Cleveland Indians: A look at Brandon Guyer’s time in Cleveland

Among the many Cleveland Indians that are eligible for Free Agency, it appears Brandon Guyer may find himself heading for another clubhouse this Winter.

While his time in Cleveland was certainly fun, it doesn’t feel like the Cleveland Indians will be re-signing Brandon Guyer this winter. Cleveland.com feels that Guyer won’t be re-signed, and it’s fair to understand why.

Guyer spent most of his time in Cleveland on the bench used primarily against left-handing pitching. His biggest problem was that his splits against righties were dismal. During his tenure in Cleveland, Guyer had a .208 batting average against right-handed pitching. His .277 batting average against lefties wasn’t enough to make up for that.

Something that Guyer has excelled at is being hit-by-pitches. Either something about him makes pitchers angry, or he has a remarkable ability to wear the pitches. Regardless, it served as a bit of a rallying cry for the 32-year-old.

In 2016, Guyer led the MLB in hit by pitches with 31. He had just five homers off right-handed pitching during his time in Cleveland, but he really brought the power against lefties. Guys like Chris Sale and Dallas Keuchel all fell victim to Guyer’s ability to hit lefties.

While it’s been fun to watch Brandon Guyer work his magic, his roster spot is expendable. In the limited playing time he had in Cleveland, he just wasn’t able to prove himself as an everyday starter. He also suffered a wrist injury during the 2018 season. While he was only out a week, the fact that it hardly affected his at-bats shows that he’s not worth trying to keep over Lonnie Chisenhall or Michael Brantley.

The Cleveland Indians will have a lot of choices to make this winter. The outfield will need both starters and bench players. Unfortunately, it doesn’t feel like Brandon Guyer will be a part of that regime.