Don't be surprised by shakeups as Guardians evaluate outfield
Mandy Bell
@MandyBell02We’re back with another edition of Around the Horn. If you’ve missed any of the previous installments, our goal is to go position by position to examine what questions the Guardians may need to answer before the end of Spring Training.
Projected starters: Steven Kwan, Myles Straw, Will Brennan
Maybe instead of projected starters, we label this category as “placeholders” for now. The Guardians have some question marks across the outfield, and who could play where won't become clearer until Spring Training is underway. For now, we’ll stick with what they’ve turned to in the past. However, there could easily be some shakeups this year.
The one name that’s for sure is Kwan. The Guardians’ leadoff hitter will once again be a mainstay in Cleveland’s lineup. In 2022, Kwan had as consistent of a season as he could’ve asked for. Last year, he had one hot month (July, hitting .330 with an .899 OPS) and battled for the rest of the season. But the two-time Gold Glover still has excellent patience at the plate and above-average defense that makes him a no-brainer to get everyday at-bats despite any hiccups. And this year, he’s ready to right some of those wrongs.
“This offseason, I had [José Ramírez] as one of the guys I want to learn from,” Kwan said. “Just working on bat angles, bat speed. Bat speed’s been a big one. I’m just trying to get a little uptick anywhere I can. I don’t think it’ll sacrifice any of the contact, but I think if I can swing the bat a little harder, have a little more intent, anticipate a little more. ...”
What’s less certain is right field. We can leave Brennan in that slot for now, but he’ll have a lot to prove in Spring Training, considering his offensive production dipped quite a bit in ’23. And with a ton of other names now in the mix, it’ll be a more competitive battle for Brennan to earn the starting job.
Backup options: Ramón Laureano, George Valera, Johnathan Rodriguez, Estevan Florial, Jhonkensy Noel, Petey Halpin
Suddenly, the Guardians have a very crowded outfield pool. Laureano could be an option at any outfield spot. Florial, who was just acquired in December from the Yankees, is a natural center fielder who can play all over the grass. He hasn’t seen the same success in the big leagues (in a tremendously small sample size) that he had in the Minors, but the Yankees former top prospect may benefit from a change of scenery. Rodriguez is coming off a stellar year, hitting .286 with an .897 OPS between Double-A and Triple-A. And with a little more time, Valera, Noel and Halpin -- all of whom will get looks in Guardians camp -- could all be knocking on the big league door.
Question to answer: Can Straw hit?
If not, it’s going to be hard for the Guardians to continue justifying his role in the everyday lineup. Straw was confident that his ’22 struggles were behind him when he reported to Spring Training last year, yet his numbers were nearly the same in ’23, hitting .238 with a .597 OPS (a mere 69 OPS+). He’s an excellent defender, but the Guardians need offense. The team can sacrifice some leather for some wood. Whether it be having Laureano or Florial take over center field or moving Kwan to center and having any of the other outfield options man left, the Guardians now have a plethora of choices if Straw shows any indication that improvement is not in the immediate future.
Who else is in the Pipeline?