New Daniel Schneemann roster wrinkle could give Guardians even more versatility for stretch run 

Daniel Schneemann has done a little bit of everything in his time with the Cleveland Guardians. 

Schneemann has played in 292 games with the Guardians since he first got recalled in 2024, and has seen time at every position but catcher and first base in that time. 

But he may add one of those positions to his ledger soon.

On Friday, MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins put out a new story where he reported that Schneemann has been getting some work in at first base over the past month.

Even if Stebbins frames that work as “behind the scenes,” Schneemann seeing some time at first would give the Guardians’ already versatile lineup even more flexibility as they make their run toward the postseason. 

Daniel Schneemann could fit into the Guardians' first base picture

That defensive versatility is the reason Schneemann’s on the Guardians’ big league roster.

Although he’s hitting just .206 this year and has a career OPS+ that’s 22% worse than league average (which is the reason he got demoted at the beginning of August), the Guardians called him up when roster expanded specifically so he could be a late-game defensive replacement. 

And that’s exactly what he’s been. All five of his appearances since getting called up have been as a late-game replacement, and has gone 1-for-5 with a walk-off single against the Tigers. 

Although it can be easy to take Schneemann’s defense for granted since he's been so steady at every position he plays, he ranks in the 92nd percentile in Outs Above Average this season and has been a plus-defender at second base, third base and center field. 

He wouldn’t need to be a plus-defender to be an additive at first base. Just look at David Fry, who has recorded just three starts at first since Rhys Hoskins went on the injured list. 

Nathaniel Lowe has become the Guardians’ everyday first baseman, but the Guardians love getting the platoon advantage. 

So adding Schneemann to the first base rotation would allow for the Guardians to be more aggressive in pinch-hitting for either Lowe or Fry early in games knowing that they have another option who could cover first. 

Or, as Stebbins pointed out, both players could get pinch-run for late in games, which could open up another door for Schneemann to see time at first. 

The obvious flaw with that is any one of those moves means Schneemann would be playing first late in a game, which could be disastrous. Schneemann would never start a game at first for the Guardians, so the idea of him playing first in a late-game, do-or-die situation is a bit scary. 

Even if Schneemann has struggled at the plate, his versatility has largely made up for it. If the time he’s been putting in at first continues to go well, that versatility could end up being even more important. 

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