Surprising Guardians Player Could Spend Time At First Base In 2025

Jhonkensy Noel could be a first base option for the Cleveland Guardians next season.

Jun 28, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians outfield Jhonkensy Noel (43) catches a pop fly during the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images / William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians will have a new look on the right side of their infield in 2025.

They already needed to find a new second baseman after Andres Gimenez's surprising departure, and now they need a fill-in first base following the Josh Naylor trade.

The two most obvious candidates to spend time at first are Kyle Manzardo and Carlos Santana (who the Guardians reportedly have agreed to a one-year contract with).

However, Chris Antonetti also mentioned another surprising name when breaking down the Naylor trade: Jhonkensy Noel.

"We view him to be a very capable first baseman. He didn't have a lot of time there last year. Obviously, I think Josh started 140 games there, and Kyle started some games there. So, there just weren't very many reps at first base for Jhonkensy."

"But, when he played there, he did a good job. He's done a good job with that in the minor leagues. So, we view it as another way to get his bat in the lineup."

Of the 67 games Noel played in his rookie season, he only appeared at first base nine times. However, it is the position he played the most in the minors before transitioning to being an outfielder.

Oct 17, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians outfielder Jhonkensy Noel (43) hits a two-run home run during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees in game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

This doesn't mean that Noel will be Cleveland's starting first baseman in 2025 or that he'll spend the majority of his time there next year.

But as Antonetti points out, versatility is essential for team success, and if he's swinging a hot bat, playing Noel at first base from time to time could be a way for them to get him in the lineup.