Guardians should take a chance on recently non-tendered outfielder

The non-tender deadline has passed, and it has resulted in plenty of more options becoming available on the free agent market. One such player that should be of interest to the Cleveland Guardians is former Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan De La Cruz.

Pittsburgh acquired De La Cruz from the Marlins this past season to bolster their roster and possibly make a run at the postseason. De La Cruz experienced a decline in performance at the plate, seeing his slash line drop from .245/.289/.417 to .200/.220/.294, while his extra-base hit total plummeted from 37 in 105 games to just nine in 44. Not every player can handle changing teams and surroundings in the middle of the season, and it appears that De La Cruz may be one who struggles in that area. This may sound like a reason not to bring De La Cruz into the fold, but considering this would be a fresh start taking place at the beginning of the season rather than the middle, it is an addition that absolutely should be on the table.

Now, some will argue that with Steven Kwan, Lane Thomas, Will Brennan, and Jhnonkensy Noel, in addition to the handful of minor leaguers waiting in the system, the Guardians do not need to add another outfielder. Of that group, Kwan is the only full-timer, with Thomas and Brennan best suited for part-time roles, while Noel's time in the actual outfield should be limited as much as possible. This creates an opportunity to bring another legitimate everyday outfielder into the equation, and taking a chance on De La Cruz to see if he can be that player could be worth it.

Even though De La Cruz's drop in performance at the plate in Pittsburgh is concerning and could be an indicator of future struggles, this is about taking a chance on someone who has collected 130 extra-base hits over the past three seasons. Inserting that type of production into Cleveland's outfield would raise the roster's talent floor and lengthen the lineup.

If the Guardians are not going to be active when it comes to signing players in free agency, or at least bowing out of any large dollar figure contracts, taking a low-cost flier on De La Cruz would fit right in with their risk-averse approach.