Guardians add to infield logjam by adding power-hitting Triple-A mainstay to big league roster

While Milan Tolentino has been in the Guardians organization since 2020, we’ve yet to see him in the big leagues. That could change in 2027. 

Yesterday the Guardians kicked off the offseason by making three roster moves. The first two moves weren’t surprising at all (declining Trevor Stephan’s mutual option and their part of Shawn Armstrong’s mutual option), but their third one was, as they added Tolentino to their 40-man roster. He was set to become a minor league free agent. 

Tolentino may be a tenured member of the Guardians’ minor league system, but he never really seemed to be anywhere close to earning a big league spot thanks to the Guardians’ sheer number of minor league prospects.

That may still be the case thanks to the presence of Travis Bazzana, Angel Genao and Brayan Rocchio being entrenched in the big leagues, but it seems like the Guardians’ front office thinks there’s a chance Tolentino could be a part of the Guardians’ big league equation this season as a utility option. 

Milan Tolentino just became a part of the Guardians’ middle-infield picture 

Tolentino finished 2026 with a .225/.328/.453 slashline with 21 home runs and 76 RBI in 129 games at Triple-A. It marked the second straight season he recorded 21 homers at Triple-A, but he had a slight uptick in almost every category. He’s the exact opposite of the usual kind of hitter the Guardians got after (57 strikeouts), but that power potential could make it all worth it (67 career minor league home runs). 

The one upside is his strong walk rate (12.5% in 2026), so there seems to be a chance for him to make an impact as a three true outcome bench player. Daniel Schneemann has occupied that bench spot for the better part of the past two seasons, but he posted an OPS+ of 72 in 91 games last year and spent most of the summer playing at Triple-A with Tolentino. 

Schneemann was a glove-first bench option who didn’t provide much with the bat, whereas Tolentino would be a clear offense-first option. He spent most of last season at shortstop, but has also seen time at second and third base. The Guardians also put him in the outfield occasionally (which Guardians prospect hasn’t seen time in the outfield in recent years?), but his future is clearly on the dirt. 

Although the Guardians adding Tolentino to their 40-man roster doesn’t mean he’s a lock to make their big league roster, it’s going to give him his best chance to make the roster in his seven years with the organization. He’s obviously not going to take José Ramírez’s spot on the roster but he may have enough power to make a big league impact. 

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