When the Cleveland Guardians entered the 2026 MLB trade deadline, expectations were that the front office would play it safe.
While the Guardians were firmly in the American League Central race, tied with the Minnesota Twins and trailing the Chicago White Sox by just a few games, all indications suggested the front office would stand pat at the trade deadline, allowing its young core more time to develop.
But with the 2027 season posing a major question mark for the future of the sport, Cleveland decided to invest in the now.
On Monday, August 4, the Guardians traded countless prospects to land first baseman Nathaniel Lowe , left-handed pitcher Foster Griffin and right-handed outfielder Jo Adell . Each of those three will immediately join the major league roster, thus thrusting some of the team's previous staples down to the minor league system in the process.
Those who ended up being moved off the major league roster were Kyle Manzardo and David Fry . They were optioned to Triple-A Columbus.
Following the moves that shook up the roster, President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti shared that the decision was very difficult for the organization to make, especially regarding Manzardo.
"[It was] a really hard decision," Antonetti said over a video call. "We continue to believe that Manzo is going to be a really productive major league hitter, and as we touched on the other day, he's demonstrated the ability to impact games and help carry the team. But this year it just hasn't been as consistent, as it's been in the past, and we felt this was an opportunity to complement our group, and try to improve the roster a bit, at least for the time being."
He went on to share that Fry's loss was just as impactful, but more so because of his involvement in the clubhouse.
"Yeah, that was a really, really tough conversation with David because he's been not only a key contributor on the field for us, but part of the fabric of our clubhouse," Antonetti continued. "But we're seeing this as an opportunity for David to get the consistent at-bats in Columbus that he just hasn't been able to get up here, because we've all seen when I want to work with him to get back to that point...
"We still feel like he'll be able to impact our team at some point in the balance of the season."
For Manzardo, it's a relatively straightforward path to the big leagues. He just needs to start to show more consistency at the plate, both at getting on base and hitting with power.
This season, he owns just a .215/.306/.378 slash line , which includes10 doubles and 13 home runs. Lowe, on the other hand, has much higher numbers, with seven more doubles during his time with the Cincinnati Reds .
As long as he works back to solid form, he will eventually retake his spot with the big league squad and slide in next to Lowe.
When evaluating Fry's future with the club, his is much more murky.
While Antonetti is right, Fry certainly is an important piece of the clubhouse; his lack of involvement on the field was resulting in him being incredibly inconsistent at the plate. When he did play, it wasn't as impactful as it had been in years past.
Dropping him to the minors gives him everyday at-bats, giving him a chance to get hot before being called back up.
Unlike Manzardo, he also presents lineup flexibility, not only being a right-handed bat but also someone who can play multiple positions.
Moving ahead, Manzardo and Fry's futures aren't limited to just Triple-A. As long as they keep improving and showing the front office that they deserve another shot, their respective stories in Cleveland aren't done yet.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/guardians/onsi as What Kyle Manzardo and David Fry Must Improve During Triple-A Columbus Demotion .
