Francisco Lindor's grand slam against the New York Yankees, Oscar Gonzalez's walk-off home run against the Tampa Bay Rays and Jhonkensy Noel's game-tying home run against the aforementioned Yankees.
Those are among some of the biggest postseason home runs in Cleveland Guardians franchise history. There is another common theme with those three players, as none of them are no longer with the organization after the latest news out of Cleveland on Wednesday.
After acquiring left-hander reliever Justin Bruhl from the Toronto Blue Jays, the Guardians designated Noel for assignment to clear room on the 40-man roster. Noel had spent the first two seasons of his career in Cleveland.
Outside of the unforgettable home run against New York in the postseason, Noel has not done much to remember in his major league career. He's accumulated a -0.4 WAR as well as a career average of just .198 in 327 at-bats. Noel's best season was as a rookie in 2024 when he batted .218 with 13 home runs in 179 at-bats.
Cleveland will have seven days to work out a trade involving Noel before he is either sent to the minor leagues or placed on waivers. If he is placed on waivers, it is hard to envision a career batting average below .200 would land Noel an opportunity for everyday playing time.
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