Evan Mobley’s expectations, Guardians winning ways and more

The Guardians remain in the thick of a pennant race, and the Cavaliers have a few weeks before the season begins. There is a lot to discuss. You asked the questions and I have the answers.

(Editor’s note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length.)

Guardians

Are the Guardians building a juggernaut? — Ryan S.

You’d like to think so, right? Certainly, with the age of the current roster and the stuffed farm system, they have all the ingredients to be good for a long time. However, to be a “juggernaut,” using your term, they’re going to have to lock up some of these players to build something sustainable. Otherwise, you’re constantly having to start over at key spots every couple of years.

I believe it’s probably too late for Shane Bieber, but can they announce an Andres Gimenez extension this winter? And maybe Cal Quantrill? What about Josh Naylor? That’s when the juggernaut becomes reality.

Can the Guardians somehow keep Amed Rosario since he is only 25 and playing his best baseball and trade some of our other infield prospects? — Ning A.

I floated that thought to Zack Meisel a few weeks ago in one of the chats we did, that hey, maybe the shortstop of the future is the shortstop of the present. Zack disagreed, but Rosario certainly isn’t making things easy on them. He is deeply respected in the clubhouse and playing well. He only has one more year of control and will present a difficult choice to the organization this winter. There was a time I thought he would’ve been dealt by the trade deadline, but he means too much to this team and this clubhouse. They couldn’t mess with what was working. 

Full disclosure: I’m a Reds fan living in NE Ohio so I ask this as an outsider: Why do very few seem to care about the Guardians playoff push? Is everyone still mad about the team name change? — Jonathan M.

The name change is certainly part of it. There also is a distrust in ownership for not being able to re-sign star players. Attendance has sagged since the tremendous sellout streak of the late 1990s. The Browns return, LeBron James created a generation of basketball fans who otherwise might not have existed and the baseball franchise plunged to third in popularity. It’s a shame. As I’ve written and said countless times, the Guardians are the best-run franchise in town and it isn’t close. But for 20 years, they haven’t been able to gain enough traction to consistently fill the stadium. It’s a shame.

Oscar Mercado was once a viable rookie of the year candidate and then he fell off a cliff. What traits does Steven Kwan have in his game that give you confidence he won’t fall off a cliff like Mercado? — Chris W.

Funny you mention this. Readers were irate that I “compared” Kwan to Mercado in a back-and-forth piece I did with Zack a few years ago. At no point did I compare the two. I merely mentioned that guys, such as Mercado, have gotten off to terrific starts as rookies only to crash and burn in Year 2. Kwan has impressed everyone in the building with the way he carries himself. Kwan’s ability to put the bat on the ball is elite, as is his defense in left field. There is always a concern players regress in their second season, which is why I hesitate to put Kwan in the same category as Gimenez in terms of key pieces for the future.

The year is 2027 and one of the three major Cleveland sports teams just won a championship, which team is it? — Michael A.

This is a great question, although I hate hypotheticals. I’ll say the Guardians because Deshaun Watson’s contract expires in 2026 and who knows what will happen after that. I can’t pick the Cavs until they address the small forward position. And in another five years, maybe some of the economic development around Progressive Field spurred on by the new minority ownership group will start to be funneled back into the payroll. Give me a World Series parade in 2027.

Contract aside, who would you rather have on the Guardians for the next five seasons: Francisco Lindor or Gimenez? — Kevin S.

This is another great hypothetical I hate answering. My initial instinct is to lean toward Lindor if we’re taking contracts out because he’s more established and has more of a track record. But in five years, Lindor will be 33 and perhaps starting to decline. Give me Gimenez, but it’s close. Factor in the contracts, however, and there’s little debate.

What is the biggest contributing factor to the Guardians’ success this year: player development, scouting or coaching? — Matt S.

It’s impossible to choose just one, and not because I don’t want to answer the question. Player development is responsible for guys like Bieber, Kwan and Jose Ramirez. Scouting landed them Gimenez, Naylor, Emmanuel Clase, Quantrill … and Terry Francona brings it all together. If I have to pick though, I’ll take Francona for the culture he sets in the clubhouse and the way he gets the very best out of guys. But it’s not fair because he couldn’t do it if the player development and scouting didn’t identify the talent.

I’ll list players, and you tell me if they are on a Cleveland team next year (2023).

Cavs: Colin Sexton, Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro, Kevin Love, Jarrett Allen

Guardians: Amed Rosario, Myles Straw, Austin Hedges, Owen Miller, Zach Plesac, Aaron Civale

Browns: Jedrick Wills Jr.

— Evan B.

Sexton: No. LeVert: No. Okoro: Yes. Love: No. Allen: Yes.

Guardians: Rosario: No. Straw: Yes. Hedges: No. Miller: Yes. Plesac: Yes. Civale: Yes.

Browns: Wills: Yes.

Cavaliers

We’ve seen the Cavs mentioned in Donovan Mitchell trade talks. Any truth to that? Seems like it’d be tough since no way Darius Garland and/or Evan Mobley would be involved, but how realistic is this or is it just kicking the tires? I mean the Cavs do love small guards with less-than-stellar defense. — Ethan O.

I don’t think it’s realistic. To your point, they aren’t including any of Garland, Mobley or Allen in a potential deal. If the Knicks wanted strictly draft picks, the Cavs might be players. But I think the Knicks can do better than that, and frankly, I’m not sure you want anyone who will take the ball out of Garland’s hands. Give him the ball and get out of the way. He’s earned it.

Is Mike Gansey in charge of the draft and trades moving forward as the new GM of the Cavs or is that just a token role and Koby Altman still makes all of the personnel decisions? — Andy P.

The GM promotion for Mike Gansey is good for a nice salary bump, but Koby Altman has the final say on all decisions similar to Chris Antonetti with the Guardians.

What are your expectations for Evan Mobley in Year 2? — Moe S.

Continue to grow into a No. 1 option on a championship-caliber team. He’s that good. He can be “the guy.”

Will we watch the development and maturity of Evan Mobley over the next two years, only to lose him as soon as he is eligible for free agency to the Lakers or Warriors with no compensation because of the lure of his native California? — William C.

If the Pelicans can retain Zion Williamson, then I don’t think any superstar player will ever leave the team that drafted him after his rookie deal is up. I understand the Williamson saga is complicated, but with all the rumors about him the last few years, the odds of him striking an extension to stay in New Orleans even a year ago seemed slim. Mobley will sign an extension, but it’s the contract after he gets paid that is troublesome for small-market teams like Cleveland. Count on getting six years out of stars, their rookie deals plus an extension that gets them traded out of town with one year left, and you’ll rarely be disappointed.

The part that benefits the Cavs, and I’ve written this before, is the fact that “the guy” was the final piece they’re dropping in. Oftentimes, “the guy” is the first one who shows up in a rebuild, and by the time that team is ready to win, he’s already entering his second contract (i.e. Garland). The Cavs are fortunate in that the best piece of their Big Three likely was the last they dropped in. That buys them extra time.

How does J.B. Bickerstaff project as a coach for a playoff-level team? Does he have the potential to be a high-level coach in the postseason? — David M.

I have no idea and neither does anyone else. That’s why not making the playoffs last season stung so badly. We always talk about the players needing that postseason experience. Well, so do the young coaches. Bickerstaff has never been forced to play the same team 4-7 consecutive times and make all the necessary lineup and schematic changes that it demands. We should get a better idea of that this time around.

I saw a recent social media post asking if the Cavaliers should retire Kevin Love’s jersey. I think he’s a Hall of Famer because of his college and pro career, but I’m honestly not sure about the Cavs retiring his jersey. However, he is still playing. Thoughts? — Chris L.

I also believe Love is a Hall of Famer given his entire body of work. Remember, it’s the Basketball Hall of Fame and encompasses players’ work in high school and college, unlike the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Cooperstown, both of which have more stringent criteria to be selected. Love is in as far as I’m concerned. That alone is reason enough to get his jersey retired.

I’m already on record that LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Love should have their jerseys retired by the Cavs for what they meant to the championship. I’m just not sure Irving would show up for the ceremony.

(Top photo of Josh Naylor and Jose Ramirez: Frank Jansky / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)