Guardians decision to move Steven Kwan to center could impact toolsy utility player 

While the Guardians are coming off a season where their outfielders combined for a wRC+ of 77 (the second-worst mark in baseball), the only addition they made in the outfield was Stuart Fairchild on a minor league contract. 

But part of the reason why they did that was because of the number of young options they have in-house. 

And Stephen Vogt finally addressed that topic earlier this week by saying the Guardians have an eye-popping 14 (!!) players competing for an outfield spot this spring.  

Steven Kwan took a huge first step toward figuring out that picture by saying that he’d be open to moving to center field, and the Guardians have stuck their money where their mouth is by having him play there in his last two appearances. 

But every move comes with some kind of corresponding impact, and, in the case of moving Kwan to center, it means that Angel Martínez could be without a spot after leading the team in center field appearances last season. 

And although there’s an argument to be made that Martínez should be nowhere near center field, his hot spring has likely changed the calculus for a team desperate for any kind of outfield production. 

Guardians complicated outfield picture could cause huge ripple effect on rest of roster

Martínez’s future presents an interesting test case for what the Guardians are looking to prioritize in their outfield. As mentioned above, Martínez got the most starts in center for Cleveland (114 games), but part of that was due to necessity thanks to injuries and underperformance from other players. 

If Kwan moves to center full-time, then Martínez would be relegated to one of the corner outfield spots where he’d be competing with Chase DeLauter and George Valera for playing time. 

That said, there’s a case to be made that Martínez could be better suited for a corner spot since he’d have less area to cover and would be able to showcase a throwing that finished in the 96th percentile last season (average throw of 96.3 miles per hour). 

He’s also swung a hot bat this spring (.385 average, two homers), which is a welcome sight. 

As a former infielder, Martínez has the athleticism needed to play in the outfield, it was just clear last season that his instincts weren’t where they needed to be. 

And even if there’s a chance that could be better in 2026 thanks to him spending all offseason training as an outfielder, the best way to mitigate any potential disaster is by moving him off center. 

Depending on how things shake out in the outfield, Martínez could be part of a group of players fighting for one or two bench spots. 

Martínez’s versatility will likely give him a leg up, but he’s not the only young outfielder proving himself this spring. Petey Halpin’s hitting .500 and has been showcasing a new-look swing, whereas Kahlil Watson’s hitting .600 with two doubles and a triple. 

The Guardians clearly have no shortage of outfield options, which is a good problem to have after how things went last season. 

But, for Cleveland to compete for a third straight division title, the front office is going to need to make the right decision in who to pick from that group.