Jim Ingraham: Less power to them ... Guardians pass on adding a proven bat to their offensively challenged lineup

In the final month of the season, the rule of thumb for any major league team still with a chance to reach the postseason — even if it's a Jim Carrey "So you're saying there IS a chance" longshot — it is this: Leave no stone unturned. On Thursday, those crafty stone turners on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario wisely turned over three. Unfortunately, they should have turned over four. The drama unfolded through yet another new iteration by Major League Baseball of the waiver claiming competition, which in the past had basically been first cousin of the trade deadline. In years past, teams could claim a player on waivers, but for the transaction to be completed the claiming team would send a mutually-agreed upon player back to the other team. In other words, a trade. Officials of the two teams then shook hands and broke for lunch. This year, however, Commissioner Rob Manfred's "Backroom Boys" came up with a new twist to the waiver-claiming square dance. Under the new rules of engagement, the team with the worst record among the potential claimants simply claims any player or players who are on waivers, and proceeds directly to the check-out counter. There is no "trade." The claiming team assumes the remainder of the player's contract, the two teams nod coldly to one another, and everyone goes home more or less happy. This year, the Guardians stealthily positioned themselves as the claiming team with the worst record, which allowed them to proceed directly to the buffet line, where they had their pick of any of the entrees. Here's where it gets tricky. The Guardians selected three players from the Angels, all of them pitchers: Lucas Giolito, Matt Moore and Reynaldo Lopez. Giolito, a former first-round draft pick by the White Sox, is a starter who in a three-year period starting in 2019, finished sixth, seventh and 11th in the Cy Young voting. This year, in a combined 27 appearances with Chicago and the Angels, Giolito is a mediocre 7-11 with a 4.45 ERA. His job in Cleveland will be to lighten the innings load of the Guards' three rookie starters, Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams and Logan Allen. Well played. Moore and Lopez have been relievers in recent years, and will serve as beasts of burden for a ridden-hard-put-away-wet stable of Guardians relievers, who have had to pull the plow more than normal for a bullpen wearied by overwork and emergency trips into the rotation due to numerous injured starters. Unfortunately, Guardians officials then put their waivers-claiming mittens away for the day. They did so by choosing not to address the elephant not in the room, the roster flaw that has been the biggest squeaky wheel on the jalopy. Not well played. That flaw, which has been a ball and chain by way of hampering this Guardians roster, is its lack of power. Ever heard of Brent Rooker? Me neither. He plays for the Oakland A's. Brent Rooker has hit more home runs this year than any player on the Guardians — including Jose Ramirez. Let's put it this way: the Guardians are last in the American League in home runs. If had they hit 24 home runs Friday night against Tampa Bay, they would STILL be last in the American League in home runs today. So while they made some nice moves in their waivers shopping spree, acquiring three needed pitchers to bolster their injured and overworked staff, their yearlong power drought went unaddressed. It went unaddressed even though there was a solution that was both obvious and available: the Angels' Hunter Renfroe. Renfroe was on waivers. Renfroe also has averaged 25 home runs per year over the last seven seasons. With a month left in this season he has 19 home runs — more than all the Guardians' outfielders combined. Cleveland had the worst record of all the teams in the waivers claiming derby, so the Guardians had first crack at everyone, including Renfroe. But they declined. They could have still gotten the three pitchers they claimed off waivers, plus Renfroe. But they chose to take the pitchers and pass on the hitter. According to Spotrac, Renfroe's salary for the remainder of the season is $1.9 million. For the Angels this year he played right field. Indians right fielders this year have hit .233 with a .279 on-base percentage, .342 slugging percentage, nine home runs and 42 RBIs. Renfroe has hit .241 with a .304 on-base percentage, .434 slugging percentage, 19 home runs and 52 RBIs. The Guardians only have three games left with the Twins this year. For what it's worth, Renfroe's career numbers vs. the Twins: a .306 batting average, .359 on-base percentage, .551 slugging percentage and .910 OPS. Renfroe is 31 years old, and he becomes a free agent after this season. The Guardians passed on him. The grateful Cincinnati Reds did not. Contact Jim Ingraham at jingraham4@gmail.com and follow him @Jim_Ingraham on X.