The sights and smells of the ballpark — the hot dogs, the grass, the crack of the bat, the sound of the ball falling into a glove — are near.
Pitchers and catchers are reporting this week in Goodyear, Ariz., as the Guardians begin their first camp under a manager not named Terry Francona in more than a decade.
The Guardians will have a few workouts before opening their Cactus League slate for 2024 on Feb. 24 against the Cincinnati Reds . It's all in preparation for March 28, when new manager Stephen Vogt and the Guardians open the 2024 season in Oakland .
After an 11-game road trip to open the season, the Guardians will battle the Chicago White Sox and a total solar eclipse on April 8 in their home opener.
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Here's the first projection for what the Guardians' Opening Day roster might look like by the end of spring camp.
Bo Naylor gets his first full season in the majors after posting an .809 OPS in 67 games last year. The Guardians will be able to see what Naylor can do with his offensive skillset and more playing time, as well as how he handles the rigors of catching a much higher volume of innings in the majors.
Austin Hedges returns on a one-year, $4 million deal and is instantly one of the few veterans on the roster.
The real intrigue here is at shortstop, which is the key position battle in Guardians camp this spring. Gabriel Arias could get the first crack at regular at-bats, with Tyler Freeman and others supplying some competition. Brayan Rocchio has perhaps the highest ceiling of them all at this point, but the Guardians might opt to allow him to get regular at-bats in Triple-A if he isn't the Opening Day starter.
The Guardians will also have interesting decision with the last infield spot that might come down to how they want to handle Deyvison De Los Santos and Kyle Manzardo.
De Los Santos was a Rule 5 selection from the Arizona Diamondbacks , meaning he has to stay on the active roster for the duration of the 2024 season or be offered back to his original team. He's just 20 years old and only has 113 at-bats in Double-A, but he might be someone the Guardians want to watch develop.
Manzardo figures to be an important piece in the Guardians lineup at some point in 2024 — the question is if it'll be Opening Day or after that point. He was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Aaron Civale in a deal the Guardians couldn't pass up, as they had the chance to bring in a top-100 level hitting prospect while dealing from their surplus of starting pitchers.
Manzardo has 405 at-bats at Triple-A already, and in 92 at-bats with Triple-A Columbus after he was traded he posted a .938 OPS. If he tears the cover off the ball in Arizona this spring, he could very well work his way into the Opening Day lineup. Plus, the MLB rule changes that incentivize teams promoting their top prospects earlier than in the past will help his chances.
Steven Kwan will act as the leadoff hitter. Ramon Laureano will have a role, at least against left-handed pitchers. The rest is a bit up in the air.
Center field is an area to watch in Guardians camp this spring. Myles Straw provides elite-level defense and speed on the basepaths. But he's posted a sub-.600 OPS in two consecutive seasons, and unless he rebounds at the plate the Guardians have to decide if he's better suited as an everyday player or as a speedy, defense-first option off the bench. Straw has a long-term deal in place with the Guardians, but they'll need to see an increase in offensive production at some point.
Prospects Chase DeLauter and George Valera are both players to watch, and perhaps one or both can break down the door to the majors in 2024, but it's unlikely either opens the season with Cleveland .
The guy can play just about anywhere and do just about anything, so he gets his own category. He offers the Guardians plenty of positional depth, had a .734 OPS last year and came up with a number of clutch hits. He also has three options remaining, so it's possible the Guardians could use this spot to do some maneuvering around the roster.
Barring an injury or a trade, this will be the starting rotation the Guardians take into the season.
At this point, a possible Shane Bieber trade is more likely at the trade deadline, depending on where the Guardians stand in late July.
The first six names on that list should be locks, leaving two spots up for grabs. James Karinchak will need to show he can command both his fastball and curveball, or he could be headed for yet another stint in Triple-A.
At least one spot should go to either Xzavion Curry or Carlos Carrasco , who is in camp as a non-roster invitee, to act as a multi-inning option. Carrasco, now 36 and turning 37 in March, is one of the most interesting players in camp.
Tim Herrin is also a contender for a spot in the bullpen as another left-handed option along with Sam Hentges. The Guardians in the past haven't wanted to carry an extra lefty just for the sake of doing so. That was under Francona, though, so there isn't as much of a precedent for decisions this spring.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Twitter and Threads at @ByRyanLewis .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians Opening Day 2024 roster projection
