This Should Be Cleveland Guardians' Plan At Shortstop For The Remainder Of Season

A combination of Daniel Schneemann and Brayan Rocchio gives the Cleveland Guardians their best option at shortstop.

Jul 11, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Guardians shortstop Daniel Schneemann (10) in the field in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports / Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Ever since the Cleveland Guardians traded away Francisco Lindor following the 2020 season, the shortstop position as been something of an unknown. The same can be said for the state of the position here in 2024.

Cleveland is currently in a race for the American League Central and a spot in the playoffs after they watched their 9.0-game lead dwindle over the last two months. Now is the time for the Guardians to go with their best option. Using the current major league roster, this should be their plan for a shortstop for the remainder of the year.

Whether it's been Brayan Rocchio, Gabriel Arias, Daniel Schneemann, or even Tyler Freeman playing shortstop, Cleveland's biggest shortcoming from their shortstops has been the offense. Cleveland's shortstops have a collective batting average of .195 and an OPS of .560. Each of those ranks bottom three in MLB, behind the Oakland Athletics and Detroit Tigers.

The Guardians have had an inconsistent offense at best over the last few weeks, and they need to prioritize getting their best bats in the lineup to start the game. This means starting Schneemann at a shortstop is their best option for them offensively.

Schneemann had a hot start to his major league career but cooled off as pitchers adjusted to the contact hitter's tendencies. His current season slash line is .239/.321/.405 with an OPS of .726, including 15 extra-base hits.

The good news is that Schneemann is starting to acclimate right back to those pitchers. He has 11 hits in his last 41 at-bats and is hitting .400/.429/.550 in his last seven games. He's clearly Cleveland's best option on the offensive side.

Scheemann's defense has been a little more shaky. He's played all around the diamond up to this point, and he's been a fine defender in those different positions. However, he has made three errors at shortstop.

Jun 28, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) fields a ground ball in the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Stephen Vogt has shown on multiple occasions during his first managerial season that he isn't afraid to make in-game subsitution. That's where Brayan Rocchio comes into play.

Rocchio has made some costly mistakes over the last few games, but he still ranks in the 91st percentile in outs above average. He's by no means a bad defender.

Vogt could use Rocchio as a defensive replacement in the closing innings of games, or when Cleveland needs someone to put down a perfect bunt.

The future of the shortstop position is still up in the air. Perhaps Andres Gimenez (a natural shortstop) will slide to the left side of the infield when Travis Bazzana is ready for the big leagues.

But for the rest of the season, using Scheneemann for his offense early in games and Rocchio later is the best way for the Guardians to get the most out of the position and their best chance to win.