It's getting clearer every day Guardians have found first baseman of the future

On Wednesday, the Cleveland Guardians designated Carlos Santana for assignment in a move  that impacted Cleveland’s roster in a variety of ways. 

First off, it ended the tenure for one of the most well-regarded players in franchise history while also signaling the team may have made the wrong decision offering him a contract this year in the first place. 

But it also signaled that the team is ready to give the keys at first base to Kyle Manzardo. While Manzardo’s strong run of play has been evident all season, the Guardians’ decision to part ways with Santana is the strongest example of the team publicly supporting him. 

 It's getting clearer every day Guardians have found first baseman of the future

For a couple brief moments in the offseason, it looked like the Guardians had decided to give first base to Manzardo when they traded Josh Naylor to the Diamondbacks in exchange for Slade Cecconi and a draft pick. 

But, not long after, they signed Santana to a one-year, $12 million contract, which immediately put Manzardo in a timeshare with one of the most beloved veterans in team history. 

But that hasn’t stopped Manzardo’s growth this year, even if he’s been put in a couple awkward situations due to Santana’s presence on the roster. He’s slashing .231/.312/.449 in 114 games to go along with 12 home runs, 57 RBI and 14 doubles. 

He’s also been one of the more clutch players on the team’s roster, as he’s racked up three walk-off hits this year. His latest game-ending affair came on Wednesday in one of the Guardians’ biggest wins of the year. 

He’s also gotten better as the season has gone on. Manzardo’s slashed .267/.358/.467 in the second half with six home runs and three doubles. While he may not eclipse the 15 home run total he reached in the first half, his slugging percentage is up nearly 20 points compared to his numbers in the first half and his OPS is up nearly 100 points. 

He’s posted a wRC+ of 131 in the second-half, which is tied for the tenth-mark best in baseball among first baseman in that period. 

The Guardians’ decision to get rid of Santana also frees up more opportunities for prospect C.J. Kayfus who will likely be alternating between first base and designated hitter alongside Manzardo. 

“Right now, we want to give the opportunities to C.J. and Manzo to play a little bit more and get them onto the field,” Stephen Vogt said last weekend, per MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins.

They made that clear by sending Santana packing. The Guardians got Manzardo from the Rays in a trade that gets better by the day, and he reminded his old team what they lost on Wednesday with his aforementioned walk-off. 

It was also a reminder to all of Cleveland that they’ve got a good one on their hands.