Potential addition to outfield not out of the question for the Cleveland Guardians

When it comes to areas that the Cleveland Guardians need to improve this winter, the starting rotation is usually the first to be mentioned. However, Cleveland's outfield is a position group that could also use some help. The Guardians were able to get by with Steven Kwan and a bunch of part-time players, but there is no reason to settle for that again next season, and it appears that the decision-makers in Cleveland's front office agree.

Guardians president of baseball operations, Chris Antonetti, was recently quoted on the matter. "We can also look for opportunities to add; if there’s a right complementary player out there that we think makes sense to bring into the mix, we’re open to doing that.". Even though there is the usual tone used by Cleveland's front office that signals a thorough evaluation process of external and internal options available to them, not closing the door entirely about adding someone is noteworthy.

The reality of the situation in Cleveland is that someone else who can be a consistent contributor offensively is needed in the outfield, as relying on Steven Kwan to carry the weight for the other two is not fair to him and the rest of the team. Lane Thomas is the only other outfielder on the major league roster who is closest to being a full-time player, even though he is actually best suited for a part-time/platoon role.

With the state of their outfield last season, the Guardians trotted out plenty of options in an attempt to find a full-time solution. Jhonkensy Noel was able to become a regular presence in their lineup late last season, but there are some concerns about him being able to replicate his success due to his hitting profile. Noel is still going to strike out at ton while not walking very much, and it is very hard to find consistent success with that combination. And this is all before mentioning that Noel's time in the outfield should be limited as much as possible while being relegated to time at first base and DH.

When it comes to the rest of the group, Will Brennan is probably the best other option here, as he is a league-average bat, which is fine but not great. Angel Martinez, Tyler Freeman, and Daniel Scheemann also saw time in the outfield, but none of them are true outfielders, just players who made appearances in the outfield.

Of course, highly regarded prospect Chase DeLauter could be an option for the Guardians to incorporate into their major league outfield next season, but he is far from being a slam-dunk prospect that most expect to be a meaningful contributor from the jump. Even if DeLauter makes his debut and is an average offensive player, that really does not solve the Guardians' outfield problem. Someone else is going to be needed to produce, and that someone very well could be an external option that is added sometime this winter. Luckily, the Guardians are willing to explore those options rather than bowing out beforehand and standing pat like they have many times before.