Why Surprising Candidate Could Have Upper Hand In Guardians 2B Battle

Gabriel Arias could finally find consistency with the Cleveland Guardians during the 2025 MLB season.

May 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Cleveland Guardians third base Gabriel Arias (13) fields a ground ball during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images / Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

Spring Training is quickly approaching, and the Cleveland Guardians still need to answer many questions about their roster.

As players begin to arrive in Goodyear, Arizona, the biggest unknown is who will be the team's second baseman heading into Opening Day.

The candidates are clear: Angel Martinez, Daniel Schneemann, Gabriel Arias, Juan Brito, and Tyler Freeman. (Travis Bazzana could be an option later into the season.)

Based on how this offseason has gone, there is an argument to be made that Arias could have the slight upper hand in the position battle over Brito, Freeman, or Martinez.

Out of this group, Arias has the most Major League experience and still has tremendous potential as a reliable power hitter and defender. The way he finished last year in the minors and what we've seen from him during the Venezuelan Winter League is a perfect example of this.

Jun 27, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians shortstop Gabriel Arias (13) warms up during batting practice before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images / Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

In 43 games at Triple-A, Arias hit .317/.360/.545 with an OPS of .904. He followed that up with an unbelievable winter league, hitting .293/.364/.547 with an OPS of .912 in 27 games.

This stretch is the most consisent Arias has swung the bat at any level since he was traded to Cleveland.

Whether Arias made a swing adjustment or modified his plate approach, there's no denying this is a different hitter who spent the first half of 2024 on Cleveland's Major League roster.

Following the Andres Gimenez trade, it was clear that the Guardians were looking for more offense out of the second base position. These stats from Arias show that he could be ready to por

The concern with Arias remains the same: he's struggled to find consistency in his 515 big league at-bats and gotten swing-happy at times, too. That said, the 24-year-old has done nothing but crush the ball since his demotion to the minors on July 11.

With how much Arias has seemingly improved over the last few months, the Guardians should be eager to give him at least one more chance in the Majors before he's out of minor-league options and they move on.

The best way to determine whether Arias is a different player is to give him every at-bat as Cleveland's second baseman.

If there are still concerns or Arias can't find consistency, that's when the Guardians could pivot to Brito, Freeman, or one of their other options.

One thing is for sure: it's going to be interesting to see who takes the majority of reps at second base when Spring Training games start for the Guardians on February 22.