The Cleveland Guardians might be a bit frustrated by Andres Gimenez’s offensive play in the last two seasons.
The second baseman has hit a disappointing .252/.304/.339 with five home runs, 15 stolen bases and a .643 OPS this year.
He also had a subpar 2023 campaign with a .712 OPS, although he hit 15 round-trippers and stole 30 bags.
However, we are talking about a 2022 All-Star, two-time Gold Glove-winning infielder who also happens to have a Platinum Glove and signed a lucrative long-term extension.
The Guardians aren’t going to give up on him anytime soon.
What we could eventually see is a change in positions, because the organization drafted Travis Bazzana with the No. 1 pick on Sunday.
Bazzana happens to play the same position as Gimenez: second base.
Time to move Gimenez to shortstop…..#ForTheLand
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 14, 2024
It’s where he feels most comfortable, and it’s unlikely the team will be moving him around the diamond.
There are certain circumstances that tell us a position switch might be on the horizon for Gimenez.
The most obvious one is that neither Brayan Rocchio nor Gabriel Arias (or any other infielder for that matter) have been able to lock down shortstop with their offensive play.
That, coupled with Gimenez’s obvious defensive gifts and big contract, make him a candidate to be Cleveland’s long-term shortstop.
That would also leave second base to Bazzana, who should be ready at some point next year.
Bazzana is a gifted offensive player, having hit .407/.568/.911 with a 1.479 OPS, 28 home runs, and 16 stolen bases for Oregon State in the past season.
Gimenez has the potential to improve with the bat, runs the bases extremely well, and is a gifted fielder.
A Gimenez-Bazzana middle infield for the long term makes plenty of sense for the Guardians.
NEXT: Guardians Executive Reveals Why They Drafted Travis Bazzana
