday, Angel Martínez led Cleveland with 16 starts in left, while Chase DeLauter ranked first with 16 starts in right. Both have been key contributors in the early going. Martínez entered Friday with a .792 OPS over 29 games, and DeLauter had a .830 OPS over 29 games.
Vogt also noted the Guardians didn’t have a ton of DH at-bats available for Valera. DeLauter’s 10 starts there lead the team, and that mix also has included José Ramírez (seven), Kyle Manzardo (six), Rhys Hoskins (five) and David Fry (four).
Even on days DeLauter is the DH, the Guardians can slide Martínez or versatile third catcher Fry to right field (where both have made five starts), and start Steven Kwan in left field with Swiss Army knife Daniel Schneemann in center.
Schneemann (.955 OPS in 26 games entering Friday) has also gotten off to a stellar start, while playing center, shortstop, second and third base.
2. Halpin adds a skill set that has been lacking on the Guardians’ roster
Adding Halpin to the roster affords even more flexibility to an already-versatile mix.
“It gives us an element that we don't really have, and that's speed,” Vogt said. “Petey's one of our best outfielders. He can play some center field, he can come in late game, pinch-run, and he's gonna get some playing time. He's gonna get some starts. I feel like it’s a good roster with Petey on there, and it adds that speed dynamic.”
Halpin logged a 28.6 feet-per-second sprint speed (83rd percentile) in his six-game stint in the Majors last year following his Sept. 20 MLB debut. The 23-year-old went 9-for-9 on stolen-base attempts with Columbus this season while slashing .250/.328/.375 in 26 games. He made 15 starts in center, seven in left and three in right.
Halpin made a good impression on the Guardians this spring (.922 OPS over 15 games) before he was optioned to Columbus on March 20. It came after he spent the bulk of the offseason at Cleveland’s player development complex in Arizona working on a swing adjustment.
Halpin explained the adjustment boiled down to shortening up his swing to make more contact on the barrel, and drive the ball to all fields. He said Friday he feels “great,” and his Spring Training experience helped him enter the Minor League season.
“Being around in Spring Training for a long time, the more comfortable you're going to be, the more you understand you do belong,” Halpin said. “It gave me confidence going into the Triple-A season and confidence being back here. I’m trying to feel as comfortable as I can."
The timing of Halpin’s promotion was especially fortuitous. He grew up in San Mateo, Calif., and Sacramento is a much closer trip for his loved ones than Columbus. He’ll have family and friends in attendance this weekend.
“My family was like, ‘No way. We don't have to get on a plane to see you play? This is incredible,’” Halpin said. “So that was really, really cool. … It's definitely a little extra special.”