Overview
- Cleveland traded 18‑year‑old Junior Caminero to Tampa Bay for Triple‑A right‑hander Tobias Myers in November 2021, a low‑profile move made at the roster‑protection deadline.
- Rays scouts who saw Caminero in the Dominican Summer League flagged an unusually loud, impact bat and pushed the club to acquire him before he reached U.S. minor‑league play.
- Tampa Bay promoted Caminero rapidly through its system and he has developed into a two‑time American League All‑Star and one of the team’s primary power hitters who is playing in the 2026 ALCS.
- The Guardians added Myers to their 40‑man roster after the trade but he never threw a Major League pitch for Cleveland, was designated for assignment in 2022, and was later traded for cash considerations.
- Guardians leadership has called the swap “a bad trade,” yet Cleveland stayed competitive with multiple AL Central titles since the deal, underscoring how teams can recover from one lopsided transaction while prompting clubs to reexamine scouting and roster‑protection choices.