How long before the Cleveland Guardians move on from former top outfield prospect... again?

Just before the season began, the Cleveland Guardians seemingly corrected a previous mistake. The reacquisition of former top outfield prospect Nolan Jones was met with near-universal praise, as it appeared they made a genuine addition to address an area of need. However, the production they have received from Jones, or more accurately, lack thereof, has been incredibly disappointing, leading to a question that needs to at least be asked. How long before the Guardians move on from Jones for a second time?

Through 30 games, Jones is slashing .156/.278/.260 with only one home run and five doubles. Jones is striking out 33.3% of the time, with his 30 strikeouts being the third-most on Cleveland's roster behind Kyle Manzardo (33) and Gabriel Arias (32). Unlike Jones, Manzardo and Arias have made a tangible offensive impact, posting OPS+s of 132 and 115. Meanwhile, Jones's OPS+ of 56 is the third-lowest of Clevleand's most frequently used players, being better than only Brayan Rocchio (40) and Jhonkensy Noel (29).

The biggest defenders of Jones will note his average exit velocity of 94.9 miles per hour and his hard hit rate of 57.4%, both numbers being the highest of his career, as reasons why he should be given more time. Granted, having an exit velocity and hard-hit rate like this is desirable, but at some point, it has to turn into results, and for Jones, it hasn't. That's precisely the problem.

Cleveland was hoping for something remotely close to his 2023 season that saw Jones hit 22 doubles and 20 home runs while slashing .297/.389/.542 in 106 for the Colorado Rockies. Unfortunately, that year in the National League West division appears to have been an outlier, as Jones's slash line sits at .210/.311/.306 with 18 doubles and four home runs in the 109 games played since 2023. Jones struggled before and after that one season, suggesting that those three seasons are a more accurate indicator of his true skill level.

It is easy to wonder if Jones had not already been shown the door if Lane Thomas had not gone down with an injury. Jones has made a handful of appearances in center field alongside the likes of Angel Martinez and Daniel Schneemann in his absence, giving him additional chances to do anything noteworthy at the plate, and he has failed to do so. Once Thomas returns, there will have to be a conversation that takes place, and it is hard to see Jones winning out over Martinez and Schneemann right now, considering how all parties involved have performed thus far.

Bringing Jones back to Cleveland was certainly a chance worth taking, considering their outfield configuration before the season began. However, it certainly seems like there are other options available to the Guardians who are going to provide more offensively, and that is what this team needs most right now. Perhaps Jones goes on an extended hot streak and completely changes the conversation about his underwhelming performance, but until that happens, his spot on Cleveland's major league roster should not be anything close to being guaranteed.