Stephen Vogt, Chris Antonetti Discuss Guardians' Infield, Outfield Picture Before Spring Training
The Cleveland Guardians have a lot to figure out during spring training. Yes, it's about ramping players back up to game level. However, rookie manager Stephen Vogt and the front office have some tough decisions to make with their roster.
As for the shortstop and infield outlook, Vogt is excited about the number of candidates in the organization and believes it's all about where each player fits best.
"I think we're pretty fortunate. We have a list of three or four people who are capable of playing shortstop for us with some defensive versatility as well," said Vogt.
"So I think we're going to get a good look at guys playing shortstop, playing other positions, playing elsewhere, and it's a good problem to have when you have defensive versatility and you have a number of guys who can contribute at the shortstop position. Obviously, we're hoping that between all of those guys, we have a great decision to make about who and where they're going to impact the roster."
Vogt mentions "three or four guys", but the list could easily be longer than that with Gabriel Arias, Brayan Rocchio, Tyler Freeman, Jose Tena, Juan Brito, and even Andres Gimenez in contention for shortstop.
Aug 18, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians second baseman Tyler Freeman (left) and first baseman Gabriel Arias (13) stand on the field fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Now onto the outfield where the position group is arguably even more messy with more options to choose from. So how are the front office and Vogt going to figure out who fits best?
The first-year manager only has one option. "They're all gonna play," he said.
"We feel good we have a number of candidates who can play in the outfield and were gonna do our best to give them the optimal amount of at-bats to give us that look."
Chris Antonetti chimed in and acknowledged that each of the players has options on their roster (outside of Estevan Florial) which gives them flexibility in terms of who they want to see at the major league level.
The picture may be a little blurry now, but it should be clearer as spring training progresses.
