5 Cleveland Guardians that must improve with Steven Kwan out of the lineup

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After the immediate doom and gloom feeling following the announcement that the Cleveland Guardians were going to be without the services of Gold Glove left fielder Steven Kwan, the focus quickly turned to who was going to step up to help replace his offensive production in his absence.

While the Guardians have only played a handful of games without Kwan and own a 3-1 record during that time (4-1 if the majority of the game he exited is being factored in), they are still going to need a few other hitters in the lineup who have mostly disappointed this year to turn things around at the plate. There are five players in particular that can be identified as possible solutions to the Guardians' problem, but before we get into those names, there are a few that should be mentioned that are not going to appear on the following list.

Bo Naylor and Austin Hedges

Would it be great if the Guardians were able to get more offensive production out of these two? Absolutely. However, focusing squarely on these two rather than other options is simply an incorrect evaluation process. Naylor is a young catcher still finding his way, and Hedges is his backup and mainly a positive clubhouse presence. The focus should be placed on others rather than the top two backstops on the roster.

Will Brennan

The inclusion of Will Brennan here follows a similar logic to the above-mentioned catching duo. Brennan is a very average bat in the lineup who is going to produce very average results. With an OPS+ of 100 through 32 games played, Brennan has performed exactly average so far, and more of that should be expected moving forward. Now, if Brennan's performance craters as time goes on, it would be time for a discussion to take place. But until then, Brennan's performance is acceptable for the time being.

Estevan Florial

Expecting someone different? Well, you shouldn't. Estevan Florial has seen some time atop the Cleveland Guardians lineup with Steven Kwan sidelined, and he does not have a lot to show for it. With just three hits in 16 at-bats, along with four strikeouts and zero walks, Florial is not shaping up to be a suitable replacement for Kwan at the top of the lineup. Sure, two of his three hits are doubles, and that is helpful, but he is not a leadoff hitter in any way, shape, or form.

It was not that long ago that Florial was able to have an OPS+ well over 100 thanks to a few home runs hit in a short span. Florial's OPS+ now sits at 91 while he carries a 37.5% strikeout rate, neither being all that encouraging.

Some of the most ardent Florial supporters have pointed out his ability to hit the ball hard as a positive. The problem is he does not make nearly enough contact to warrant the support he has received. There is a scenario where Florial could be somewhat useful, but it does not include being Kwan's leadoff replacement. The only way it would make sense for Florial to see semi-regular at-bats would be by being buried in the bottom third of the order.

It would be a welcome sight for everyone if Florial became the hitter everyone imagined he could be, but that does not seem like it is ever going to happen, and placing him in the leadoff spot is just further exposing the flaws in his hitting profile. The only real explanation for his spot atop the order is that they are trying to give him enough at-bats that they can fully justify cutting ties with him upon Kwan's return. While there is a chance that Florial could change his future for the better with an improved performance at the plate, it does not seem like something that is likely to happen.

Gabriel Arias

Another member of this Cleveland Guardians team with staunch supporters without having a ton of positive results. Gabriel Arias.

Arias is another player who could see his usage increase following Kwan's injury. The problem with Arias is, like the previously mentioned Estevan Florial, the idea of what he could be as a player is significantly better than the on-field results.

Slashing just .233/.253/.356 with four doubles, one triple, and one home run, Arias has struggled to make much of a positive impression in the early going. Not helping matters is his 32.% strikeout rate and 75 OPS+, both being very close to his career averages (32.1% and 76).

While it must be stated that the amount of playing time Arias has received and being deployed at multiple positions is not helping his offensive performance, at some point, these just become excuses and not reasons. The fact of the matter is that Arias would be a lineup regular if he was not routinely an offensive drain. Arias would be locked into one position if he was head and shoulder better than every other option. But the reality is that he is neither, and it appears that he is destined to be a bench/utility player, seeing time a few times a week in multiple spots rather than an everyday starter.

With Kwan out of the lineup, Arias should have a few more opportunities to prove he is better than he has shown thus far, and it would be very welcome if he could. It just does not seem all that likely, considering his track record and overall performance.

Brayan Rocchio

One of only two full-time players who will appear on this list, the Cleveland Guardians need more offensive production from starting shortstop Brayan Rocchio.

Rocchio has been very pedestrian at the plate for the most part, slashing .223/.319/.343 through 155 plate appearances. There is one area that pretty much anyone who follows the Guardians would find surprising about Rocchio's offensive output so far, and that would be leading the team in doubles with eight. Not many people associate Rocchio with extra-base hits, but being able to get doubles production out of someone who usually hits singles is a nice bonus. While a good amount of these two-baggers are of the hustle variety and not hit deep into the gap, managing to take that extra base has proven incredibly valuable.

Some more production will be needed from Rocchiogoing forward if he is going to help make up for the loss of Kwan, as well as establish himself as the Guardians shortstop moving forward. There is a reason to believe that Rocchio could provide average production at the bottom of Clevland's lineup, helping set the table for the top of the order. Reaching base nearly one-third of the time is a good start, but being able to collect a few more hits would be a huge difference-maker, considering the absence of Kwan in the leadoff spot.

Ramon Laureano

There are a couple of players on this list whose time with the Cleveland Guardians organization could be coming to an end in the near future, and Ramon Laureano is one of them. Cleveland took a chance on Laureano last season, hoping that a change of scenery could do him some good. While he was able to produce at a league-average level down the stretch last year, it has not carried over into 2024.

Laureano has nine hits in 61 at-bats (75 plate appearances) with 28 strikeouts and seven walks. The only positive about his low amount of hits collected is nearly half of them have gone for extra bases (three doubles and one home run).

Ideally, Laureano would be able to find a way to be passable with a bat in his hands, making up for some of the offensive production from Cleveland's outfield without Steven Kwan. The issue with Laureano is he has mostly been a non-factor at the plate, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to justify his roster spot. Laureano's only saving grace is that he can play in both right and center field, giving him some versatility defensively that could be used as a late-game replacement for someone who is not adept in the area. Additionally, his speed and ability on the basepaths should give him a little more time as well over some other less intriguing options.

Tyler Freeman

The second Cleveland Guardians lineup regular to make an appearance on this list, Tyler Freeman needs to find some level of consistency at the plate.

Slashing .194/.288/.330 with five doubles and three home runs in 119 plate appearances, the Guardians opted to convert Freeman to the outfield after it was clear he would not be able to find playing time as an infielder. This resulted in moving on from Myles Straw as the team's everyday center fielder, with Freeman getting the bulk of the reps.

Even though Freeman's performance as a hitter has not resulted in a ton of positive results, it was a little more tolerable when Steven Kwan and his 161 OPS+ were still in the lineup. But without Kwan, Freeman's 80 OPS+ becomes much more of an issue that is impossible to ignore.

There have been stretches where Freeman has looked to be an average bat, and if he can find a way to do that more regularly, it will help raise the production floor for the Guardians and hopefully result in a more consistent offense. The Guardians already have enough players who are inconsistent at the plate that they are trying to find a way to work into the mix. If Freeman can increase his batting average while maintaining his improved ability to hit for extra bases, it would go a long way. Not only now Cleveland is without one of their best hitters in Kwan, but upon his return to the lineup as well.