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

Outfield

Left field: Oscar Mercado

Center field: Myles Straw

Right field: Bradley Zimmer

If the season started today, the Guardians would be in some serious trouble in regards to the state of their outfield. It clearly needs an overhaul beyond Straw in center, but among the current roster, Mercado and Zimmer would likely man the corner spots. Naylor is obviously still rehabbing and it’s doubtful any of the realistic (i.e. not George Valera) potential outfield prospects on the 40-man roster – Steven Kwan, Richie Palacios, or Nolan Jones – would make enough of an impact in spring training to warrant a spot in the Opening Day lineup.

In other words, things are currently very grim in the Guardians outfield, which is why the team is actively looking for help on the trade front, which includes the likes of Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds, Cincinnati’s Jesse Winker, and more.

Pitching Staff

Rotation

• Shane Bieber
• Aaron Civale
• Zach Plesac
• Cal Quantrill
• Triston McKenzie

The Guardians rotation is so good it should make you actually want the season to start right this second no matter what. This pitching staff endured what felt like a once-in-a-century rash of injuries last season that derailed what were becoming some decent playoff hopes up until the All-Star break, so maintaining some normal level of health will be paramount to the team’s success in 2022.

If that happens, and almost everyone in the rotation is making 30+ starts… the sky’s the limit for this team.

Bullpen

The Guardians bullpen is full of young arms, but the most important thing is that Emmanuel Clase is the undisputed closer, allowing everything else to fall in line from there.  Cleveland might bring in a veteran or two for additional bullpen support (hello, Bryan Shaw!) when the lockout is over, but Clase and Nick Sandlin as a potential setup man already provide an excellent 1-2 punch to close out games. And if James Karinchak can get back on track, the Guardians will have a deeper bullpen than people realize.

The Verdict

So if the season actually started today, what are the Guardians’ prospects? To be honest, if the playoff field isn’t expanded, the team as currently constructed continues to have glaring holes on offense. Sure, a prospect or two might make immediate contributions this season, but that’s a tall order and something no true playoff contender should be banking on.

The Guardians absolutely have to do something about the current state of their outfield if they want to have any hopes of competing for a playoff spot, let alone the AL Central.