CLEVELAND, Ohio — “The Guardians aren’t built normally.”
With that simple yet profound statement, Paul Hoynes crystallized what makes Cleveland’s approach to roster construction so unique — and so challenging — heading into the 2026 season. As the team stands pat in free agency, an unprecedented internal battle is brewing: 18 players fighting for just 11 position player roster spots.
On the latest Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, Hoynes and Joe Noga broke down this high-stakes competition that will define the Guardians’ season. Noga called Hoynes’ assessment “the most profound thing you’ve said thus far this offseason,” underscoring just how perfectly it captures Cleveland’s situation.
This isn’t merely about filling roster spots — it’s about the extraordinary pressure placed on young players in a system that demands offensive production from every position. Take Bo Naylor, for instance. Most teams can afford a defense-first catcher, but Cleveland cannot.
“I guess a normal team, you could live with that. But the Guardians aren’t built normally,” Hoynes explained. “They’ve got to get offense from everybody. And if Naylor can step up his offensive game, especially his power, you know, he hit 14 home runs last season. He’s third on the team, so it’s in there, but he’s got to get it out on a more consistent basis.”
Perhaps no player faces more pressure than Kyle Manzardo, who finds himself as the de facto protection for José Ramírez if no external additions arrive. Hoynes didn’t mince words about Manzardo’s importance: “This is a key guy. This is a guy, if they don’t make a move, he’s going to protect Ramírez and he’s got to stay in the lineup against lefties and righties.”
The competition extends beyond just these two. Gabriel Arias enters a make-or-break season out of options, forced to justify his place despite 162 strikeouts last year. Brian Rocchio must build on his late-season heroics. Nolan Jones, retained for $2 million, has no more chances to prove he’s the player who once hit .297 with 20 homers for Colorado.
Even more fascinating is the logjam of outfield prospects. George Valera, Jonathan Rodriguez, Jhonkensy Noel, Chase DeLauter — all talented, all unproven, all fighting for limited spots. The Guardians can’t possibly keep them all, creating a pressure cooker environment where careers will be made or broken over the next six months.
The utility position battle between Angel Martinez and Daniel Schneemann presents another intriguing subplot. “I’d like to see them give Schneemann more playing time,” Hoynes noted. “Hit .253 with nine of his 12 homers at second base … on a team that doesn’t hit home runs, he ranked fourth.”
What makes this situation truly unique is that while most teams use spring training to fine-tune an established roster, the Guardians will be holding open auditions for nearly half their position player spots. It’s a testament to their player development system but also a reflection of their unwillingness to supplement through free agency.
For Cleveland fans, this represents both excitement and anxiety. The team’s unconventional approach could unearth hidden gems or collapse under its own weight if too many young players fail to develop simultaneously.
Want to hear Hoynes and Noga break down all 18 players competing for spots and their chances of making the club? Check out the full Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast for their detailed position-by-position analysis of the Guardians’ unconventional roster battle.
Podcast transcript
Joe Noga: Welcome back to the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast. I’m Joe Noga, joined by Paul Hoynes Hoynsey, one of the big names in free agency that might have been a good fit in Cleveland, might have been a good fit with the Guardians. Just came off the board within the last few hours. Adoles Garcia, the Gold Glove former All Star right fielder, helped lead the Rangers to a World Series championship. Signs for one year $10 million with the Phillies. He goes to Philadelphia a season after striking out 135 times to, to just 28 walks and, and posting an OPS under.650, but still got $10 million in free agency for one year with Philadelphia. You know, what do you think of that move for, for the Phillies, for Garcia and what does it leave, leave the Guardians if they’re out there looking for help in their offense?
Paul Hoynes: Oh, it seems like he would have been a good fit in right field for Cleveland within their. As we know, I think they want to keep right field open for what several candidates that they have. But Garcia is, you know, is since they won the Texas won the World Series a couple years ago, his game has slipped, but his power is still there. Still a dangerous guy at the plate, Joe, you know, that’s only going to help that Philly club with, you know, so yeah, interesting move. Not a big move for the Phillies, but I think it was certainly would have been a much bigger move for Cleveland.
Joe Noga: Yeah, you look at, you know, he’s a right handed hitter. Would have balanced the lineup a little bit. Would have put a little protection behind Jose Ramirez if that was even a thought for the, the front office there. This is a guy who can still hit 25 to 30 home runs a year and drive in north of 85 runs even though. Yeah, the last couple of years he’s sort of struggled with his plate discipline and the power, you know, has started to dip a little bit. But again, a new lease on life, a new location. Philly’s always very competitive in that NL East. I think it could be a good move for him if he stays motivated. Just would have liked to have seen the Guardians maybe make a push for him. You know, I’ve been saying that since back around the, the trade deadline when he was a trade candidate back in July, that, that he was a guy that could have fit not for a, you know, maybe a long term situation, but maybe get him on a Juan Gonzalez deal. You know, the history was there for the, for Cleveland. You know, Juan Gonzalez had come over and had a heck of a year as a former Texas outfielder and, and then moved on and you know, could have freed up right field maybe after that, but, you know, who needs 25 home runs and 85 RBIs if, if you’re Cleveland looking at that offense and we’ll get into some of the candidates for that spot, but before we get there, the Twins actually making some move within the division. They go out and get a first baseman DH with, with some Cleveland ties as well.
Paul Hoynes: Yeah. Josh Bell signs a one year deal worth 7 million with new manager Derek Sheldon. Gets get some pop in that lineup. We saw Josh Bell in Cleveland a couple years ago. What, 2000, I believe 20, 23. You know, always a streaky hitter, always a power hitter. He just, he was just more streaky than normal with Cleveland and ended up getting traded at the deadline. You know, this is a guy, Joe. If he, if he’s, if he’s right and you use him right, he’s going to give you some pop, he’s going to deliver some run production. You know, you have to DH him probably around about now. He’s a little, I think defensively, a little suspect at first base, but certainly a good addition to that. That Twins club, which needs a lot of help, Joe, they, they sold the farm at the deadline this past season.
Joe Noga: Yeah. And they need a veteran presence there in that locker room as well. Josh Bell gets to add another sticker to it, his suitcase. You know, Pittsburgh, Washington, Miami, San Diego, Arizona, Cleveland. He’s, he’s well traveled at this point in his career, but you know, off the field, super guy to talk to. Really, really approachable, you know, really great to, to talk baseball with and just a kind person, you know, generous with his time. So they’re getting a good one up there for this season in Minnesota. Just you Wonder what, at 32 years old, uh, you know, he’s always been, you know, like you said it had, had the good power, has had, you know, good plate discipline for parts of his career. Last year, what, 57 walks, 88 strikeouts in 140 games, 22 home runs, 63 RBI and a.741 OPS. So it’s almost like after he left Cleveland, after 90 something games here in, in 2023, he sort of rediscovered himself a little bit. Had a positive year, a positive couple of years, couple of seasons there, bouncing back and forth between Miami and Arizona and Washington. So, you know, best of luck to Josh Bell, but not when the Guardians are playing him a couple of times a year.
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, you know, just, you know, you know, big kind of dominate, you know, kind of, you know, a presence in your lineup. And right now the Guardians could use, you know, they need a presence, somebody hitting behind, you know, Ramirez that, you know, can, can put a little fear in the, in the other team’s pitch staff. And right now the Guardians are looking for that, that combination.
Joe Noga: The Mets seeking to replace Pete Alonzo in their lineup, go out and sign Jorge Polanco at 26 home runs last year. Rear high 33 home runs in 20, 21. You know, never anywhere near the numbers, the home run numbers that Pete Alonzo could hit. I don’t know if it’s trying to directly replace Alonso with Polanco, but you know, that Mets lineup now has some holes in it as well, despite all the money that they’re able to throw at people.
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, you know, they, you know, they lose Alonso to Baltimore, you know, traded Nemo, closer Edwin Diaz went to the Dodgers and you know, Jorge Polanco, Joe, I thought, you know, could have been a fit for Cleveland, but he had the big year with Seattle, especially in the postseason. It took them out of, took them, took him out of the, the Cleveland’s price range 2 years, 40 million. But I hope the Mets aren’t thinking that he is going to replace Alonzo because that’s going to make a long season for Polanco. I mean, I don’t think, I don’t know if he’s ever played first base before. He’s more of a, you know, you kind of a utility infielder, second baseman, shortstop, third baseman.
Joe Noga: I guess just looking at the, the Mets situation and the Mets offseason, and you’ve seen so many Mets fans crashing out this year because, you know, what are we doing? We’re, we’re letting all these free agents go and they’re, they’re in on these, these different trades or different signings and then they’re not and they’re missing out. You know, just. It’s sort of funny to sit there and watch one of the teams with the, the deepest pockets in all of baseball when you’ve got your, when you got Steve Cohen as your manager or your, your owner, they’re, they’re crying like this is the end of the world this offseason, when over here in Cleveland, when they don’t spend a dime, it’s sort of like, hey, welcome to the party.
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, Joe. I mean, it just shows no matter how big your payroll is, you can’t keep everybody. And free agents are going to move on and fans are going to scream that regardless of how wealthy the owner is, that, that he won’t spend money to keep the team together. That’s the way baseball is. That’s the way fans are. But like you said, it is. There’s irony there for sure.
Joe Noga: Yeah, it’s, it’s kind of just interesting to me to, to see just videos and you know, I, I see tick tocks or you know, posts from Met fans, people that follow the Mets, the New York media that follows the Mets and you know, this, this, this disastrous off season that they’re having. It’s like this is the same kind of offseason that Cleveland’s had for the last however many years in terms of wanting in on certain guys and, and you know, feeling like they’re missing out or, you know, asking why, you know, front offices can’t make the moves that the fans are sort of expecting or wanting them to make. It’s just, you know, it’s a, it’s a dose of reality in the baseball world, I guess for some of these Mets fans. And again, they were, two years ago they were in the, the nlcs. You got to think about that. They were that close and they want to be competitive and they should be competitive with the money that they spend. So we’ll, we’ll watch and we’ll follow that. This, this offseason. I want to go back to the Garcia signing though. I just to sort of wrap up this, this sort of, you know, conversation here. The other thing that the Phillies signing Adoles Garcia does is it puts into question the future for Nick Castellanos who’s, you know, very familiar to Guardians fans. Nick Castellanos, who’s I believe, still under contract through 2026. But you know, signing Garcia, you’re, you’re pretty much handing the right field job to him. What do you think about the future for Nick Castellanos and is, is he a guy that could be maybe obtained by the Guardians via trade?
Paul Hoynes: He was certainly a guy that they would look at, you know, at least maybe, you know, discuss. Right handed hitter, veteran guy, 33. He’s shown power throughout his career. Hit 17 home runs, drove in 72 for the, for the Phillies last season. Interesting guy, Joe. I wonder about his payroll situation. Take as much. Take, take that contract on if they, if they did make a, he’s making, he made 20 million this year and scheduled to make another 20 next season in 2026. So that’s a big, that’s a, that’s a big, you know, a big kind of contract to absorb, especially for Cleveland.
Joe Noga: Yeah, you’re talking about, you Know, maybe having to bring in a third team on a trade or offering up a higher value prospect if, if the Phillies would agree to pay a portion of his, his contract for the remainder of 2026. You’re talking about something like that. You might have to give up a very coveted prospect if, if you’re, if you’re doing that. So, you know, and that’s not something that, that Cleveland would normally do. So keep an eye on, on Castellanos. He hit what.250 last season with 17 home runs, 72 RBIs, OPS plus below league average of 88. Yeah, but in the past he’s a guy who’s, you know, he’s as recently as 2024, he played all 162 games for, for the Phillies. So you know, he’s, he, there, there are age injury issues, questions, but you know, he’s, he’s a durable guy. He’s, he’s posted and tried to play in pretty much every game for the last, you know, four or five years. So definitely maybe an option there. Maybe something that the Guardians could kick the tires on and keep an eye on. All right. Hoinse, you posted over the weekend sort of a breakdown of the numbers game that the Guardians are playing on the position player side of things. If they don’t go out and sign somebody, if they don’t go out and trade for a bat to add to the lineup, they’re going to be bringing in. Basically, if you, if you take Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwon out of the equation because those two guys, you know, their, their spots in the lineup are secured and you know, put them in, you know, write them on the lineup card in ink every day. There are what, 18 players for 11 more spots among the 13 position players on the 26 man roster. So, you know, I really liked your breakdown on Sunday. I want to go through each one of those and just really quickly just give us your thoughts on, you know, where each of these guys are going to end up and what kind of season they could possibly have. Let’s start with Angel. You know, the, the prospect who is a switch hitter, middle infielder. You have him ranked 18th out of 18 there in terms of what kind of impact they could have on the 2026 season.
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, Joe, he’s a young, like you said, switch hitter, young guy, you know, hit.325 or is hitting.325 in winter ball. And the Dominican, you know, had a, had a shoulder injury last season which slowed him down. But before that, the year before that hitting well over.300, but I think he’s still learning, Joe. I think a lot of stuff would have to happen ahead of him for him to have an impact on, on the big league club in 2026. But he’s on the 40, man, and, you know, just really an interesting guy. A guy that makes a lot of contact, he can run. So, yeah, just another interesting kind of middle infielder, you know, that the Guardians seem to collect.
Joe Noga: Number 17 is a name very familiar to Guardians fans over the last two years here. Travis Bazzana, the number one overall pick in the 2024 draft. You know, chance is pretty good that he makes his, his debut, major league debut. As long as he stays healthy this, this season. I know he’s, he’s intends to play in the World Baseball Classic. Uh, that should get his, his season jump started early. And if he hits the ground running through spring training and early in the Triple A season, chances are pretty good. We could maybe see him by May, June or July.
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, Joe, I think that that could have happened this past season if he had stayed healthy. You know, he had the right oblique, the left oblique. Injuries really set him back on his way from Double A to Triple A. But yeah, he, you know, I think we, there’s a chance, you know, we could see him late, you know, late in the second half of the season. You know, obviously he’s got to settle in at aaa, got to settle in at second base. And he’s the only guy that’s not on the 40, man, Joe, that I included in this group of players.
Joe Noga: Yeah, and, and he has to prove that he can stay on the field and stay healthy as, as well, you know, there’s, there’s, there’s that aspect too. I don’t think that there’s a lot of worry or concern within the organization about that, but he has to go out there and play consistently and play regularly, and so there they will be in. No to get him up here, you know, unless something earth shattering happens, I don’t see him making the opening day roster. That’s sort of out of the question. Plus, you’re talking about a club that has no problem manipulating a service time and making sure that a guy stays down in order to get that extra year of, you know, that extra service time, you know, full year to keep him down. So, you know that that’s another possibility, another thing to look at when you’re talking about Travis Bazzano. Next, let’s talk about a pair of outfielders. You have numbers 16 and 15, Edie Halpin, who did make his major league debut this past season, and Khalil Watson, who was obtained by the organization in, in a trade for Josh Bell back in 2023. We already spoke about Josh Bell. Petey Halpin, a guy who’s, who’s got wheels, showed he get hit for a little bit of power last year with 14 homers. And maybe this is a guy who, if there’s a need for him as a fourth or fifth outfielder, you find a spot for him in the, in on the major league roster.
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, he’s another one of the young guys that they brought up late that made his big league debut, you know, played, you know, spent the whole season at Triple A, showed some power with 14 homers and he can run a little bit, as you said, Joe. So really an interesting guy. You know, we, they really don’t have a set guy in center field and he might be the future in center field.
Joe Noga: Now you’re talking. Khalil Watson here, number 15, he moved to the outfield. He was a middle infielder when they obtained him. Kind of a, an early, like I think he was a first round draft pick for the, the Marlins, but I never really panned out early. Had some character issues, but seems to have matured within the Guardians organization. Khalil Watson, athletic, can run, can steal bases. If he’s up at the major league level at some point this year, then that means that they’ve either sort of blown things up or there’s, there’ve been massive injuries.
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, I mean these, I was. Stephen, Stephen Vogt really likes this guy. I mean they think the move to the outfield has done this guy a world of good. They like his emerging power, they like his athleticism. You know, I would not be surprised, Joe, to see this guy come into spring training, have a really, a good camp and really make a good impression and make his big league debut sometime this season.
Joe Noga: You have Juan Brito ranked 14th switch hitter. He’s, he’s a, he’s a bat first guy, but really injuries were the story of his 2025 season. Can Juan Brito get on track and make an impact after the Guardians were granted a fourth year option on him for the minor leagues?
Paul Hoynes: I think he’s got to get healthy, Joe. We saw him in big league camp last year or last season, I should say, and you know, has some power. He put a lot of pressure on himself. You could see that, you know, in camp then he unfortunately had a bunch of, you know, he, he just couldn’t stay healthy. He had the hamate bone, then he had the hamstring that required surgery all last season. So hopefully, you know, he gets his act together. He’s, he’s healthy, he’s sound, he gets off to a good start at AAA and can come and, you know, get a shot here at helping Cleveland in the middle of the infield, or he can also play some right field.
Joe Noga: Numbers 13 through 10, you have four outfielders grouped together that I sort of want to talk about all at once here. You’ve got 13 George Valera, 12 Jonathan Rodriguez, 11 John Kenzie Noel, and 10 Nolan Jones. I guess that’s pretty much the order that maybe the, the organization might have them in, maybe flip flop Valera and Rodriguez. But what are you, what were your thoughts in putting, putting that group together there and who among them really does stand out as the one who’s maybe going to make the biggest impact early in the season?
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, you know, the guardians have said a lot of good things about Valera. They like his swing. They like, you know, his, his approach at the plate. You know, obviously he’s got to stay healthy, he’s got to stay on the field. You know, he’s got a long injury history, but, you know, we, we saw him make his big league debut late in the year. Saw him, what, hit a home run in the Wild series against the Tigers. You know, confident hitter, Joe. I mean, this guy looks, looks really under control at the plate. So that’s a guy to keep your eye on, I believe.
Joe Noga: And really, you know, they really want him to, to learn and grow at the big league level. Because if you looked up, where was his locker at the, in the playoffs, in the postseason, who was the guy sitting immediately to his left in the clubhouse? It was Jose Ramirez.
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, good point, good point. I think, you know, they, yeah, that’s. I, I did not even think about that. But you really, you can tell, you know, he doesn’t try to do too much at the plate. He’s got a nice, nice swing to the opposite field. So, yeah, just a guy, really a good guy to watch, to see his progress.
Joe Noga: Now, on the opposite end of the spectrum, you got Rodriguez, who they’ve, they’ve given, you know, multiple opportunities to, multiple chances to come out and show what he can do. And really we just have not seen that power that he’s so prolific at the minor league level translate to the majors.
Paul Hoynes: And you know, you know, Stephen Vogt kept saying last year that, you know, they asked him to make some swing changes in, you know, during the season. You Know Vote repeatedly said that’s very, very difficult to do. I know he hit the one home run late that really helped them in their drive to the postseason. So this I think Joe, they keep like, like you know, they keep giving them chances but you know, eventually the chances run out. And so I think this is really big year for Rodriguez. He’s a. But he does have one thing going. He’s a right handed hitter who can hit the ball out of the park. And they need some right handed balance in that lineup.
Joe Noga: Yeah. And then you know one of the guys that they could get that right handed balance from a guy who’s, who’s had big moments for this club in the past. John Kenzie Noel, kind of a lost season for him in 2025. Spent a lot of time in the minors after, after making the club out of spring training. Only appeared in 69 games. Only hit six home runs and drove in 13. But we’ve seen this guy hit massive home runs. It’s just the swing and miss.52 strikeouts and only four walks. An on base percentage of.183. On OPS that you can’t even if you’re standing on shore, you can’t even see it. It’s.480 last season’s. I, I don’t know what does John Kenzie Noel have to do in order to get back in the good graces of the, the Guardians coaching staff?
Paul Hoynes: Just. He’s a lot like Rodriguez, Joe. Big right handed power hitter. You know, we saw him, you know, really had big Christmas, had the breakout year, what in 2024. You know, just. And then. But you know, still so much swing and miss. Looks like he gets. Pitchers can really kind of turn him inside and out, Joe. If they make a mistake, he’s going to hit it a long way. But for the most part he was kind of, you know, battle, you know, it was an uphill battle for him. I mean I think it’s another big year for him, Joe. They have so many hitters and so many position players, you know. You know, some, you know, I don’t know. I mean I think he’s got one option left. So you know, big a big spring for him, you know and we’ll have to see. I, you know, what he has to do, Joe. He has to make contact. He doesn’t have to. Every swing doesn’t have to be, you know, he’s trying to hit it 500ft. He’s just got to get on base. He’s got to walk more. He’s got to get on base and you know, that’s. And it’s a tough time. It’s just a tough job. He’s a young guy and he’s not playing every day. He’s trying to make an impression. He’s kind of caught in between for sure.
Joe Noga: Yeah. And we’ve seen him with the glove and running the bases. You know, those other aspects of the game are just fine. It’s, it’s just the, it’s the plate discipline, it’s the strike zone command. It’s. It’s being able to working at bat once you fall behind and we haven’t seen that out of him yet. So a lot to, to, to look forward to there. Nolan Jones. $2 million to keep him around rather than non tendering him. This is make or break time for Nolan Jones. If, if he’s going to be around in Cleveland through the end of the season. They pretty much said, you know, hey, here’s your opportunity. Now you’ve got to go out and, and, and do it.
Paul Hoynes: No doubt about it, Joe, you know, they’re paying him 2 million. He’s out of options. He was out of options last season as well. So, you know, he’s coming off just really a disappointing year. I mean, he’d be the first to tell you that was not the Nolan Jones he wants to put out every day on at, at Progressive Field for Guardians fans. And Joe, I mean the front office has a deep belief in this guy. They believe that season he had with the Rockies in 2023 when.297 with 20 home runs and nine. 9:31 OPS is still in him. You know, I, it sounds like they’re going to give him a chance. I don’t know if he plays center field or right field. Joe, I’m not sure where you like him best, but he’s going to get a shot.
Joe Noga: Yeah, the arm plays in, in both spots, so I think that’ll be all right. I don’t know. I still feel like there are better options in center field than, than Nolan Jones, but if that’s where they’re going to put him, that’s, that’s what they’ve got. It depends I guess on how, on how Martinez does and, and you know, his ability to stay on the field as well. David Fry, you have it at number nine. His return is going to help this club one way or another. Just because of his ability to go from behind the plate to right field to first base, to third base when they need him. All sorts of different options for David. David Fry, I Think that the coaching staff has got to be really excited. Stephen Boat’s got to be really excited to get a full season of this guy back to fully healthy.
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, this is really exciting. If Ferray can come back, you know he’s going to help him. As you rattled off Joe at several positions, he’s a right handed stick, he’s got some pop. We even saw that when he was playing basically with one arm this past season coming back from Tommy John surgery. Still has some power. If he’s fully recovered, I think, you know, he makes his club so much better.
Joe Noga: CJ Kaifus at number eight. If you don’t make any additions and bring in a, you know, a right handed guy that can play first base. Does CJ Kaifas play a little bit more at. Because really he’s, he’s your only true first baseman. Kyle Manzardo obviously has, has played there, but is, is not your best option defensively.
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, you know, Cuyphus surprised me Joe, when I looked at his numbers. I did not know he had kind of September that he did last season. 688-888- OPS, 11 RBI. You know, so maybe this guy is, is kind of emerging right now. You know, he’s a solid hitter, you know, solid first baseman, you know, and he’s, you know, he’s made some strides in right field. So really an interesting guy and that’s why I put him up in the eight spot. I thought, you know, he has a chance to really influence his club.
Joe Noga: Chase Delater at number seven. We got a taste of him in the playoffs, just two games, but there’s a lot that you can sort of envision and project out. And if he’s able to stay healthy and show that he can be durable, this might be your, your center fielder or right fielder for a little while.
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, I would have projected him hire Joe for as far as impact goes, but I’m just, you know, I’m leery about him staying healthy, you know, that he’s got to get over that, that issue so he can stay on the field. If he stays on the field and you know, I think he’s going to be, you know, definitely, you know, have a big, big impact on his club. As you said, in either right or left, right or center field, he’s got some power left handed hitter. Just I think the Scottish, you know, the sky’s the limit for him but he’s got to stay healthy and if he does, the Guardians are going to be a better club because of it.
Joe Noga: You’ve got Angel Martinez at 6 and Daniel Schneemann at 5. Both of these guys, utility guys, can play infield, can play outfield. We saw Schneemann sort of fall off in the second half last season. Offensively, we saw Martinez sort of up and down throughout the season. You know, what, what kind of impact can both of these guys have on the roster? Or can both of these guys have an impact? Or do you have to just sort of pick one and go, yeah, like.
Paul Hoynes: You know, I like Martinez just because he can do so much. Joe, switch hitter. He can run, can steal a base. He’s got some power. Hit 11 home runs last season. Really good against lefties, you know, is still learning how to play second base, you know, so, I mean, I’m sorry, still learning how to play center field. So, you know, I just like his athleticism. Schneemann, you know, I’d like to see them. Joe, just give Schneemann. I know his versatility is a big selling point, but you look at his numbers when he’s playing second base, I mean, you know, he looks like, you know, an everyday second baseman. I’d, I’d like to see them give him more playing time there. Hit.253 with nine of his 12 homers at second base. You know, it’s 12 home runs. You know, on a team that doesn’t hit home runs, Joe, he ranked fourth. So this is a guy that has really made himself a valuable big league player.
Joe Noga: Yeah, and he hits the ball hard is one of the things that you, you know, he takes into his at bats. He gives you a professional at bat, and when he makes contact, he can drive the ball. And that’s, that’s an important thing. The reason that he got an extended look at second base was because Brian Rocchio was, was sent down for a period. And that, that time that he spent in the minors just sort of inspired him and really spurred him to the, to the second half that he had last season after he got called back up, you know, how do you see number four and number three, Gabriel Arias and Brian Rocchio and their impact on the club coming up?
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, it seems like we’ve been talking about these two guys forever. Joe Arias, you know, finally got a shot to play shortstop, you know, on a regular basis last year. Loved the defense. Didn’t like the 162 strikeouts. You know, he’s always got the great arm and, you know, just, you just like, you know, and we saw a little bit of power, but he’s out of options and, you know, I think this is a huge year for him. He’s playing, still playing winter ball in Venice, Venezuela. To get ready for the season, he’s going to need a big, big year. Joe, I think to, to hold on to that shortstop job, I would think there’s a lot of people pushing in the middle of the infield. And Rocchio, like you said, after he came back up and settled in at second base after the position change, I thought he did a great job. You know, last 74 games of the season, 261, 21 extra base hits in 74 games. He puts him into postseason. I mean he put, gives him the AL Central on the last day of the season with the home run. You know, I think, I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him yet. No.
Joe Noga: And I think with that maturity, that physical maturity as well as, you know, just the, the all around game that you’re going to see more of, of Brian Rocchio, I think of the two, I think he’s the one that gets the opportunity to stick longer. If, if Rok, if, if, if Arius doesn’t just sort of blow people away, I think you’ve got other options coming behind him. So we might see those. All right, the last two guys on the list, a little bit more established. Bo Naylor, a guy who had a just an all star type September, really propelled the, the Guardians to that, that 15 and a half game comeback to win the AL Central. Naylor September. Bo Naylor, if he can do that consistently next season, the Guardians are going to be in a good spot.
Paul Hoynes: He’s an all star if he does that. Joe, I mean we just, we just haven’t seen that consistency out of him offensively. I know he, the Guardians always put a lot on the catcher’s plate. They put a lot on his shoulders. And it almost seems that at times, Joe, he gets overwhelmed by that, all the different aspects of the game and forgets about the offense and I guess, you know, a normal team, you could live with that. But the Guardians aren’t built normally. They, they’ve got to get offense from everybody. And if, if Naylor can step up his offensive game, especially his power, you know, he hit 14 home runs last season. He’s third on the team, so it’s in there, but he’s got to get it out on a more consistent basis.
Joe Noga: The Guardians aren’t built normally is the most profound thing you’ve said thus far this offseason. Kyle Manzardo, the, the linchpin for, for this team. If they make no changes to the roster between now and spring training. If this is the lineup, if this is the squad that they roll out there with, then a lot is going to be riding on the shoulders of the, the broad shoulders of the flannel wearing, you know, country boy from Coeur d’. Alene. I think, you know, it’s going to be a lot on Kyle Manzardo and he’s going to have to play every day, not just against, you know, righties. This is going to be a guy who is going to face lefties and righties and he’s going to have to produce.
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, you know, I thought, you know, probably his season got shaded in the wrong direction when Boats said, you know, he thought he should get more out of Manzano, that he kind of tired out at the end of the season. He’s got to take better care of his body. This guy in his first full season still, you know, second on the team with 27 home runs, 70 RBIs, you know, second on the team. That’s a pretty good season for, for your first full year in the big leagues. Now, obviously they want him to, to play more than 142 games and it sounds like he’s headed in that direction. He’s gained 14 pounds, he’s gotten stronger, he’s been in the gym every day. But, you know, I think, you know, this is a key guy, Joe. This is a guy like you said, if they don’t make a move, he’s going to protect Jose and he’s. And he’s got to stay in the lineup against lefties and righties.
Joe Noga: Yeah, it’s the big key for the Guardian season is, is going to be Kyle Manzardo and his continued development. I guess at this point last year, if you had said Kyle Manzardo is going to hit 27 home runs and drive in 70, I think any Guardians fan would have taken that. Just, you know, you might have thought that maybe Carlos Santana or somebody was, was going to, you know, contribute a little bit more as well. But they got what they got out of first base and, you know, it resulted in a division title, so. All right, Hoyns, that’s going to wrap up today’s edition of the Cleveland Baseball Talk podcast. We will check back in with you again tomorrow and talk to you then.
Paul Hoynes: Thanks, Joe.