GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The arrival of spring training means a host of familiar sights: teammates catching up about the fish they nabbed over the winter or their wedding planning; a mountain of cardboard boxes, filled with gear and other goodies, sitting in front of José Ramírez’s locker; one player throwing on his navy jersey top and exhaling when it fit comfortably rather than snuggly.
Another familiar sight: Ben Lively, who is finalizing a two-year minor-league deal with the club, playing catch. He underwent Tommy John surgery last June and was expected to be sidelined for 12 to 16 months, though he lightheartedly scoffed at that projection.
Most of the Cleveland Guardians have reported to camp, so we can start talking about who’s in the best shape of their lives, who is featuring a new pitch and, more importantly, who has the inside track on an Opening Day roster spot. Here’s the latest projection.
Catchers (3): Bo Naylor, Austin Hedges, David Fry
Others in camp: Cameron Barstad, Jacob Cozart, Kody Huff, Cooper Ingle, Dom Nuñez
It’s Naylor and Hedges again, and Fry could return to his wild-card role. He’ll spend the spring doing a lot of catching — especially as Naylor suits up for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic — but the Guardians plan for him to be an option at first base and, as long as his surgically repaired elbow holds up, perhaps right field.
Infielders (5): José Ramírez, Gabriel Arias, Brayan Rocchio, Kyle Manzardo, Daniel Schneemann
Others in camp: Travis Bazzana, Juan Brito, Dayan Frías, Angel Genao, C.J. Kayfus, Carter Kieboom, Milan Tolentino, Ralphy Velazquez
Outfielders (5): Steven Kwan, Nolan Jones, Angel Martínez, Chase DeLauter, George Valera
Others in camp: Wuilfredo Antunez, Stuart Fairchild, Petey Halpin, Johnathan Rodríguez, Alfonsin Rosario, Kahlil Watson
With respect to some minor leaguers and long-shot candidates, there are essentially 15 players for 10 spots in the infield and outfield. Odds are, Ramírez will be one of the 15. Kwan and a bulked-up Manzardo seem like safe bets, too.
So, 12 players for seven spots. Arias and Rocchio are the favorites to patrol the middle infield at the season’s outset. We’ll tab Schneemann as the utility infielder.
Now we have nine players for four spots. Center-field options include Jones, Martínez, DeLauter, Halpin and Fairchild. Right-field options include those who don’t win the center-field job, plus Valera, Kayfus and Rodríguez.
We’ll tab Jones and DeLauter as the primary starters. We’ll throw Martínez in there since he’s a switch hitter, but don’t sleep on Fairchild — not because he’s some hitting savant with a sterling track record, but because this team is desperate for a right-handed hitter, which is why the left-handed-hitting Halpin seems destined for Triple A.
That leaves Brito, Rodríguez, Kayfus and Valera for the final spot. Since the Guardians want Manzardo playing more (and better) first base and Fry can spell him there, let’s say Kayfus starts in Columbus. Rodríguez would provide a right-handed complement, but it’s hard to boot Valera to Triple A when he was batting second in the playoffs. He had a monthlong stint worth building upon in the majors.
The bottom line: This group is crowded, messy and far too left-handed, and the pieces don’t really fit. There will surely be a caravan pinging between Columbus and Cleveland.
Gavin Williams went 12-5 with a 3.06 ERA last season for the Guardians. (Al Bello / Getty Images)
Starting pitchers (5): Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo, Slade Cecconi, Logan Allen
Others in camp: Kolby Allard, Trenton Denholm, Will Dion, Yorman Gómez, Ben Lively, Tommy Mace, Parker Messick, Doug Nikhazy, Austin Peterson, Ryan Webb
This is a battle of six starters for five spots, and given Messick has the least big-league experience of the bunch, he’s the logical candidate to head to Columbus. It won’t happen without a fight, though, and there always seems to be a bout of the stomach flu or shoulder flu that simplifies a decision like this.
The more compelling narrative this spring might be which minor-league starters assert themselves as most deserving for a call when the club needs a spot start. It feels as though Nikhazy, Dion and Webb have been hanging around Triple A for a decade. The Guardians added Peterson and Gómez to the 40-man roster over the winter.
Relievers (8): Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, Erik Sabrowski, Shawn Armstrong, Tim Herrin, Colin Holderman, Peyton Pallette, Matt Festa
Others in camp: Franco Aleman, Pedro Avila, Connor Brogdon, Tanner Burns, Daniel Espino, Carlos Hernández, Codi Heuer, Jack Leftwich, Jake Miller, Steven Pérez, Trevor Stephan, Andrew Walters
There’s a lot of competition here, too. With Brogdon as a favorite, there are nine relievers for eight spots, and that’s before considering Trevor Stephan or Franco Aleman, two relievers who were supposed to play a part last year but never did. Eventually, as long as they’re healthy, Walters and Espino, a couple of hard throwers with high-leverage stuff, could join the discussion. Heuer is an interesting name to remember, and Avila is back to chew up innings whenever there’s a need.
Smith, Gaddis, Sabrowski and Armstrong are presumably locks. Festa, Brogdon and Pallette cannot be sent to the minors. The Guardians would love for Stephan to recapture his pre-Tommy John surgery form, as they’re paying him $3.5 million this season, plus a potential $1.25 million buyout this fall.