The Cleveland Guardians’ Opening Day roster broken down and graded.
It’s opening day! That means the Cleveland Guardians are officially back. The team is as young and inexperienced as ever but key trades over the last few years as reset the clock on this team. The young talent they acquired are ready to mature and should they live up to those lofty expectations, that means the team may be ready to not only get back to the playoffs but make some noise once they get there.
Last year, the team had their first losing season since Terry Francona joined their squad. Francona was out most of the year with a variety of injuries, as was Ace pitcher Shane Bieber. They’re both back and ready to get to work. Should both men remain healthy, there’s little doubt in my mind that this club could in fact get back to the playoffs with minimal additions to the roster.
The team also set up fans to enjoy Opening Day like never before thanks in part to the new deal that third basemen Jose Ramirez landed. He’ll now be under team control until he’s 35 years old. How his contract breaks down after the new extension kicks in will surely be interesting but he’s sticking around; something he, the team, and the fans were all hoping for.
This isn’t the same team as in 2017 that had World Series-or-bust aspirations attached to it but it is a team on the cusp of breaking out and showing the world what they can be. Hopefully, the next great players in Guardians’ history are on this squad and are about to prove to the world that they’ve arrived.
With that said, lets’ take a deeper look at the team.
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.
Outfield
"Outfield (5): Myles Straw, Josh Naylor, Bradley Zimmer, Oscar Mercado, Amed Rosario, Steven Kwan"
Overview:
The outfield is, on paper, deceptively good, but a few things need to break in order for that to be an actuality and not just an exercise. Myles Straw may have an All-Star caliber season and if Josh Naylor can rebound, that’s a nice two-some. Amed Rosario played very well at shortstop last year, but he started out in the outfield, where he struggled. Getting moved fixed his confidence nad his bat came alive last year. I have concerns about his confidence once again dipping playing in the outfield too much.
Oscar Mercado is fine, but he’s not going to win an everyday spot, and the fact Bradley Zimmer is once again getting the nod is baffling. The reason why you shouldn’t write this bunch off is Steven Kwan. Kwan just hits. Every level, every type of talent, Kwan hits. He won’t hit 40 home runs, but if he finishes the year under .290, I’ll be genuinely surprised. He’s one of those guys that just produces and I have no reason not to think he won’t do that with the Guardians.
Grade: B-
Naylor’s recovery and Kwan’s improvement are going to be keys for this club. If Naylor doesn’t bounce back and Kwan fails to improve his game as he gets the callup, this will be a very bad part of the team.
Utilities
"Designated hitter (1): Franmil Reyes Utility (2): Owen Miller, Ernie Clement"
Overview:
Getting Franmil Reyes in the Trevor Bauer deal was a godsend. He’s got power and consistency, but like with Bobby Bradley, Reyes strikes out too much. He averaged well over one strikeout per game last year. That’s a stat line he needs to significantly cut down on. He’s easily the team’s second-best hitter and may be forced into action in the outfield if guys don’t do what is expected of them.
The utility guys may get a lot of reps if the infield fails to inspire. Owen Miller was hitting .400 at one point in Triple-A before getting called up and struggling his butt off. Ernie Clement didn’t fare much better, hitting just .230 in limited action last year. He did hit .467 in spring training and while that’s not a number you can expect Clement to actually reproduce, if he can hit .250 or better he may very well be able to take a lineup spot away from one of the incumbent middle infielders.
Grade: B
Owen Miller, Ernie Clement, and Franmil Reyes are still young enough to take the next leap but if anyone is going to, it’s Owen Miller. He’s shown he can play at a high level but getting used to major league pitching is going to be something he has to do at a much quicker rate than what we saw in 2021.
Starters
"Starting pitchers (5): Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac, Cal Quantrill, Triston McKenzie"
Overview:
The Cleveland Guardians are going to be very good at pitching. I don’t think Zach Plesac is the team’s real No. 2, I think that’s Cal Quantrill. He started off 2021 as a long-reliever and did very well in that role but when he was moved to the rotation in part to help fill in for Shane Bieber, he struggled a bit. His ERA ballooned to a 4.23 in July but by the end of the season, he got it back down to a 2.89. He struggled with the endurance of moving from the pen to the rotation but after he got that worked out, his control really came through. He was one of those key pieces in the Mike Clevinger trade for a reason and he’s going to fill in nicely for the team’s second starter.
Plesac had a down year, but I think that’s more who he is. That said, a 4.00+ ERA is not bad for what I think he is; the fourth starter. I think Aaron Civale is going to take a massive leap forward, as is Triston McKenzie. McKenzie, however, has the least control of the five and will likely be seen as the No. 5 starter until he proves otherwise.
When you have Shane Bieber leading the way, however, it’s hard to not earn an A as a group. The only concern I really have is depth. Eli Morgan can fill in if needed but he’s a better option out of the pen for now. After him, I’m worried about real major league starting talent.
Grade: A-
I expect Bieber, Quantrill, and Civale to have massive years for the Guards and if Plesac can have a sub-4.00 ERA, then I think you’re looking at a 90 win team this year.
Relievers
"Relievers (9): Emmanuel Clase, Anthony Gose, Nick Sandlin, Trevor Stephan, Bryan Shaw, Sam Hentges, Eli Morgan, Logan Allen, Konnor Pilkington"
Overview:
The relievers are talented but I have the same concern here as I do for the starters. There is so much talent in this group but after it? Yikes. Emmanuel Clase and when he’s healthy, James Karinchak, will once again be a formidable back of the bullpen-type duo. But Karinchak isn’t healthy, so here we are.
Nick Stephan and Trevor Stephan had solid 2021s but they’re young and only entering their second major league season. So anything can still happen. Konnor Pilkington is a relative unknown but has oodles of talent. The three of them could be the best parts of the bullpen or in the minors by June.
I have a lot of hope for Anthony Gose, the outfielder turned pitcher who represented team USA last year in the Olympics. He’s got some real talent. He and Bryan Shaw are going to be innings eaters for sure.
Sam Hentges had an ugly 2021 and an even uglier spring training but he’s going to be given a shot and I’m not sure that’s wise. I’m pulling for him, I’m just not betting on him. That lastly leaves us with Logan Allen, who struggled all year and isn’t as nearly as exciting as fellow Guardians pitching prospect, Logan Allan. Can’t wait for those two to be teammates.
And of course, there’s Eli Morgan, who I don’t think is going to be a world-beater but he’s useful.
Grade: B+
If Karinchak returns to form and doesn’t exhaust his arm as fast in 2022 as he did in 2021, while Clase, Shaw, and Gose remain as consistent as possible, this is going to be very good bullpen. There are a lot of unknowns here but I have more faith in them than in other positions.