7 moves the Cleveland Guardians must make to right the ship

6. Introduce Lane Thomas to the concept of pine time

The Cleveland Guardians made two deals at the deadline, and it is pretty safe to say, at this point, that neither deal has lived up to expectations. While Alex Cobb landing on the injured list with a fractured fingernail is not anyone's direct fault, the underwhelming performance of outfielder Lane Thomas does not get the same pass here.

Thomas has been a disaster since being acquired. Slashing just .145/.233/.196 with four doubles and zero home runs, much more was expected from the former Washington National. Now, was anyone necessarily expecting a performance like his 2023 that saw him hit 28 long balls or the 17 he hit in 2022? Not necessarily, but having zero in 86 plate appearances is a massive disappointment.

It is beyond time for Thomas to be relegated to the bench and given very little playing time. Thomas' presence in the lineup has been a net negative offensively and has not shown he is capable of changing that. Does it hurt having the one bat acquired at the deadline flame out this quickly? Absolutely, but this is a scenario that happens, and the proper steps must be taken accordingly. Give Thomas an extended time off and allow him the chance to get right while not being played on a frequent basis. After that period, then and only then, give Thomas another chance to make a difference.