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Guardians make surprising roster decision on former top prospect
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- Guardians make surprising roster decision on former top prospect
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The Cleveland Guardians reportedly outrighted outfielder Nolan Jones to the minor leagues on Friday, per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com.
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"The Guardians have outrighted Nolan Jones and optioned Petey Halpin to Triple-A Columbus. Jones has ability to reject outright," Stebbins wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
If he rejects the outright assignment, then Jones will become a free agent. It remains to be seen which decision he will make.
The Guardians expect to compete in 2026 . Their offense is a question mark, however. Jones struggled during the 2025 regular season and 2026 spring training, but he still offers a fairly high ceiling. Cleveland's decision is surprising, but the team clearly wants to move in a different direction.
Jones was once a top prospect with the Guardians. He made his big league debut in 2022 and appeared in 28 games. The outfielder was traded to the Colorado Rockies during the offseason.
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Jones found success in 2023 with Colorado. He hit 20 home runs and stole 20 bases en route to finishing fourth in National League Rookie of the Year voting. After struggling through 79 games in 2024, the Rockies traded Jones back to the Guardians last offseason.
Things did not go according to plan in his reunion with Cleveland. He ultimately hit just .211 with a .600 OPS in 136 games played in 2025. The Guardians gave him another opportunity in 2026 spring training, but Jones recorded a .152 batting average and .525 OPS across 12 games played and 33 at-bats.
At only 27 years old, Nolan Jones may be able to turn things around. Perhaps a fresh start would help matters, however.
Related: Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase, Luis Ortiz moved to unpaid leave ahead of Opening Day
