The Cleveland Guardians have a lot to sort through before they decide what their outfield rotation is going to look like. Exciting young bats such as Chase DeLauter, George Valera, and CJ Kayfus appear ready to roll while Steven Kwan continues to be a mainstay atop the order and Angel Martinez appears to have taken some steps forward at the plate in Spring Training.
There are a lot of options, and because of all of the aforementioned guys getting off to good starts, it raises significant questions about the status of Nolan Jones. The 27-year-old is coming off the worst year of his career and has looked even worse in Spring Training, and with the prospects making so much noise, it’s getting harder by the day to envision a path where Jones is a member of the rotation.
If you ask Zack Meisel of The Athletic, it’s hard to see where Jones even fits on the team at all.
In a recent article, he detailed the complicated situation and what things could look like going forward.
“This is where it gets complicated. The Guardians committed $2 million to Nolan Jones, which shocked, of all people, Nolan Jones. Jones figured the Guardians would non-tender him over the winter after he turned in his second straight dismal season at the plate. Instead, he’s back — and he’s grateful for the chance — but he just doesn’t fit this roster well, and that was the case before he lumbered through spring training. Jones became more expendable once Kwan started playing center field this spring. The Guardians have been reticent about committing to anything, but it certainly feels as though Kwan is destined for center,” Meisel wrote.
It’s too early to jump to conclusions or make any rash decisions, especially given DeLauter’s injury history, but Meisel is right in pointing out the awkward fit of Jones being on this roster. DeLauter, Kayfus, Valera, and Kwan are all lefties like Jones, which doesn’t give much room at all for Jones to get at-bats if he begins the season on the bench.
After hitting a paltry .211 last year with just five homers in 136 games, Jones needed a big Spring Training to get the tides turning in his favor. He has done the opposite and is just 3-for-26 this spring for a .417 OPS, and while you never want to put too much stock into Spring Training results, it does matter when you’re fighting for a job.
Cleveland hoped when Jones was brought back prior to last season that he could rediscover the spark he had in 2023, but things have only gotten worse. If he doesn’t turn it around soon, he could be out of a roster spot.
NEXT: Guardians Outfielder Making Case For Bigger Role
