Stephen Vogt Reveals What Position Travis Bazzana Will Play In Spring Training

Travis Bazzana is coming to the Cleveland Guardians with all of the attention focused on what he can add to the lineup. A talented offensive player, he is expected to improve Cleveland’s lowly ranked attack.

That means where he will play in the field is being somewhat overlooked. Since being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, he has played most of his professional career at second base.

However, multiple oblique injuries have limited his games played in the minors, so the Guardians aren’t quite sure if he can handle the everyday grind of the position. Yet, there may not be another option available for him if he can’t.

Manager Stephen Vogt recently revealed that Bazzana will play second base for the Guardians in spring training, so the organization can get a better feel for him at the position.

“Travis hasn’t played enough games yet for us to really see what he can do at second base,” Vogt said. “So, we’re going to keep him at second base right now.”

That effort may be compromised somewhat by the fact that Bazzana will represent his native Australia at the World Baseball Classic. That will take him away from Guardians camp for an extended period, leaving someone else, likely Brayan Rocchio, to man the spot while he’s gone.

There is also a looming injury risk for Bazzana, who appeared in just 84 games in his first full minor league season. Of those, 72 were at second base, with the other 12 at DH.

In fact, Bazzana has always been a second baseman, playing 182 games at Oregon State at that spot, with just two appearances in the outfield. So it is unclear where else Vogt would consider playing him at spring training.

Though he did post an impressive OPS of .858 at Triple-A last season, there is some question about whether his offensive approach will translate to the major league level. If he looks to be struggling in the field, it’s possible that he could be sent back to the minors to work on some things before finally making his MLB debut.

The Guardians have often shown an abundance of patience with their prospects, and that could wind up being the case again.