Should the Guardians look to bring back this slugger?
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It is not exactly a secret that the Cleveland Guardians need to find a way to add some power to their lineup. Each and every offensive addition they make this winter should come with adding someone who has the ability to hit the ball over the wall on a much more consistent basis than any other of their current major league options. With this in mind, perhaps a reunion with a familiar face could be just what they need. The player in question? Franmil Reyes.
Reyes is someone who has always possessed an enormous amount of power, and that has been on display during his recent play in the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League (LIDOM). Reyes is leading the league with six home runs and eight doubles while slashing .294/.350/.532 in 109 at-bats over 30 games. Reyes' most recent long ball was of the grand slam variety. as he is clearly locked in at the plate at the moment.
Franmil Reyes 4-3, GRAND SLAM,
— Julio Peguero (@JulioPeguero21) November 29, 2023
5 RBI (28) líder, HR (6) líder. #Leones #Lidom pic.twitter.com/A3nhFo7ZJ5
Reyes is someone who is always going to be capable of absolutely crushing a baseball. But there is another aspect of his hitting profile that is always going to be present, strikeouts. As expected, Reyes has struck out 31 times in 30 games, a strikeout rate of 25.8% in 120 plate appearances. Even though this is far from ideal, this is a little over five percent better than his career major league strikeout frequency of 30.6%. While it would be unwise to put too much stock into this, it is still worth noting.
Now, it would be wise to curb any expectations of Reyes experiencing a complete turnaround at this point in his career. There is a reason why the majority of his appearances last season came with the minor league affiliates of two teams that were far from anything resembling a contending team.
With that being said, it would not be the worst idea to bring Reyes back to the organization on a minor league deal with the off chance he is able to provide some level of power on a relatively consistent basis. The Guardians do not need him to be the key cog in their lineup he was once thought to be, but rather someone who could be a part-time power threat. If Reyes is incapable of helping out in this area, the team could just move on for a second time while exploring other options to supplement their roster.