The Cleveland Guardians will have plenty of competition during spring training.
The Cleveland Guardians are entering training camps with some players who are locks to make the roster and start at a specific position. For example, Jose Ramirez at third base and Steven Kwan in left field.
However, there will be plenty of competition across the diamond. Here are Cleveland’s top two position battles as spring training officially gets underway.
Guardians Middle Infield
Brayan Rocchio will likely be in the picture to start the 2026 season, but whether that’s at shortstop or second base is still up for debate. As for the other Cleveland middle infield position, there will be quite a battle for who earns that spot.
While second base will be Travis Bazzana’s position to lose later in the season, the Guardians must find someone to keep it warm until then, assuming the top prospect starts the season at Triple-A.
The candidates are Gabriel Arias, Juan Brito, and Daniel Schneemann.
The tough part is that each player is dramatically different from the others. Arias is a phenomenal defender, but his offense is below average. Brito has the potential to be an impactful bat in Cleveland’s lineup, but the run prevention is subpar. Schneemann is a solid defender, but we’ve seen what his ceiling is with that bat.
What Cleveland's middle infield alignment will be to start the season will be a key narrative throughout spring training.
Jun 26, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cleveland Guardians third base Gabriel Arias (13) celebrates with shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn ImagesCleveland’s Bullpen
The Guardians added plenty of new arms to the organization over the offseason, and have some
Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, and newcomer Shawn Armstrong are all locks, leaving five more positions open.
The contenders for those final bullpen jobs include Connor Brogdon, Matt Festa, Tim Herrin, Colin Holderman, Peyton Pallette, Erik Sabrowski, Andrew Walters, Pedro Avila, Codi Heuer, Trevor Stephan, and Kolby Allard.
Plus, depending on how Cleveland’s rotation shakes out, they might need to have one of their starters take a bullpen role to not use an option on them.
The Guardians have a lot of options to round out the reliever core to start the season, but a limited number of spots, which will create quite a battle this spring.
Guardians Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Guardians. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.