Guardians take chance on former first round pick

It is a little over a week before pitchers and catchers report to Arizona for the Cleveland Guardians and another arm has been added into the mix. The Guardians have agreed to terms with Kolby Allard on a minor league deal that includes an invite to spring training, according to reports.

Allard was the 14th selection in the first round of the 2015 MLB June Amateur Draft, being selected by the Atlanta Braves. Unfortunately, it has been a rough go for Allard as a major leaguer, with a 5.99 ERA, 1.445 WHIP, and 7.5 strikeouts per nine innings pitcher in his seven seasons as a pro. Allard has been traded by and to the Braves with a four-year stint with the Texas Rangers before he was acquired by the team that drafted him. The 27-year-old spent last season with the Philadelphia Phillies, finishing with a 5.00 ERA, 1.556 WHIP, and 7.7 K/9 in seven games (four starts).

Even though Allard's numbers are nothing too spectacular here, there must be something the Guardians see that they believe can be corrected or tweaked to make him more effective. Granted, every team out there believes that they can get the most out of any given player, but if there is one team to trust above all else in this area, it is the Guardians. Pitching has been this organization's specialty for quite some time now, and they have managed to get impressive outings out of arms that were signed on bargain deals, the most recent being Ben Lively and Matthew Boyd.

Allard's chances of cracking Cleveland's starting rotation should be considered rather slim. With Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams being locks and some combination of Ben Lively, Luis Ortiz, Triston McKenzie, Logan Allen, Slade Cecconi, and Joey Cantillo making up the rest, there are more than a few names standing between Allard and a major league roster spot. Do not be surprised if the Guardians look to keep Allard in Triple-A to start the season to continue working on his approach, with the chance to join the major league ballclub if he pitches well enough.