Grading the Cleveland Guardians Opening Day roster by position
By Chad Porto
Infield
"Catcher (2): Austin Hedges, Bryan Lavastida First base (1): Bobby Bradley Second base (1): Yu Chang Third base (1): José Ramírez Shortstop (1): Andrés Giménez"
Overview:
The Guardians’ infield is rough. I think it’s the most problematic area on the whole roster. Bobby Bradley is a strikeout machine, Yu Chang has struggled at the major league level for three straight seasons and Andres Gimenez is only starting because Amed Rosario is being once again placed in the outfield. More on that later.
Gimenez has potential, maybe the most of all the younger, untested guys but he’s got to tap into it to be worth a spot.
As bad as all that is, the worst is at catcher. Austin Hedges is a bad hitter. He’s 29, turning 30 this season, and he’s only hit above .200 twice since 2015. Bryan Lavastida is filling in for Luke Maile, who’s not ready to start the season and Lavastida may be impressive at the plate, but we have no real way of knowing if his skills will translate. He’s a career .305 hitter in the minors, so maybe he can continue to show his skills at the plate in the major leagues.
Grade: C-
It’s only as high as it is because of Jose Ramirez. Otherwise, it’d be an F. This is the biggest question mark on the whole team, with a lot of “good players” who need to step up.