Cleveland Guardians sign four players to minor-league deals

The Cleveland Guardians have made their first moves of 2023, signing four players to minor-league deals with those precious invites to spring training,

The four players include outfielder Roman Quinn, right-hander Touki Toussaint, catcher Cam Gallagher, and right-hander Michael Kelly.

Toussaint and Quinn were once top prospects, though each has had their share of struggles in the majors. Toussaint, 26, has a career 5.34 ERA in five seasons, while Quinn, 29, has flashed plenty of speed in his six years, but maintains a career 76 OPS+.

Gallagher, 30, would be an interesting choice as a backup catcher to the newly signed Mike Zunino. He has a career line of .240/.302/.355 with seven home runs, 39 RBI and a 77 OPS+ in 469 plate appearances across six seasons. There is no guarantee that Bo Naylor makes the Opening Day roster, since the Guardians would likely rather see him get regular at-bats. It wouldn't be a shock at all to see him start the season in Columbus, and the team could do a lot worse than having Gallagher behind the plate on occasion.

Kelly, 30, made his major-league debut with the Phillies last season, giving up one earned run in four innings. He was a minor-league lifer to that point, spending parts of nine seasons in the minors across four organizations.

All in all, this is about what one would expect from a crop of minor-league signings. Sometimes, a former top prospect simply needs a change of scenery to unlock his potential, which could certainly be the case with a guy like Toussaint. Either way, these are all low-risk rewards with the potential to pay huge dividends for the Guardians.