The Guardians are set to show shortstop to a younger infielder who hasn’t established himself on the MLB stage. Final yr’s Opening Day starter, Amed Rosario, was shipped off on the deadline. Whereas he’s obtainable in free company, Cleveland isn’t more likely to deliver him again. They need to have a contest between no less than two pretty well-regarded younger infielders in camp and through the early a part of the upcoming season.
Let’s check out the chances:
Amongst returnees, nobody performed shortstop extra regularly final season. He labored as the first starter after Rosario was traded. Arias picked up 46 begins and logged 402 innings on the place general. Defensive Runs Saved graded him as a impartial defender, whereas Statcast felt he was barely higher than common. Arias had a powerful fame as a defender throughout his time as a prospect, showcasing plus arm power with the fingers and lateral agility to stay on the place.
Arias could be a transparent defensive improve on Rosario. The query is how a lot of an offensive affect he’d make. He hit simply .210/.275/.352 over 345 plate appearances final season. MLB pitching exploited longstanding questions on his strike zone really feel. Arias struck out practically a 3rd of the time. He chased pitches off the plate with regularity and swung by way of 19.5% of the choices he noticed. Of the 293 hitters who logged no less than 300 plate appearances, solely 4 swung and missed extra regularly.
Regardless of the middling offensive output, Arias enters camp because the presumptive favourite. In a reader mailbag this week, MLB.com’s Mandy Bell instructed the Guardians have been doubtless to present him the primary alternative to grab the job. Arias’ 2023 season was minimize brief by a non-displaced fracture in his proper wrist when he was hit by a pitch within the ultimate week of September. There’s no indication that he received’t be totally wholesome for his age-24 season. Arias nonetheless has a minor league possibility, so the Guardians can ship him to Triple-A, but it surely’d be a shock if he isn’t on the Opening Day roster.
Rocchio, a switch-hitter, has been on the prospect radar for a while. Baseball America has included him amongst their High 100 minor league abilities 4 years operating. Having just lately turned 23, he appears more likely to exhaust his rookie eligibility this yr.
Cleveland gave Rocchio a quick MLB look final season. He was first promoted in April and bounced on and off the membership on 5 separate events. Rocchio didn’t a lot make of an affect in his first 86 plate appearances. He didn’t hit a house run and limped to a .247/.279/.321 batting line. It wasn’t probably the most spectacular displaying, but it surely’s additionally in all probability not value making a judgment off a restricted pattern unfold throughout scattered views at massive league pitching.
In 537 plate appearances for Triple-A Columbus, Rocchio turned in a strong .280/.367/.421 displaying. He walked practically as usually as he struck out. Rocchio took free passes at an 11.2% clip whereas punching out simply 12.3% of the time. The Guardians prioritize bat-to-ball abilities, maybe greater than some other workforce. It’s truthful to query how a lot energy upside he possesses in a slight body — he hit simply seven homers in Triple-A — however he’s extra of a prototypical Cleveland hitter than Arias is.
Baseball America stays bullish on his possibilities of carving out a productive profession. He ranked because the #2 prospect within the Cleveland system and within the again half of their general High 100 this offseason. The outlet credit his superior really feel for hitting from each side of the plate and hole energy. He’s thought to be a strong defender with glorious baseball instincts. Rocchio has one possibility remaining.
Freeman additionally falls into the archetypal “Guardians hitter” mould. He makes a ton of contact with minimal energy. The proper-handed hitter appeared in 64 massive league contests final season, posting a modest .242/.295/.366 batting line. He was much better in a 24-game look in Triple-A, the place he hit .319/.457/.462 with virtually as many walks (12.9%) as strikeouts (13.8%).
Whereas he has a broadly related offensive profile to Rocchio, he’s not as highly-regarded defensively. The Guardians used him extra regularly at third base than shortstop final season, however he doesn’t have a path to constant enjoying time on the scorching nook until José Ramírez suffers an damage. Freeman turns 25 in Could and is coming into his ultimate possibility yr, so this could possibly be one thing of a make-or-break yr for him to determine himself as a long-term piece in Cleveland.
It’d be a shock if Tena’s within the combine for on a regular basis shortstop work, no less than early within the yr. The left-handed hitter might play a multi-positional position off the bench and rotate by way of the place at occasions. Tena was referred to as to the large leagues for the primary time in early August. He solely acquired 34 MLB plate appearances and struggled in that minuscule pattern (.226/.294/.290). The 22-year-old (23 in March) spent most of final season at Double-A Akron. He posted a .260/.353/.370 line over 362 journeys to the plate. Tena walked at a powerful 11.3% clip however struck out in an alarming 28.7% of his plate appearances. He nonetheless has an possibility remaining and can in all probability begin the yr in Columbus.
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Cleveland additionally has a pair of higher minors center infield prospects on the 40-man roster. Juan Brito, whom they acquired from Colorado in final yr’s Nolan Jones commerce, briefly reached Triple-A after posting a powerful .276/.373/.444 slash over 87 Double-A contests. Swap-hitting Angel Martínez mixed for a .251/.321/.394 line between the highest two minor league ranges as a 21-year-old.
Brito and Martínez are in all probability every higher fitted to second base. It’s unlikely both breaks camp with Cleveland, however they’re each in shut sufficient proximity to doubtlessly issue into the center infield competitors through the ’24 season. If both performs his solution to the second base job, the Guardians might contemplate sliding Andrés Giménez again to shortstop. Giménez performed completely on the keystone final yr however posted strong defensive metrics in his early-career work on the left facet of the diamond.