What Ernie Clement Brings To The Guardians

Ernie Clement may not play everyday, but his versatility brings a lot to the team.

Last night, Tito and the coaching staff decided to give Jose Ramirez the night off. And by night off, I mean he took a break from playing in the field and was the Guardians' DH. 

With Ramirez not playing third base, Ernie Clement stepped in and did a tremendous job holding down the position with his defense!

Clement's ability to play just about any position on the field is something that should not be overlooked. It's so rare for any player to play 162 games whether that be because of injury, or sometimes just needing the day off during the long season. That is where Clement can step up and help the team with his defense and versatility. 

So far this season, Clement has played 12 games at second base, seven games in left field, and 11 games at third base. While playing so many different areas on the field, Clement still ranks in the 78th percentile in outs above average. 

Third base is clearly where Clement feels most comfortable and he showed this last night. Watch him make a nice pick and throw out Elvis Andrus. This is certainly not an easy play and Clement makes it look like a routine ground ball.  

When playing third base this season, Clement has six putouts, 17 assists, and most importantly no errors. This is impressive for someone who does not get consistent playing time at the position. 

Ernie knows what he brings to the team. After the game, he said, "I got to do little things to help the team win when you are not playing every day." These little things include putting down a perfect bunt in the eighth inning to help extend their lead over the A's. 

Depth is one of the most important parts of any team no matter what the sport is. Each year, the two teams that end up playing in the World Series usually have the deepest rosters. Clement being on the team helps deepen the roster and takes the stress off the coaching staff to play guys like Jose every day because they know they won't be giving anything up defensively having Clement fill in. 

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