Guardians’ Chris Antonetti, with the trade deadline nearing, talks deals and other things

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- The Aug. 1 trade dealine is approaching. The Guardians are still within a bloop single of first place in the AL Central and their offense is on the upswing.

But the rotation is battered with three starters from last year on the injured list in Shane Bieber, Triston McKenzie and Cal Quantrill. They need a starter for Sunday, and the bullpen has been getting worked over since the All-Star break.

Chris Antonetti, Guardians president of baseball operations, addressed those questions and a several more with reporters Wednesday morning at PNC Park.

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Q. With the tepid state of the AL Central, is it hard to know if you should add or be a seller at the deadline?

A. “The way the division has played out has allowed us to stay in contention. It certainly has been helpful as we look at our opportunities in the second half. If we were in other divisions, we may be looking at things a little differently.”

Q. If you do add help, will it be short term or long term?

A. “That will always be a balance. How competitive are we now? What does the balance of the season look like? And how does that set us up for future years? That’s something we will always be mindful of in near-term and medium-long-term competitiveness.”

Q. Does Josh Naylor’s performance since late May lessen your need for a big bat?

A. “It certainly helps when guys go out and have the kind of performance Josh has had. Most importantly, it helps us win games. The more games we can win, keeps us in contention and bodes well for the second half.”

Q. When you acquired Naylor from San Diego in 2020, what were some of the traits that hinted that this kind of performance was possible?

A. “He’d always done a really good job of making contact in the zone and hitting the ball really hard. When we acquired him, a lot of his best and hardest contact was on the ground. We were hopeful as he matured at a hitter, his ball would start to get on a line more, maybe even in the air a little more, so some of that impact quality could transition to extra-base hits.

“First and foremost, he’s always been a really good hitter. When he swings the bat, he usually puts the bat on the ball and hits it hard somewhere.”

Q. Is the way Gabriel Arias is being used helping or hurting him? Would you rather him play every day at Class AAA?

A. “It’s really hard for any young player to succeed in a part-time role. It’s compounded by the fact we have a number of players who are in a similar boat. It makes it so difficult for Tito (manager Terry Francona) in trying to figure out which guys to play when.

“Then factoring in, ‘Hey, how do we win tonight’s game, but how do we also try to keep some of the young players developing?’ Those are the conversations we have often, and it’s a really hard thing to juggle.”

Q. Does Oscar Gonzalez have a chance to be promoted to Cleveland?

A. “Oscar was really hot for a while (at Class AAA Columbus). Then he went through a stretch where he wasn’t having the results even though the work has been really good. He continues to make strides, and he’s been good against left-handed pitching. So, at some point he can be an option for us.”

Q. Are Gonzalez’s challenges more about decision-making when he’s hitting?

A. “Part of the challenge he had up here is that he was getting so aggressive that pitchers didn’t have to throw competitive pitches to get him out. We want him to make sure that he’s within the zone where he can do damage, and when he can get a pitch to hit, he can put it in play hard.

“When he got a pitch to hit up here, he wasn’t doing damage. He was fouling it off or missing it. What we’ve worked with him on is controlling the zone a little bit better and when you get a pitch to hit, hit it hard somewhere.”

Q. Have you named a starter for Sunday’s game against the Phillies?

A. “We’re still working through that. Peyton Battenfield pitched Tuesday (at Columbus) and was able to get to his pitch total. That was helpful. Xzavion (Curry) did a really good job when he had to pick us up Monday against the Pirates.

“We’ll get through the off day (Thursday) before having a decision on that.”

Q. Can you give us an update on Triston McKenzie (right elbow)?

A. “We need him to be able to test his elbow at full intensity before the end of the season. That’s what we’re really seeking for him to do. To the extent he has issues before he gets to full intensity, that’s going to cause us to reassess.

“The real litmus test, I think, is when we get back to that full intensity, pitching in a competitive setting, how does his elbow respond?”

Q. What about an update on Shane Bieber (right elbow)?

A. “While we got good news in the grand scheme of things (Bieber won’t need surgery), it’s not going to be a quick return.”

Q. Will you look to add a starting pitcher at the trade deadline?

A. “They are really hard to acquire this time of year, especially if you want to get a guy who can help you win games. There’s a difference between getting someone who can just fill innings and finding someone who can help you win games.”

Q. Are there other areas of need before the Aug. 1 trade deadline?

A. “It’s probably easier to answer that as we look toward the future. One of the things we have to determine with the group we have is are we capable of scoring enough runs to win games and be a championship team?

“We saw evidence of that last year. This year it’s been a step back. It’s important to remember we still have a very young team that’s still developing. I not sure we have answers yet on how good this group can be.”

Q. What about adding help specifically for 2023?

A. “For the balance of this year, theoretically, yes, you’d like to find ways to get better offensively. But at what position, who does that displace and what impact does that have on us figuring out how good we can be in the long run?”

Q. What has been your impression of Josh Bell this year?

A. “He’s such a great worker and teammate. There are times he wants to do so well, so badly, he’s always looking for the next thing. I think that may impact his consistency.

“Our continued communication with Josh is, ‘Hey, let’s find when you’re at your best and let’s just stay consistent with that.’ When he’s done that, he’s had stretches where he’s been really productive. What we want to help him with is how do we make those productive stretches last a little bit longer.”

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