How the Cleveland Guardians can fix their outfield issues

Last Friday, Slade Cecconi had a chance to throw the first complete game by a Cleveland Guardian since Shane Bieber did so on July 12, 2022. 

And then his outfield let him down. 

It started with a triple from Nick Kurtz that had an 80% catch probability but hit the ground thanks to a misplay in center from Angel Martínez. An at-bat later, Brent Rooker recorded a triple thanks to an even worse misplay from Johnathan Rodríguez on a ball that had an expected batting average of .050. 

While Cecconi was able to rebound and strikeout Tyler Soderstrom, his day ended one at-bat later on a double from Shea Langeliers where he took an extra base thanks to Rodríguez overrunning the ball. 

Although Emmanuel Clase was able to come in and clean up the mess to secure the win, it was a bit deflating to see Cecconi get stuck with six runs on his ledger after shoving for the first eight innings. 

At this point, the Guardians are playing with fire by keeping Martínez and Rodríguez in the outfield, and it’s only a matter of time until their defense costs them a game (if it hasn’t already). 

Here’s how they can fix it.

Here’s the best way the Guardians can organize their outfield.

Left field
Steven Kwan 

Perhaps the easiest fix. Kwan sat out all three games against The Athletics due to a nagging right wrist injury. He said that the injury has been there all year, but he made it worse with a big swing against the Astros two weeks ago. He received an injection after the All-Star Game and it seems like he won’t need an injured list, but the Guardians still needed to fill left field in his absence. 

Nolan Jones got the start in left field in all three games (and did fine in Kwan’s absence), but putting Jones in left opened up right field, which is why Rodríguez got a chance to bumble around in right field. 

While Rodríguez smashed his first career home run on Monday, there hasn’t been a ton of positives for him this year. He’s been worth -2 Outs Above Average in the outfield, and 67% of the balls that he’s put in play have been on the ground. His -0.9 bWAR is the second-lowest among Cleveland’s position players ahead of only Jhonkensy Noel. 

Jones has played better after his rough start, but he’s no Kwan. Getting an All-Star back in left is the first (and easiest) order of business.

Center field
Lane Thomas… or Nolan Jones… or…

Guardians center fielders have combined for a .219/.261/.367 slashline that’s a bit inflated thanks to Martínez’s strong performance at the plate  as of late. 

And while the Guardians should keep him in the lineup because of that production, they should move him out of center field. He’s been worth -2 Outs Above Average in center field and -1 OOA in right field, but has been worth 1 OOA at second base, which is his natural position. 

Part of the reason he’s been playing in center field is because of Thomas’ injury. Thomas is currently on the injured list due to his right foot plantar fasciitis flaring up for the second time this season. He’s been a bit of a disappointment and has been floated as a trade deadline candidate, but he seemed to be getting comfortable at the plate prior to getting hurt. 

Jones could also be an option in center field if the Guardians end up trading Thomas, but he seems set to continue to man right field (more on that in a second). 

There also really isn’t a good option in the minors. Chase DeLauter is more of a corner outfielder (and is about to visit a specialist for his wrist injury). If the Guardians do elect to go toward a youth movement this year, Petey Halpin could end up getting some starts in center. He’s been the Clippers primary center fielder this year and is on the 40-man roster.

Right field
Nolan Jones, Jhonkensy Noel, the ghost of Brandon Guyer...

Had DeLauter not gotten hurt, we likely would have already seen what he could do to fill the team’s black hole in right field, but he got a late start to the season after offseason surgery and hasn’t played in a game since July 11 due to his aforementioned wrist injury. 

Jones has hit .251 since the start of May to go along with a .335 on-base percentage and has helped settle the bottom of Cleveland’s lineup. The initial plan this season was for him to split time with Noel in right field, but that plan got blown up due to Noel’s struggles. 

As mentioned above, his -1.3 bWAR is the lowest mark on the team, and he’s currently playing at Triple-A. He briefly got back on the roster in Houston when Kyle Manzardo went on the restricted list, but he went 0-for-4 in his lone at-bats. 

But regardless of the warts that Jones and Noel have, it’s clear they’re both better options than Rodríguez. While Rodríguez was named the International League MVP last season, nearly 70% of the balls he’s hit in his career have been on the ground and can’t hit the ball hard. 

Though he did hit his first career home run on Friday, he still shouldn't be an everyday player.

Guardians right fielders have combined for a wRC+ of 56 this year, so this is a position where they could use a clear upgrade. If they choose to be sellers, getting a right fielder should be their main priority. But if they choose to sell, expect to continue to see a lot of Jones and Noel here.