The Cleveland Guardians made a bold decision when they chose to trade Andres Gimenez.
As much as he had regressed at the plate, he was still one of the best defensive infielders in all of baseball.
The team is clearly hoping that someone else will step up and provide a boost to their offense, even if it means sacrificing some highlight-reel-worthy plays at second base.
That’s why Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com believes that, as much as the Guardians have several question marks about their roster, perhaps no need is more glaring than the one for some clarity at second base:
“They open for the business of spring training on Feb. 11 and the defending American League Central champions have some job openings. The starting rotation needs at least two arms, while the bullpen needs three. No one has filed for full custody of right field, but the biggest need comes at second base,” Hoynes said.
Fortunately, the team will have several options to choose from.
For the time being, it seems like Gabriel Arias is leading the race to be the starter come Opening Day.
He’s a solid defender, and his experience at shortstop should easily translate to second base.
He hit .317 with six home runs and 20 RBIs in 43 games after his brief tenure at Triple-A Columbus last year, and he followed that strong momentum by hitting .293 and six home runs in 27 games in the Venezuelan LVBP in the winter.
Of course, they could also rely on Juan Brito.
The young player has yet to make his debut in the Majors, but he was stellar at the plate in the Minors last season, and the fact that they traded their former top prospect, Nolan Jones, to get him speaks volumes about how much they want him to lead the way for the future.
Of course, Brayan Rocchio and Daniel Schneemann are also potential options, and it’ll be interesting to see what Stephen Vogt does at the position.
NEXT: Video Shows Guardians Star Putting In Work Ahead Of Spring Training
