The Cleveland Guardians have a long-standing tradition of elite middle infielders.
That has been the case for most of their history, but that trend might be changing in the wrong direction.
Bernie Pleskoff of Forbes dug deep into the team’s recent history and concluded that, while the future seems bright with some of their elite prospects, the quality of their development program has taken a hit.
“Lots of Cleveland middle infielders have walked out the door. Now, the team has to determine which players in their organization fit in their immediate, and long-range future. Middle infielders, once a deep strength of the Guardians, have now been reduced in number. Time will tell how the Guardians manage their infield in the coming months and years,” Pleskoff wrote.
No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana, who’s out with an injury right now, looks like a superstar talent.
They also have Juan Brito, who’s working his way back from an injury at Triple-A Columbus.
Brayan Rocchio began the season in Cleveland before being optioned to Columbus after some struggles, but he’s a strong candidate to get back at some point this season, given his potential.
Gabriel Arias has done a solid job filling in for him, but it shouldn’t be long before they give Rocchio another chance.
Pleskoff also names Angel Genao, Gabriel Rodriguez and Welbyn Francisca as potential options for the future.
Only time will tell how they fare, as a lot of factors can make or break a player’s career.
Hopefully, the Guardians will be able to get the best out of them.
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