I never saw McKenzie be rude to anyone, signed when asked, and was very kind to anyone who spoke to him.
I always collected variations and oddball items of McKenzie because he made it so easy to be a fan of his.
Once I tweeted to him that I had a few cards for him to sign and would give him a few unique ones before a game in Harrisburg.
McKenzie saw me that night and grinned, saying, "Oh, you're the guy trying to buy me off" as he took the Sharpie and signed what I had for him.
I bought the low-number Heritage inserts with a nickel and a quarter coin cards from 1968, the season in which that year's Heritage sets were based.
I had Triston sign one of them in person, and he commented that he had never seen one.
A few weeks passed, the other coin card arrived, but Triston's team at the time (Akron Rubber Ducks)
wasn't returning to Harrisburg, so I sent it to Brett Shaw in Altoona, who was hosting Akron before the season concluded.
Brett told me that when Triston signed the card, he said, "I've only ever seen one of these before," with Brett responding, "In Harrisburg".
That's why I was disappointed to see McKenzie's struggles and the Guardians designating him for assignment.
McKenzie was the team's first-round pick in the 2015 draft and struck out ten batters in his 2020 debut.
McKenzie finished 2022 with an 11-11 record with a 2.91 ERA in thirty starts, striking out 190 batters in 191 innings, and was mentioned by many as a potential top-of-the-rotation star for 2023.
McKenzie would struggle with shoulder and elbow problems in 2023, pitching only sixteen innings as he decided against Tommy John surgery and tried to fix the problems through rest and rehab.
McKenzie struck out seventy-four batters in seventy-five innings last season, but his ERA was over five, and he rarely threw the curveball and slider that helped make him so effective in 2022.
McKenzie's velocity is reported to be improved this season, but he's still reluctant to throw anything else. In four appearances (5.2 innings) from the bullpen this season, he allowed seven runs and walked seven.
The DFA designation means Cleveland has seven days to trade McKenzie, place him on waivers, if a team is willing to pick up McKenzie's contract, and should he clear waivers, Cleveland could then send him to the minors, most likely AAA Columbus, but possibly AA Akron.
Editor's Note: McKenzie did clear waivers after I wrote this piece and was assigned to AAA Columbus.
While I'd rather McKenzie stick with the Guardians and try revitalizing his career, he might be better suited to a new organization that could bring a new philosophy or direction to his game.
No matter how his career plays out, I'll always think fondly of McKenzie. He seems like a person who is more than baseball and one who is more accommodating than most athletes to the fans who help them earn a lucrative livelihood.
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