Guardians Roster Is Heading In The Right Direction

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This is the point in spring training when you see the youngsters performing, and you start daydreaming of future roster possibilities. Everything should be nothing but good vibes and optimism.

With that in mind, I've found myself thinking what the roster could look like some 16 months from now, post All-Star break ' 25. Taking a look at contracts, we have a good idea of who will and will not be around. It's simply easier to list the pending free agents, which include Shane Bieber, Scott Barlow, Austin Hedges, and Ben Lively. Nothing too insurmountable.

Jose Ramirez, Andres Gimenez, Steven Kwan, Josh Naylor, and Bo Naylor are everyday locks too. Kyle Manzardo should secure an everyday gig this season, splitting DH and first base duties with Josh Naylor.

On the pitching side of things, you can presumably lock in Triston McKenzie, Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, and Logan Allen. There's a small chance that Shane Bieber could return (have you seen the pending SP FA market?!), but for now, we'll assume he's moving on.

Bullpen-wise, there may only be two names you can write in pen - Emmanuel Clase and Trevor Stephen. Both are under contract through 2025, with club options for the years to follow. Bullpens are so volatile that I won't try to predict any further options.

So far, I've identified 12 of the 26 roster spots, and hopefully, the Guardian can find long-term solutions at short and center field during the 2024 season. Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio will likely get the first shots at shortstop, while newly acquired outfielder Estevan Florial needs to be given an opportunity to play more than others in center. The Guardians could also turn to George Valeria should things with Florial not live up to expectations.

Ideally, the club would also figure out a solution to the right field black hole. However, the Brennan/Laureano platoon seems destined to get the bulk of time out there. So, we can kick the can on that for another year or two. There are internal options available, including Johnathan Rodriguez and potentially Deyvison De Los Santos.

I say all of this because in just under a year and a half from now, there will be even more prospects ready for their shot at big league time - looking at you, Chase DeLauter, Juan Brito, and Daniel Espino.

With that in mind, what could a potential line-up look like following next season's All-Star Game?

Everyday lineup: Steven Kwan - LF Chase DeLauter - CF Deyvisoin De Los Santos - RF Josh Naylor - 1B Andres Gimenez - 2B Gabriel Arias/Brayan Rocchio - SS Jose Ramirez - 3B Bo Naylor - C Kyle Manzardo - DH

Bench: Tyler Freeman - INF/OF David Fry - C/INF Juan Brito - INF/OF Esteven Florial/George Valera - OF

Starting Rotation: Triston McKenzie - RHP Tanner Bibee - RHP Logan Allen - LHP Gavin Williams - RHP Joey Cantillo/Xzavion Curry/Tanner Burns/Hunter Gaddis

This is even before a single game is played in 2024, and a lot can change over the course of the season. In addition, any free agent signing would surely impact things. Adding a right-handed RF via free agency sure could make sense - but we've all been saying that for a few years now. After all, the team will likely have $30M+ coming off the books (enough to sign Juan Soto, lol) due to free-agent departures and Jean Segura's retained salary falling off.

Similarly, after a year in the Guardians' system, this season's number-one pick could be on the brink of a promotion, especially a college prospect. JJ Weatherholt (2B/SS/3B), Nick Kurtz (1B/DH), Travis Bazzana (2B), Chase Burns (RHP), and Charlie Condon (1B/OF) may all be in play for the Guardians with that first overall pick. Hopefully, the team goes with the best overall prospect - but depending on how things shake out, they may be content on filling a positional need, especially if they evaluate each similarly.

At the end of the day, it's fun to envision what some prospects could become, but remember, they are prospects for a reason. We'll hold out hope that they all pan out, but most won't. That said, things look bright for the Guardians' future.

With that in mind, what could a potential line-up look like following next season's All-Star Game?

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