The Guardians and Rockies have reached a deal that despatched outfielder Nolan Jones to Cleveland in alternate for infielder/outfielder Tyler Freeman, based on a report from Thomas Harding of MLB.com. The deal has subsequently been introduced.
The deal represents a homecoming for Jones, a second-round decide by Cleveland in 2016. He made his MLB debut with the membership in 2022 earlier than being traded to Colorado in a deal that introduced again Juan Brito in November 2022. Jones went on to complete fourth in NL Rookie of the 12 months voting that yr as he posted 3.8 fWAR/4.3 bWAR for the Rockies, slugging 20 homers and swiping 20 bases whereas splitting time between the outfield corners and first base. Jones slashed .297/.389/.542 that season, which, even within the inflated offensive surroundings Coors Discipline gives, was good for a wonderful 137 wRC+. In the meantime, Brito has but to make his massive league debut for the Guardians however posted a powerful .256/.365/.443 line in 144 video games at Triple-A for the membership final yr.
Nevertheless, as spectacular as Jones’s first yr in Colorado, he suffered a big sophomore hunch in his second yr with the membership. Again points restricted him to only 79 video games, and when he was wholesome sufficient to take the sphere, he was ineffective, with a lackluster rating of .227/.321/.320 slash line. Whereas a downturn in manufacturing ought to have at all times been anticipated relative to his 2023 marketing campaign, given Jones’s unbelievable .400 BABIP that yr, Jones’s misplaced energy manufacturing was a shock. After barreling up a whopping 15.7% of his batted balls in 2023, that quantity cratered to only 5.9% final yr regardless of his general charge of hard-hit batted balls rising from 40.9% to 44.4%. That got here primarily from a large spike in groundball charge, as Jones hit 52.7% of his batted balls on the bottom final yr, ten factors larger than the yr prior. That left him to membership simply three homers final yr and enter his age-27 marketing campaign with loads of questions on what his manufacturing would seem like this yr.
These questions will now be answered again in Cleveland, the place Jones now seems prone to have the chance to lock down the membership’s common proper subject job, which appeared prone to be stuffed by Will Brennan. Jones gives extra confirmed upside than Brennan, 27, who posted roughly league-average offensive numbers in a platoon function with the Guardians final yr. Brennan, not like Jones, has choices remaining and may be despatched to Triple-A as depth for the approaching season. Ought to he exchange Brennan on the roster, Jones might share time in proper subject with right-handed slugger Jhonkensy Noel if the Guardians wish to spell him towards left-handed pitchers, although Johnathan Rodriguez is an alternative choice on the 40-man roster.
As for the Rockies, they’ll be parting with Jones to usher in Freeman, a flexible utility bat with the flexibility to play high quality protection everywhere in the diamond however with minimal offensive potential. A profession 83 wRC+ hitter who slashed .209/.305/.321 (84 wRC+) in 118 video games with the Guardians final yr, Freeman spent the vast majority of his time in middle subject but additionally obtained transient appears at shortstop, third base, and second base all through the season. With Brenton Doyle locked in because the on a regular basis middle fielder in Colorado, it appears doubtless that Freeman might be tasked with a extra common return to the grime in 2025. Whereas a utility function off the bench may very well be in Freeman’s future, given the presence of Ezequiel Tovar at shortstop and Ryan McMahon at third base, an harm to Thairo Estrada earlier this week opened up common taking part in time on the keystone for at the very least the beginning of the season. On condition that, it appears doubtless that Freeman will both function the Rockies’ common second baseman or break up time with veteran utility man Kyle Farmer on the place whereas Estrada recovers from the broken wrist that figures to sideline him for 4 to eight weeks.
Freeman was projected to be a part of the Guardians’ bench combine come Opening Day, doubtless as a backup middle subject choice behind Lane Thomas and a possible platoon associate for Brennan or Kyle Manzardo. It’s attainable a extra common outfielder like Rodriguez or Angel Martinez may very well be requested to tackle that function, however one doubtlessly intriguing candidate to affix the membership’s roster could be Brito himself. Brito is generally an infielder, with the overwhelming majority of his time within the minors spent at second base, however he obtained a glance in proper subject final yr. He may very well be an intriguing addition to the membership’s bench combine so long as they consider in Lane Thomas as a reliable on a regular basis choice in middle subject.
