Insider Names Area Of Concern In Guardians’ Lineup

The Cleveland Guardians shocked the world last season.

Against all odds, Stephen Vogt and their bullpen led them all the way to the American League Championship Series.

However, as most people expected, their red-hot start to the season was unsustainable.

Their offense regressed later in the season, especially down the stretch.

Now, even though they brought Carlos Santana back for his third stint with the team, they lost Josh Naylor.

That’s why Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com believes this team might have some trouble finding steady production at the bottom of their lineup:

“What the Guardians need is contributions throughout the lineup. DH Kyle Manzardo had a good September and postseason, but the bottom of the lineup doesn’t offer much of a threat. More production from catcher Bo Naylor and shortstop Brayan Rocchio would help. So would more pop from right field where Will Brennan and Jhonkensy Noel are expected to platoon,” Hoynes said.

The Guardians strengthened their starting rotation by trading for Luis L. Ortiz, and the return of Shane Bieber should also provide a significant boost.

Also, the bullpen should continue to be among the best in the league, especially if they can turn back the clock and get Paul Sewald to his former level.

Then again, they don’t have a lot of power on offense.

They will most likely have to rely on their speed and be very aggressive running the bases again this season to get some sort of offensive production.

Other than Steven Kwan and Santana, they might not have many guarantees at the plate.

Bo Naylor has shown some promise in terms of power, but he’s often chasing and struggled against breaking balls in the past.

Getting him to bat for a decent average, at least, would be a big boost.

Then again, for the time being, that’s nothing more than wishful thinking.