Petey Halpin gives Guardians great chance to atone for past mistakes with Myles Straw

You can kill the man but you can’t kill the idea. 

For five years, Myles Straw appeared in 366 games across his time with the Guardians. While there were some highs during that time (namely his strong 2022 season where he won a Gold Glove), there were also some frustrating lows— namely the number of at-bats he got. 

Whether it was the Guardians’ front office wanting to get some return on investment for the five-year, $25 million contract extension Straw signed before the 2022 season or just the lack of other outfield options, Straw somehow recorded 1,240 at-bats during his time with the Guardians. 

Although the Guardians made the right decision to outright him off their roster before the 2024 season, it was still incredibly frustrating to see him go out there day after day when it was clear the best role for him was a fourth outfielder. 

Now the Guardians have a great opportunity to make up for those mistakes with outfielder Petey Halpin, who was called up from Triple-A earlier last week and has a similar skillset to Straw. 

While Halpin should still get the occasional start in the outfield, it’s clear that the best way he can help the Guardians is by getting most of his work as a fourth outfielder. 

That was the exact role Halpin worked for the Guardians last season when he was recalled at the end of the season. He ended up appearing in eight games across the regular season and postseason and went 2-for-6. Most of his action came as a late-game defensive substitution or pinch runner. 

But he’s seen a bit more action at the plate this year since being called up and has gone 0-for-5 in that time. 

The Guardians need to be deliberate about how they use Petey Halpin 

Now, that five at-bat span obviously doesn’t define Halpin’s career. He had a strong showing in the spring for the Guardians and had posted a .328 on-base percentage in 26 games at Triple-A prior to being recalled. 

But every at-bat he records takes one away from another outfield option like Chase DeLauter, Angel Martínez or Daniel Schneemann. That’s not a recipe for success for a Guardians team that’s hit just .229 over the past 14 days. 

That lack of offensive production is one of the biggest reasons that Halpin was called up in place of the scuffling George Valera (.216 batting average), and it’s hard to believe that Halpin could fill that void. 

Perhaps the most frustrating part of Straw’s role with the Guardians was that he’s had success as a fourth outfielder with the Blue Jays. Straw’s posted a .703 OPS in 165 games with Toronto since it acquired him in a trade last offseason with six (!!) home runs. 

He may not be the top dog in Toronto’s outfield, but he’s in a position where he’s able to be a net positive thanks to his above average defense and speed. 

That’s the kind of role that Halpin needs to fill with the Guardians.

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