Jose Ramirez activated, Kyle Manzardo optioned to Triple-A Columbus

Everyone knew that a roster move was going to happen for the Cleveland Guardians to activate Jose Ramirez from the paternity list, but it is pretty safe to say that no one was expecting the transaction that took place on Tuesday afternoon. The Guardians activated Ramirez and decided to option rookie first baseman Kyle Manzardo to Triple-A Columbus in a corresponding move.

To say this is shocking would be an understatement. Of the players the Guardians could have possibly sent to Columbus, Manzardo was not anywhere near the top of that list. Despite his struggles in the majors this season, slashing .207/.241/.329, Manzardo has nothing at all to prove in the minors, and this move really seems to be angled toward giving him regular at-bats in an attempt for him to find his groove at the plate again.

There isanother part to this move by the Guardians, freeing up the designated hitter position.With Manzardo on the roster and with Josh Naylor at first, both first base and DH would be occupied by one of the two of them if they were in the lineup on the same day. This means that working in guys such as David Fry or Daniel Schneemann became difficult to do on a regular basis. With both guys proving worthy of regular playing time, there were a lot of lineup changes that became necessary, and the daily juggling resulted in inconsistent playing time for all parties involved. It would be a little bit different if Manzardo had any type of defensive versatility, but his limitations in that department, combined with the offensive output of other on the roster, have made this transaction absolutely necessary.

While there is going to be a faction of Guardians quick to throw Manzardo under the bus and refer to him as the next Jake Bauers, if they haven't already done so, there is no reason for that to take place at this current juncture. The goal here is to give Manzardo daily at-bats, something he was not going to get in Cleveland due to the presence of others who have forced their way into the lineup. Ideally, Manzardo gets back on track offensively and is able to make his way back to the majors to become a regular for the Guardians later this season, but until that time, he needs to work a few things out, and the unheralded contributors at the major league level need to continue producing.