Guardians Executive Speaks Out About Kyle Manzardo’s Future

Heading into this season, Kyle Manzardo was considered a huge part of the Cleveland Guardians’ lineup and a potential fixture at first base or DH for years to come. Now, after a disappointing campaign that ended with him in the minor leagues, his outlook is far from certain.

Players who can hit 30 home runs in the majors, as Manzardo almost did in 2025, are hard to find, so the Guardians aren’t likely to completely give up on him just yet. But there are going to be lingering questions about where he might fit in.

Guardians executive Chris Antonetti recently spoke out about Manzardo’s future, saying the organization still believes in his potential.

“We continue to believe he has a chance to be, as he’s demonstrated, a really good major league hitter,” Antonetti said.

Coming off 27 home runs in 2025, his first full major league season, Manzardo was expected to be Cleveland’s primary power source in the middle of the lineup. Perhaps that pressure was too much for him, as he had just one homer in 26 games heading into May. Not only that, his slash line was .186/.268/.244.

Veteran spring training signee Rhys Hoskins wasn’t doing much better, so Manzardo was given plenty of opportunities to improve, but he never quite turned it around. Heading into the All-Star Break, he was up to 10 home runs with a .669 OPS, but the Guardians were still looking for more.

Cleveland acquired first baseman Nathaniel Lowe from the Cincinnati Reds at the trade deadline in early August, which resulted in Manzardo being demoted to Triple-A. There, the 26-year-old hit five home runs with a .283 batting average and an .820 OPS in 37 games, but he was not recalled either when major league rosters expanded in September or before the postseason.

Even though Lowe will be a free agent, a major factor to be considered in determining Manzardo’s future is the presence of Ralphy Velazquez, a first baseman who is ranked as Cleveland’s No. 1 overall prospect by MLB.com. If the 21-year-old shows he can handle the job in spring training, Manzardo may find himself without a defined role.

Of course, when spring training begins is anybody’s guess with a lockout looming, so a lot of things could change before the Guardians have to figure out what to do with Manzardo.