Kole Calhoun Has Been A Nice Surprise For The Guardians' Offense

Originally posted on FanNation Cleveland Baseball Insider
By Tommy Wild | Last updated 8/20/23

The decision to bring in Kole Calhoun was a confusing one at first. It still feels bizarre that the Cleveland Guardians would trade for a veteran outfielder, after the deadline, to play first base for the team.

This move was made after Josh Naylor went on the injured list with an oblique injury that could sideline him for still another month. The team needed to address being down an important part of their roster and their lineup, but Chris Antonetti had also just signaled they were going to play the organization's youth at the Big League level too.

It probably wasn't the move that fans expected or wanted, but we can't deny the impact Calhoun has had on the offense since joining the team.

The 35-year-old is hitting .311 with an OPS of .802 in the 12 games he's played with the Guardians. Calhoun is also currently on a seven-game hit streak which is the longest he's had since late July and early August of 2021.

Kole hit his first home run since August 28 of last year as he teed one off against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday evening. He's overall put together a WRC+ of 127 which has been a nice boost for this Cleveland offense.

The defense has certainly been shaky at times which was expected when you have any player playing out of position like Calhoun is at first base. However, he's also turned back the clock and made a couple of nice plays including a diving catch in right field.

Terry Francona has even taken notice of Kole's resurgence saying, "His at-bats have been really good."

It's hard to envision what will happen with Calhoun next. David Fry and Naylor will come off the injured list at some point this season and Cleveland's young players deserve to get at-bats in order to determine their future with the club.

Calhoun may not be with the Guardians much longer, but it's still nice to see a veteran play and well hopefully reach 10 years of service time which will go a long way when he's retired.

----

This article first appeared on FanNation Cleveland Baseball Insider and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: