4 Players on the Guardians' 40-Man Roster Who Don't Deserve a Role in 2024
By Tyler Maher
3. Gabriel Arias
Ever since Amed Rosario was traded in July, Gabriel Arias has served as Cleveland's primary shortstop. He's shown flashes of brilliance now and then, but the fact is there's a lot of room for improvement.
For starters, the 23-year-old is an inconsistent hitter. While his .286/.344/.480 slash line against righties is solid, he's batting a putrid .084/.162/.150 versus lefties. What's even more concerning is that he struggles against southpaws despite batting right-handed, showing a reverse platoon split.
Furthermore, Arias strikes out in 32.8% of his plate appearances -- well above the MLB average of 22.5%.
It's even gotten to the point where manager Terry Francona has openly spoken out about Arias' offensive "inconsistencies."
His inability to consistently steal bases is another thing that frustrates Guardians fans. He's been caught stealing more times (4) than he has successfully stolen a base (3). His 43% stolen base percentage is nearly half that of the MLB average (78%).
I'm not totally writing Arias off, though. He only turns 24 in February and could be a key contributor down the line. At the same time, he has a lot of room for growth and Cleveland would be better off starting a veteran in his spot to begin the 2024 campaign.