It's time for Guardians to end the Nolan Jones experiment with an All-Star replacement

It's been nearly a decade since the Cleveland Guardians took Nolan Jones in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft.

After watching him ascend to Top 100 prospect status, they sent him to the Colorado Rockies for Juan Brito, who is now among the team's best prospects. Jones responded by posting a prolific season at the plate, slashing .297/.389/.542 with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases to earn a fourth-place finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

However, his 2024 season was one to forget, as he slashed just .227/.321/.320 with three homers. He spent two distinct stints on the injured list with back injuries, ultimately suiting up in just 79 games. The Rockies, in all their "wisdom", sent Jones back to Cleveland for Tyler Freeman.

Unfortunately, Jones hasn't been great in his second go-round in Cleveland. In 162 plate appearances, the right fielder is slashing just .215/.292/.313, good for a 73 wRC+ and -0.3 fWAR.

Guardians can replace Nolan Jones with an impact player like Jarren Duran

Jones' disappointing performance isn't without some silver linings. He's hitting the ball hard — he's in the 89th percentile average exit velocity and has a hard-hit rate of 49.5% — and has one of the strongest arms in all of baseball. He's also chasing and whiffing less than he did back in 2023.

However, he's 27 years old and doesn't have any minor league options remaining, meaning the Guardians are caught between a rock and a hard place.

They shouldn't outright cut or trade him, not with Lane Thomas on the injured list and Jhonkensy Noel earning himself "unplayable" status, but he can't be an everyday starter on a team that needs more offensive firepower atop the lineup.

All-Star Steven Kwan is a lock to start games as the leadoff hitter, and for the time being, center fielder Angel Martínez has a firm grip on the No. 2 spot in the lineup. What if they had another table-setter to hit in front of José Ramírez and Carlos Santana?

That kind of player may be available in the form of Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran. He isn't quite replicating his 8.7 WAR season from last year, but the 28-year-old is hitting .274/.323/423 with passable corner outfield defense and plenty of speed. Plus, it seems like he'll be made available at the trade deadline if the Red Sox continute their June swoon.

Duran may not be a perfect fit in Cleveland — he'd make the Guardians' lefty-heavy lineup skew even further towards that side — but he is the kind of player the team should be targeting as trade season approaches. He'd also be a strong mentor for Jones, given his bumpy ride to success in Boston in 2024.

Barring a swift and drastic turnaround from Jones, this Guardians team is too good to bet their fortunes on his development. A trade for a quality outfielder could help the team now and in the future, should Jones learn from his replacement.