Guardians re-sign Valera on Minor League deal following DFA

CLEVELAND -- Guardians former top prospect George Valera isn’t going anywhere.

Last week, Valera was designated for assignment before he was officially non-tendered on Friday evening. On Monday night, the Guardians announced that they re-signed the outfielder to a Minor League contract.

Valera was a top prospect for the Guardians as recently as 2022, as ranked by MLB Pipeline. He had been on the 40-man roster since that season, but he has yet to make his Major League debut, as injuries derailed his '23 campaign. He got hurt again during Spring Training this past year, but finally returned and settled in during the second half of the regular season. In August, he hit .304 with a 1.018 OPS, seven homers and 17 RBIs.

Here’s where it gets complicated.

Valera’s performance was catching everyone’s attention -- to the point that it seemed more than sensible for him to be a September callup. Because starter Alex Cobb was set to come off the injured list on Sept. 1, the second opening came down to Kyle Manzardo and Valera. Manzardo already had a short stint in the Majors earlier in the year that wasn’t overwhelmingly successful. Valera was still waiting for his chance at his debut.

The Guardians knew that Valera was going to be out of options next season. If he didn’t make the Opening Day roster, he’d have to be designated for assignment. That alone made it easy to believe that the team would at least get a look at him in the Majors in 2024 before having to put all their eggs in the ’25 Spring Training basket. Instead, they called on Manzardo, who proceeded to hit two homers in his first game back.

It worked out for Cleveland in the short term, but it threw another wrench into the long-term picture. While playing in the outfield in Triple-A Columbus in September, Valera awkwardly crashed into the wall and fell to the ground, rupturing his patellar tendon in his right knee. His season was over and he had to undergo knee surgery. His recovery window is six to nine months, which means he'll be ready to play between March and June.

Given his medical history, it’s hard to assume that his recovery will take the least amount of time and he’ll be able to be back in action in the early weeks of the season. The Guardians needed spots on their 40-man roster to protect other prospects from the Rule 5 Draft this offseason, and promising one to an injured Minor Leaguer who may not be able to play until the summer was difficult to commit to. So, Valera was designated for assignment and non-tendered, becoming a free agent.

Not only was he not called up before he ran out of options, but for a few days, he was out of the organization without ever seeing the big league field. However, on Monday night, Valera agreed to come back on a Minor League deal, opening up the possibility of seeing his future pan out in Northeast Ohio. Even though his potential is great enough to garner interest from other clubs, a reunion still makes sense for both parties.

Obviously, the Guardians will want to see this through, even though they needed his roster spot until he’s healthy and can prove that he’s ready for the final promotion. But Valera is also returning to an organization that needs outfield depth. This may be the same team and same roster that didn’t find a way for him to get in the grass this past year, but that doesn’t mean it will stay that way in the future. Steven Kwan is in left field. Lane Thomas will either be in center or right (preferably right, if Cleveland can find a center fielder). But everything else is still a question mark.

Jhonkensy Noel will have to continue to develop. Will Brennan will have to put his woes behind him. External acquisitions would be welcomed, but they haven’t happened just yet. From there, the Guardians don’t have many other Major League-ready candidates to turn to. That’s why Valera -- once healthy -- not only provides some security for the team that’s more than aware of his potential, but the Guardians also may be the best chance for a prospect who hasn’t exploded yet in the Minors and is recovering from a major surgery to get to the Majors in the near future.