Mike Zunino Signs with the Guardians
Mike Zunino, a 32-year-old free-agent catcher, and the Guardians have reportedly reached a deal. According to reports, Zunino’s deal for the 2023 campaign is for one year and is worth a total of $6 million. The Cleveland Guardians in Ohio will likely receive the top-notch defensive support they need from Zunino. In 2022, he underwent season-ending surgery to have a procedure done on his shoulder. All the Cleveland Guardian fans in Ohio and beyond will be watching to see how he performs offensively after the procedure.
Zunino’s career so far
Before having season-ending surgery in 2022, Zunino performed admirably in over 120 plate appearances for the Rays. The Guardians are counting on him to regain the 33 home runs in just 375 plate appearances from 2021 when they last saw him. Despite him having a poor batting average and earning only $6 million for a single year, his combination of attack and defense nonetheless makes him a valuable commodity. The Cleveland Guardians and the supporters who avidly give their all to the team, whether in Ohio or away from home, believe their acquisition of the seasoned catcher was a very good deal.
Just after Josh Bell (first baseman) recently sealed a $33 million contract deal with an opt-out clause that can be triggered the following year, Zunino is now the Guardians’ second free-agent acquisition. Both players are expected to provide the Guardian’s squad with some support, which had the 29th-fewest home runs in the majors in 2022.
The signing of Zunino by the Guardians in Ohio most certainly means that the team’s most talented young player, Bo Naylor, will start the 2023 season campaign at Triple-A Columbus. Naylor has only made 66 appearances at the Triple-A level and has only made eight trips to the plate for the big-league club. He will not turn 23 until February 21 of next year. With the one-year contract given to Zunino, they may be able to gradually develop the abilities of Naylor, giving him a bit more time to advance at the bat, and impress all the fans from Ohio and beyond.
Why did the Guardians sign Mike Zunino?
There still needed to be a few changes to the team, before they could the Guardians could accommodate Zunino’s signing, even after the news broke. There was no room on the Guardians’ 40-man roster for the new catcher when Josh Bell was added to the team. Soon after, the organization exchanged Owen Miller for a more practical player in the Milwaukee Brewers. As a result, the team was able to add the catcher to the roster. The Guardians now have the offensive boost and defensively-minded catcher they were seeking for thanks to this signing.
Due to shoulder surgery the previous year, Zunino was unable to play after June in 2022. Although the season prior, he was among the catchers who performed the most in Major League Baseball. In all of the statistics that were kept, he hit more than thirty home runs and finished third among catchers. As a result, he was named an All-Star in 2021. With Zunino’s performances in 2021, it was not difficult for spectators in Ohio and in other parts of the US to place wagers on him and his team. And now with the launch of legal sports betting apps in Ohio happening in just a few days, due to the legalization of the industry, bettors can be sure that they are safe when placing wagers.
For the veteran catcher, the defense also seems to be present. Zunino is tied for tenth place in defensive runs saved since his debut, and he received accolades for an amazing performance that saw him take home the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2018. Without a doubt, with Mike Zunino, the Guardians and all the fans in Ohio and in other parts of the world are hoping for a repeat of his performance from the year 2021.
However, he will still be an improvement over the team’s last season, even if he does not return to his peak form. Zunino’s power will be Cleveland’s main advantage when he joins the lineup. As he did as an All-Star player in 2021, he will provide the team with the attacking input that its catching position needed to be improved. Zunino has a good defensive run-saving percentage.
What are the predictions of Mike Zunino at the Cleveland Guardians?
A baseball player occasionally needs a change in team and environment to have a chance at performing. Making that adjustment can significantly improve performance, regardless of whether it is due to the individual’s own challenges, poor fitness, or simply the player’s desire to seek new challenges: which is why Zunino moves to Ohio, to play for the Guardians.
The power-hitting catcher’s season was cut short after 36 games when his shoulder problem forced the Tampa Bay Rays to exercise their club option for 2022 following a poor start. Zunino later developed into a significant Rays pending free agent. When they decided not to extend his contract, the Guardians snatched him up to round out their team.
The 31-year-old catcher is just one year away from slugging 33 home runs, on his way to being selected for the All-Star game and receiving some votes for the Most Valuable Player. But while there are concerns about Zunino’s health; after he played in just 36 games of the previous season before needing surgery to terminate the season due to thoracic outlet syndrome, the backup catcher thinks he will be fine for training in Spring, which should result in a healthy free-agent market for him.
Everybody has grown accustomed to anticipating a normal batting average and lots of home runs from Mike Zunino’s offensive output. In essence, this is what he produced last season, but Zunino really turned up the power. His statistics and batting average were the highest for Zunino since the 2017 season, and he set career highs in home runs.
Will Zunino be able to duplicate his best stats?
Zunino has a lot of raw power, but it is quite doubtful that he will ever come close to duplicating his best statistics playing for the Guardians in Ohio. If he keeps receiving regular playing time, he is guaranteed to hit 20 or more home runs this season. Zunino will probably play regularly for the Rays this season thanks to his excellent defense, pitch-framing abilities, and ability to manage a youthful pitching staff.
