The Cleveland Guardians took a bit of a risk in the offseason.
While Andres Gimenez’s offense continued to regress and be a concern, his stellar defense made him someone worth keeping.
Even so, they decided to move on from him.
Of course, that leaves a big void at second base for Stephen Vogt’s team.
Then again, that could also leave the door wide open for one of the team’s top prospects to take over.
According to a report by Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com, star prospect Juan Brito could be poised for a big role this season:
“My guess is the Guardians plan to give Juan Brito a legitimate shot, much like they opened the door for Steven Kwan to win the left field job during the spring of 2022. Kwan had to hit and earn it, which he did. It’s the same challenge facing Brito. The Guards do love Brito, who played the entire 2024 season at Class AAA Columbus,” Pluto said.
The 23-year-old hasn’t made his MLB debut yet, but he’s already a part of their 40-man roster, so he might be a big part of their plans for 2025.
He excelled at Triple-A with the Columbus Clippers last season, slashing .256/.365/443 with 21 home runs, 40 doubles, a .807 OPS, and a wRC+ of 113.
He’s logged more than 650 plate appearances in Triple-A and will be one of the players to watch during Spring Training.
Scouts and analysts have expressed some concerns about his defense, though, and he’s clearly no Andres Gimenez there just yet.
Then again, this team could desperately use a big offensive boost, and the young infielder has all the tools and the talent to be an impactful player at the plate almost right out of the gate.
Whether the team will give him the keys and the starting second baseman spot before Opening Day remains to be seen, but it might be a realistic possibility.
NEXT: New Tigers Pitcher Says He Would Have Helped Beat Guardians In ALDS
