3 key Guardians storylines this spring

This story was excerpted from Mandy Bell's Guardians Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

It’s been the same narrative each season for the last three years: The Guardians are young, and with youth comes plenty of questions and uncertainty. But somehow this team has found a way to get even younger, creating even more questions.

The Guardians decided to stick with most of their internal talent, rather than tapping into the free-agent market or making blockbuster trades this winter. That means young outfielders may get their chance to make an impression in the big leagues. A 20-year-old infielder who has never played above Double-A may take a roster spot. And we still don’t know who will win the shortstop job.

There are going to be more than enough topics to keep your eyes on this spring. Now that camp is officially underway, here’s a look at three storylines I’ve picked to watch over the next six weeks.

Can Manzardo make the Opening Day roster?

The Manzardo vs. De Los Santos battle will be talked about the entire spring. And maybe there’s a way that Kyle Manzardo (Cleveland’s No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline) and Deyvison De Los Santos (No. 12) can both be on this Opening Day roster, but at this point that seems hard to believe.

Prior to the Guardians selecting 20-year-old De Los Santos in the Rule 5 Draft, it seemed plausible (maybe even probable) that Manzardo -- for whom the team traded Aaron Civale at last year’s Deadline -- could begin the year in the big leagues. The hope is that both his hit ability and the power potential he demonstrated in the Minors could translate in the Majors for a team that could use some flare in the middle of the order. Although the organization frets about young players playing in Cleveland in April and hurting their confidence, it wasn’t (and still isn’t) off the table that Manzardo could be in the mix from Day 1.

But with De Los Santos, who needs to remain on the active roster for the entirety of the season if the Guardians don’t want to offer him back to Arizona, in the picture, it’s hard to find room for both first basemen to get reps behind Josh Naylor. Long term, De Los Santos is quite intriguing for the Guardians. He’s a true power hitter -- the opposite of what this organization usually produces. It could be the type of bat this team has been looking for, but it will take time for him to continue to develop. And doing that in the big leagues will only be more challenging.

How will the outfield shake out?

We know Steven Kwan will be somewhere. We expect Ramón Laureano to at least be the fourth outfielder after Cleveland locked him up to a one-year deal to avoid arbitration early in the offseason. But then come the question marks.

Will Myles Straw show he’s made strides offensively this winter to earn his everyday role in center field? Can Will Brennan do enough to reclaim his spot in right field despite the young players who are now in the mix? Is it time to pass the baton to guys like George Valera and Johnathan Rodriguez? Do they just need a new face like Estevan Florial, who they got from the Yankees this winter?

The offensive production from the outfield, collectively, has been low the last few years. Kwan is a solid leadoff hitter, but there’s only so much he can do to carry the group’s numbers. The Guardians are looking for more pop from center and right field. It’s going to be one of the main focuses for the team over the next six weeks.

Who will round out the bullpen?

Six of the potential eight names the Guardians will carry in the bullpen seem all but certain: Emmanuel Clase, Scott Barlow, Trevor Stephan, Sam Hentges, Nick Sandlin and Eli Morgan. Then, the Guardians will need to decide if Xzavion Curry is the best man to remain in the long-relief role or if he would be better as a sixth starter waiting in Triple-A if the Guardians would need it. Whatever role Curry gets, it’s likely Carlos Carrasco would fill the other.

That still leaves one spot, assuming the Guardians carry eight relievers on the Opening Day roster. Cade Smith can try to earn his first spot on the big league roster. James Karinchak will be fighting to demonstrate that his command struggles are a thing of the past. Will Tim Herrin throw himself back into the mix?

The Guardians have more questions to answer this spring than they have the last few years.