GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- By the time it actually arrived, “first full-squad workout” was strictly a ceremonial title. The daily schedule mapped out in intricate ink by field coordinator Kai Correa was fully fleshed out for the first time, necessitating double-sided printing. But by this point, all the 40-man and non-roster invitees had been here long enough to quite literally know the drill.
Heck, many of them got here in January for crying out loud.
Still, Tuesday was a day to officially launch the 2025 operation, which means it was the day for manager Stephen Vogt to stand before his team and pump everybody up.
What was Vogt’s message?
Win seven more games than last year.
Well, no, he didn’t say exactly that. But that’s the gist of what the ALCS runners-up aim to accomplish this year.
“It's pick up where we left off,” Vogt told reporters, “and keep pushing to get better.”
The only thing better than reaching the LCS is reaching the World Series, so … there you go. That’s the goal. Though the Guardians didn’t overwhelm anybody with their winter, the fact that they came tantalizingly close to the World Series last year despite limited external expectations going into 2024 and difficulty finding able-bodied starters throughout the summer, they deserve to be taken seriously, no matter what the computer projections (FanGraphs has them fourth in the AL Central) might suggest.
(Hey, at least Bill Nye the Science Guy is on Team Guards.)
There will be plenty of time between now and the conclusion of the Cactus League season -- a season that begins with Saturday’s Goodyear Ballpark opener against Terry Francona’s Reds -- to assess what the Guardians have on hand.
For now, though, this club looks better equipped to handle the rigors of the season on the pitching side.
John Means reported to camp Tuesday for his physical exam that will presumably complete a one-year, $1 million Major League contract with a club option for $7.5 million for 2026. Recovering from his second Tommy John procedure in the last three years, Means, a one-time ace for the Orioles, could provide a late-season boost in the mold of Matthew Boyd in 2024.
The Guardians also have Shane Bieber, who looked terrific in his first post-Tommy John bullpen session, eyeing a midseason return. They’ve added veterans Paul Sewald and Jakob Junis to what was the best bullpen in MLB last year. They’re trying to work their established organizational magic on trade acquisitions Luis Ortiz and Slade Cecconi and non-roster invitees Kolby Allard and Vince Velasquez. Triston McKenzie is hitting 95 mph on the back fields. Joey Cantillo looks ripped, Doug Nikhazy looks feisty, lefty prospect Will Dion looks fun if only because he’s a little guy (5-foot-10) doing a dead-on impression of Clayton Kershaw’s delivery.
With the necessary caveat that we only recently passed Presidents’ Day, there’s better pitching depth here than there was a year ago.
And look what happened a year ago.
Where it could get hairy is on the offensive side. Second base is unsettled, thereby spicing up the spring as Angel Martínez, Juan Brito, Gabriel Arias (out of Minor League options) and Daniel Schneemann vie for the bulk of at-bats. Out in right field, neither Will Brennan nor Jhonkensy Noel have yet proven worthy of a true, everyday assignment, and the most intriguing prospect in camp -- Chase DeLauter -- has had trouble staying healthy in his young professional career. Meanwhile, David Fry’s ongoing recovery from elbow surgery necessitates an everyday role for the 38-year-old Carlos Santana, an adept defender and a “Clevelander” at heart but one whose splits against right-handed pitchers were unsightly last season.
So we’ll see, as we tend to do. But the Guards believe they have a separator in their abilities to max out the potential of their pitching staff with the wisdom of Carl Willis and his crew, the insights of veteran catcher Austin Hedges and the talents of their training team. They also believe in their overall chemistry.
“We have a group of just good people,” Vogt said. “They’re going to continue to hold themselves accountable.”
Off they go, one full-squad workout in, with 32 Cactus games looming. You don’t build off great things by thinking about those great things. You move forward with some new people, some new processes and the same sense of confidence that you can achieve great things again.
The Guardians are ready to get ready.
“I think this is my eighth organization, so I've seen camp run a number of different ways,” Vogt said. “But I think a successful camp is when everybody's ready to play seven months, and they're definitely going to be that.”