CLEVELAND — With this week's opening series in Oakland on the horizon, the Cleveland Guardians' active roster under first year Manager Stephen Vogt has been tentatively set.
The team opened spring training in Goodyear looking to answer major questions in their outfield and bullpen with a collection of talent that is at this point, largely unproven or looking for another chance after years of ineffective play.
Spring training has proven time and time again to not be a great predictor of regular season success, but spring training is all the Guardians had to take a look at Estevan Florial, who is out of options, and Deyvison De Los Santos, who was picked up in December's Rule 5 Draft.
Luckily for Florial, the Guardians' investment in him during the offseason was too substantial not to take an extended look. The Guardians traded pitcher Cody Morris to obtain the 26-year-old, former top prospect after he failed to breakout after spending several years in the New York Yankees organization. Florial will now get an opportunity to show his power outburst in AAA last year can translate into the big leagues.
Unfortunately for De Los Santos, the roster cost of keeping him on the team as a Rule 5 draftee, and the extreme inexperience he has at 20-years-old proved too much for the organization to stomach. Because the Guardians did not put him on their final active roster out of spring, he was offered back to his original organization, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
So where does that leave the rest of the position players? Below is the list of players expected to start the season with the team in Oakland this week:
Infield
Bo Naylor, Austin Hedges, Josh Naylor, Andrés Giménez, Brayan Rocchio, José Ramírez
Outfield
Steven Kwan, Estevan Florial, Will Brennan, Ramon Laureano
Utility, Can play Infield/Outfield positions
David Fry, Gabriel Arias, Tyler Freeman
Yes you read that right, Myles Straw does not appear on that list. Straw was placed on waivers late last week as the final roster continued to dwindle down to 26. Whether he clears waivers or not, he will not open with the Guardians at the major league level. With over $20 million still owed to Straw over the length of his current contract, it is highly unlikely he will draw interest from another team on waivers. It is equally unlikely he will elect free agency and forfeit that money to test the market. Straw is likely to end up in Columbus, but will not be on the team's 40 man roster.
David Fry and Gabriel Arias are set to start the year in backup/utility roles. Fry will serve as the third/emergency catcher behind Austin Hedges, but can play first base, third base and in the outfield. With Brayan Rocchio set to take the majority of starts at shortstop to start the year, that leaves Arias as the team's main infield utility man.
Tyler Freeman's natural position is at shortstop, but with the team's uncertainty in the outfield and Freeman's ability in the batter's box and natural athleticism, he may be the answer the team has been looking for in center field. Florial's ability to play either center or right can give Vogt some flexibility in trying different outfield configurations. Neither is a sure thing and either comes with their own set of risks.
Ramon Laureano and Will Brennan both figure to see time in right field. Laureano has the experience edge on Brennan, but outside of his sophomore big league season where he hit 24 home runs, he has largely been a non-factor in the power department. Brennan doesn't fit the profile of the power producing corner outfielder, but has shown an ability to put the ball in play at a high rate. Only problem is his tendency to chase pitches out of the zone leading to soft contact.
Onto the pitching staff.
If you asked any Guardians fan what a playoff berth would look like, the first answer would likely be a strong, healthy starting pitching staff and closer Emmanuel Clase returning to form. Outside of Gavin Williams' elbow injury that will keep him sidelined for at least a few weeks into the season, the Guardians feel good about both ends of pitching staff. Two major questions remain, the bullpen and depth.
Lets take a look at who will open the 2024 season under pitching coach Carl Willis:
Starting Rotation
Shane Bieber, Triston McKenzie, Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen, Carlos Carrasco
Vogt could elect to give Tyler Beede starts over Carrasco until Gavin Williams returns from injury. Whichever one starts in the bullpen is likely to be in a long relief role.
Bullpen
Emmanuel Clase, Tyler Beede, Scott Barlow, Nick Sandlin, Hunter Gaddis, Eli Morgan, Tim Herrin, Cade Smith
The bullpen remains the biggest unknown going into the season. Not only from a proven talent standpoint, but if any changes are to be made to the active roster before Thursday, a bullpen addition from outside of the organization from a player who did not make their respective team remains the most likely move to be made.
Outside of Scott Barlow, who has a bit of a closing track record with the Royals, no other name on that list has proven to be a trustworthy option late in games.
With Trevor Stephan out for the year and James Karinchak rehabbing a shoulder injury, the Guardians will be walking a tight rope just trying get the ball into the hands of Clase to close out a game.
As always, the conversations around who makes the opening day roster are as fun as they are overrated. As we've seen time and time again, even on playoff bound teams, the roster that starts the year often looks unrecognizable to the one that plays in August and September (October if you're lucky).
Not mentioned in any of those lists above are two players who turned heads all spring long, Kyle Manzardo and Chase DeLauter. Both will open the year in the minor leagues and both could figure heavily into the every day lineup of the 2024 Cleveland Guardians as we get further into the regular season.
Manzardo feels like a lock to contribute at some point in 2024, DeLauter more wishful thinking. Gavin Williams will be back at some point early in the season barring setbacks.
There's enough questions and options to twist yourself into a mental pretzel trying to lay it all out.
After a decade-plus of leaning on the stabilizing leadership Terry Francona brought to many young Guardians teams, Stephen Vogt's managing prowess will be tested immediately.
Whether the team looks more like their 2022 version, 2023 version or somewhere in between, anything seems possible at this point.