The Cleveland Guardians have to make some moves this offseason.
They managed to make the playoffs despite having one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, but that’s not likely to be sustainable over time.
Even though they’ve made the playoffs in consecutive years, they haven’t been able to get to the final step, and there’s a big difference between making the postseason and actually competing for the World Series.
With that in mind, some believe that they could target Amed Rosario to bolster their roster.
However, insider Paul Hoynes recently explained why a reunion with their former shortstop is unlikely.
“No way [the Guardians bringing back Rosario] happens. Rosario isn’t an outfielder. He’s an infielder, but his lack of range makes him a liability. Rosario, at this point in his career, is best suited for a platoon role. The Guardians have a roster full of such players,” Hoynes wrote.
The Guardians could use a veteran like Rosario, but that doesn’t mean they need to add another middle infielder.
They seemed to be stacked there, and they might even choose to part with some of those players.
As things stand, they have Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio to play shortstop and second base, and one of them might not be there by the start of next season.
Prospects Angel Martinez and Juan Brito will be in the mix, and there’s also utility man Daniel Schneemann, who could get some time in the lineup at second base.
Last but not least, the Guardians are expected to promote No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana at some point in the season, thus making a player like Rosario basically redundant.
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