AKRON, Ohio – Chris Antonetti, the Cleveland Guardians’ president of baseball operations, served as an entertaining featured speaker at the Akron RubberDucks’ Hot Stove Banquet on Friday night, but a 20-year-old college student in the audience briefly shared the limelight.
“In 2022 and 2024 we had the youngest team in baseball each of those years,” Antonetti said. “And the only time in the last 30 years the youngest team has made the postseason.”
Both times it was the Guardians, he said.
That led him to talk about the priority of player development the Guardians emphasize over flashy free-agent signings. He then threw out trivia, offering $20 to anyone who could get the answer to this:
“Prior to the 2022 baseball season what Major League free agents did the Cleveland Guardians sign?”
A hand went up. It was a University of Cincinnati student named Tommy Pecoraro, a Guardians fan from the Chagrin Falls area.
“Bryan Shaw and Luke Maile.”
“Tommy,” Antonetti said, “that’s impressive.”
(Same question for 2024: The team signed Austin Hedges and Ben Lively. No one got that one, though.)
“Why am I bringing that up? Those are not the names everyone is talking about. Both 2022 and ’24 we won the Central Division finding young players opportunities. In 2022, we chose not to sign the Eddie Rosarios of the year.”
More than 200 people braved single-digit temperatures and packed a ballroom at the Hilton Garden Inn Akron to hear Antonetti speak on a myriad of topics, including the team’s second-half surge to win the American League Central.
“We had just lost our 10th game in a row and we were getting on a plane to go to Houston,” he said. “That was one of those moments where the season could have taken an entirely different trajectory. Things didn’t look good. Steven Vogt does such an extraordinary job of creating a great environment for the guys to show up and work every day. Obviously people were frustrated and disappointed, but if you were on that plane you wouldn’t have any idea we were where we were.”
The message was clear: Show up, prepare, win tonight. The Guardians pivoted on that turning point. They made the postseason despite being 15.5 games out of first place.
It took a specific mindset – “Who are the guys we are going to get back to win a World Series in the future?”
He added: “Our success has been not from the guys we brought in externally. It’s been when the young players we have take that next step and fuel our development. This is not a question of (Guardians owner) Paul (Dolan) saying, ‘Don’t spend the money.’”
Going into the offseason the team is focused on adding depth to relief pitching, he said.
“We had a couple of guys, unforeseen, who are no longer pitching for us,” he said referring to the gambling allegations regarding Emmanual Clase and Luis Ortiz.
“We spend a lot of time debating external acquisitions,” he said, with the question being: What is the opportunity cost? Which young players would have plate appearances taken away?
Here are nine innings of highlights of Antonetti’s question-and-answer talk:
Akron RubberDucks second baseman Travis Bazzana talks to the media during media day last year in Akron.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com1. On 2024 No. 1 pick Travis Bazzana
Bazzana dealt with injuries for the first time.
“Travis has had a very good first year of development,” he said.
“What’s helpful for us is those players, while they are in the minor leagues, experience adversity and then use that opportunity to build skills to navigate … and come out stronger.”
Last year, Bazzana had to build some of those skills, he added.
He’s “fully healthy” going into spring training and probably will start in the minors this season.
The Akron RubberDucks’ annual Hot Stove Banquet was held Friday night.Marc Bona, cleveland.com2. On the new ball-strike challenges
This season, a ball-strike challenge will debut. Each team gets two challenges. Only the pitcher, batter or catcher can challenge, and it has to come immediately. If a team is right, they keep the challenge. Wrong, and they lose it.
“It does not interrupt the flow of the game at all,” said Antonetti, who said the Guardians will not let pitchers challenge.
“Tanner Bibee would be out of challenges on the first batter,” he said to laughter.
In spring training, Major League Baseball takes measurements of every position player. So the strike zone is customized.
Related: Guardians see winning edge in mastering MLB’s new ball-strike challenge system
Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo connects for a double against Texas last season.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com3. On Kyle Manzardo
“Manzardo has had a great offseason,” he said. “One of the things we really challenged our guys in, is taking the next step in their physical developments. Kyle had an opportunity to get a little bit bigger, stronger and more agile. He’s gained 13 pounds.” He will be in the lineup regularly, as either designated hitter or at first base, he said.
He also told a great anecdote about Manzardo and technology called Trajekt, which can replicate a pitcher’s velocity, spin profile and movement of a specific pitcher. Once, when Manzardo was getting ready to enter a game as a pinch hitter, he went into the cages and used the technology. He then walked to the plate and hit a home run. He yelled and credited Trajekt as he rounded the bases.
Guardians third base José Ramírez steals second during a Baltimore-Cleveland game last season.David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com4. On José Ramírez
“José helps everybody. José helps me,” said Antonetti, who recalled the Guardians’ star’s first game, as a pinch-runner on first base in 2013.
“He is like a third of the way down the baseline. Everybody in the dugout is, ‘What are you doing, you’re going to get picked off!’”
He winds up leading off further, he steals second, advances to third and scores.
When he came in the dugout, then manager Terry Francona gave him a hard time.
“You know José, you’re not invisible out there,” he said.
Ramírez responded: “I was going to steal second base and score the tying run.”
The confidence and mindset he had then, about helping the team, remains, Antonetti said.
A C.C. Sabathia bobblehead and signed ball were part of a raffle package.Marc Bona, cleveland.com5. On spring training in Arizona vs. Florida
“That is the biggest drawback of Arizona, it’s so much harder for fans to get there than it is to Florida. On the flip side, it has been such a massive help for us developmentally. The weather is more consistent, we spend a lot less time on buses in traffic.”
“Admittedly,” he added, “It’s a bit of an inconvenience for those of us who live in Cleveland. It’s not quite that easy to get there.”
Centerpieces at the banquet had a distinctive baseball theme.Marc Bona, cleveland.com6. Changes in the game
He likes the recent changes baseball has enacted but said, “I’m really reluctant to take away the history and fabric of the game,” he said, referring to possibilities like a “golden batter” rule. That idea would allow teams to select a player in their lineup to bat, regardless of the order, once in a game. “That to me really changes the way the game is played.”
Guardians designated hitter David Fry celebrates his RBI double in a game against Kansas City last year.John Kuntz, cleveland.com7. What player has good character and is good in the clubhouse?
“David Fry has been part of the fabric and glue of our clubhouse,” he said. “He’s one of those guys who is under the radar who has had a massive impact beyond the performance on the field.”
Various bobbleheads were part of the raffle packages.Marc Bona, cleveland.com8. About the possibility of a strike
The collective bargaining agreement runs through December.
“What’s beyond that is really hard to predict,” he said. “I’m hopeful the two sides can reach an agreement. The encouraging thing is they have started dialogue.”
A silent auction is traditionally held at the Hot Stove Banquet to raise money for charity.Marc Bona, cleveland.com9. Welcome to Akron
The banquet also served as a formal welcoming for Prospector Baseball Group’s John Abbamondi and Ben Boyer, new owners of the RubberDucks. Former owner Ken Babby sold Akron and the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp when he became part of the Tampa Bay Rays ownership.
“I am so excited John and Ben will be the ones taking over and leading this franchise moving forward,” Antonetti said.
He added: “A lot of our minor leagues have been pitching rich. I am not sure everyone knows this, but over the last 10 years Akron had the best record in the Eastern League.”
Extra innings
• The “vast majority” of Progressive Field renovations have been completed, he said, with some work on the batting cages remaining.
• Could Carlos Santana (who also played in Akron) return? “There is a chance. I love Carlos. I think I prefer him to be back as a special assistant than having him occupying 500 plate appearances. … He’s one of my personal favorites.” Santana will be 40 this season.
• On the recent Hall of Fame vote – Andruw Jones (inducted) vs. Kenny Lofton (not in): “(Jones) clearly belongs in the Hall of Fame, but it does feel as though Kenny hasn’t gotten his due. If you look up and see … the impact he had the game – defensively, offensively on the bases – he was a force.”
• On his favorite ballpark other than Progressive Field, Antonetti chose Boston’s Fenway Park because of the history.
• On who he cheers for in the hot dog race: He sides with his daughters, who root for Onion.
Past Hot Stove Banquet speakers
2025: Cade Smith
2024: Mike and Sharon Hargrove
2023: Triston McKenzie
2022: Jim and Andrea Thome
2020: ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian