Former top prospect isn’t leaving the Guardians after all.
Last week, he was designated for assignment before being officially non-tendered on Friday. However, on Monday night, the Guardians announced they had re-signed the outfielder to a Minor League contract.
He was considered one of the Guardians’ top prospects as recently as 2022, according to MLB Pipeline. Although he has been on the 40-man roster since then, he has yet to make his Major League debut, with injuries affecting his 2023 season. After an injury setback during Spring Training this year, Valera returned to action and performed well in the second half of the season. In August, he posted a .304 batting average with a 1.018 OPS, seven home runs, and 17 RBIs.
Here’s where things get complicated.
Valera’s impressive performance in the minors was starting to turn heads, making it seem likely that he would be called up in September. With starter Alex Cobb set to return from the injured list on September 1, the Guardians faced a decision between Kyle Manzardo and Valera for the second opening. Manzardo had already had a brief stint in the majors earlier in the year, but it wasn’t particularly successful, while Valera was still waiting for his Major League debut.
The Guardians knew Valera would run out of options in 2024, meaning that if he didn’t make the Opening Day roster, he would need to be designated for assignment. This made it logical to believe they would give him a shot at the majors in 2024 before possibly pushing everything to Spring Training in 2025. However, they chose to call up Manzardo, who hit two home runs in his first game back.
This decision worked for Cleveland in the short term but complicated things in the long run. While playing for Triple-A Columbus in September, Valera suffered a serious injury when he collided awkwardly with the outfield wall, rupturing the patellar tendon in his right knee. His season was over, and he required surgery, with an expected recovery timeline of six to nine months—meaning he might not return until between March and June.
Considering his injury history, it was difficult for the Guardians to commit to keeping an injured player on their 40-man roster when they needed to protect other prospects from the Rule 5 Draft. This led to Valera being designated for assignment and non-tendered, making him a free agent.
Despite not being called up before running out of options and briefly leaving the organization without ever reaching the majors, Valera agreed to return to the Guardians on a Minor League deal. This opens the door for a potential future in Cleveland, and even though his talent is enough to attract interest from other teams, a reunion makes sense for both Valera and the Guardians.
Clearly, the Guardians want to see this situation through, even though they had to free up his roster spot until Valera is healthy and ready for his long-awaited promotion. However, Valera is returning to an organization that has a need for outfield depth. While this is the same team and roster that couldn’t find a spot for him last year, that doesn’t necessarily mean things will stay the same moving forward.
Steven Kwan is solid in left field, and Lane Thomas is likely to play either center or right (with a preference for right if Cleveland can find a center fielder). Beyond that, the outfield picture remains uncertain, leaving room for Valera to potentially carve out a role in the near future.
Jhonkensy Noel will need to keep developing, and Will Brennan will have to overcome his struggles from last season. While external acquisitions would be beneficial, they haven’t materialized yet. Beyond that, the Guardians don’t have many other Major League-ready options in their system. This is why Valera, once he’s healthy, offers both security for a team familiar with his potential and a solid opportunity for a prospect who hasn’t yet broken out in the minors and is recovering from a major surgery. For Valera, Cleveland may present the best chance to reach the majors in the near future.
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