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The Cleveland Guardians are having a pretty rough season. Even though they still have a chance to make it to the playoffs, things haven’t been smooth. One big reason for their struggles is the poor performance from their outfield players, especially Jhonkensy Noel, also known by fans as “Big Christmas.”
Noel is loved by many fans, but this season, he’s been playing really badly. He started the year off on the wrong foot and just couldn’t find his rhythm. Because of that, sports writer Clay Snowden from Just Baseball suggested that the team might need to trade him to another team, a change of scenery, as they call it in sports, which means a fresh start in a new place.
Snowden explained that even though Noel has a lot of talent and strong hitting power, he just doesn’t seem to be a good fit for how the Guardians usually like to build their team. Snowden said:
“If they are on the fringes. They could elect to move Noel in order to upgrade the team while keeping their prospects and ridding themselves of a player that doesn’t fit the mold of what they typically like. Plenty of teams would love to get his power in their building and see what they can do.”
Last year, Noel was decent, with a batting average of .218 and an OPS (a hitting stat) of .774, which is considered okay. But this year has been a disaster. In 46 games, he only hit .146, had a terrible .168 on-base percentage, and a .392 OPS, which is very, very low. In simple words, he’s just not hitting the ball well at all.
Because of this poor performance, the Guardians sent Noel back down to the minor leagues, where less experienced players play. He’s been doing a bit better there, with a .280 batting average and five home runs, but his Major League performance is still disappointing.
Snowden believes it’s time for the Guardians to let Noel go and give him a new chance with another team. He says that even if Noel doesn’t work out in Cleveland, another team might be able to help him unlock his talent, especially teams known for helping hitters, like the Colorado Rockies or the Los Angeles Dodgers. These teams might turn him into a home run machine.
Even though Noel is still only 23 years old and fans love him, his current stats are too poor to ignore. Snowden says the best thing for both Noel and the Guardians could be a trade. With his raw power and potential, Noel might still become one of the most exciting players, just not in Cleveland.