Cleveland Guardians: What would the 2022 Opening Day roster look like right now?

It might not be pretty, but let’s take a look at what the Cleveland Guardians lineup would look like if the season started right this second.

Major League Baseball’s lockout has of course turned the hot stove ice-cold, so let’s have some hypothetical fun in the meantime. If the 2022 season suddenly started today, what would the Cleveland Guardians Opening Day lineup look like?

A look at the Cleveland Guardians (potential) Opening Day roster

Infield

Catcher: Austin Hedges

First base: Bobby Bradley

Second base: Andrés Giménez

Shortstop: Amed Rosario

Third base: Jose Ramirez

The Guardians seem ready to give Rosario the job at shortstop for the foreseeable future, while Ramirez obviously has third base locked down. With the current iteration of the 40-man roster, Bobby Bradley is likely your Opening Day first baseman, especially as Josh Naylor continues to recover from his leg and ankle injuries – and it just doesn’t seem likely Yu Chang would vault Bradley at the position right now.

Second base remains a huge question mark for the Guardians. There is no shortage of options currently on the roster; it’s just that no one has really separated himself from the pack. Someone in spring training will have to rise to the top and claim the position, and it seems most likely that the team will give Andrés Giménez one more crack at a full-time role before starting to think about other options.