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Jhonkensy Noel? Kyle Manzardo? Other? The Guardians have options at designated hitter
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- Jhonkensy Noel? Kyle Manzardo? Other? The Guardians have options at designated hitter
CLEVELAND — The designated hitter spot in Guardians manager Stephen Vogt's lineups might be a position owned by several different hitters in the early part of the 2025 season .
As the Guardians and the rest of the league prepare to head to their respective spring training camp s in a few weeks, Cleveland's DH spot is one of the biggest unresolved questions, along with second base .
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Much of the uncertainty about the DH spot also includes the situations at first base and right field.
Josh Naylor is gone after being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks . Enter (or, re-enter yet again) Carlos Santana , who won a Gold Glove at first base a year ago.
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David Fry is recovering from Tommy John surgery . With his timetable, it's very unlikely he'll play the field in 2025. Even as only a hitter, he likely won't be available until some time between May and late June or even into July. Fry could slide into an everyday DH role, but it's predicated on his being healthy and hitting at a high clip.
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Until Fry is ready — and possibly after if he struggles — the DH spot is wide open.
Kyle Manzardo could see at-bats in DH spot of Guardians 2025 lineup
One key name here is Kyle Manzardo , who largely struggled in his rookie 2024 season but began to show some progress toward the end of the year. Before Sept. 1, Manzardo hit just .207 with a .571 OPS with no home runs in 87 plate appearances. After Sept. 1? He hit .270 with an .873 OPS and five home runs in 69 plate appearances.
It remains to be seen which Manzardo shows up in camp this spring, which could go a long way toward opening up or closing opportunities at the DH spot for at-bats.
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But Vogt is a manager who likes having the DH spot available on most days. It affords him the ability to keep Jose Ramirez in the lineup while mostly giving him a day off his feet. Ramirez never wants to be out of the lineup, but the Guardians can't have him play literally every inning at third base, either, so perhaps this — with a few full off-days sprinkled in — is a good compromise.
"Having a DH role that could be a little bit flexible is a nice thing to have," Vogt said Monday in a meeting with reporters. "It allows us to get Josey some DH days, get Carlos a few DH days off of first base. … I think obviously we have a number of very talented position players and young guys we're going to get a good glimpse of as this shakes out."
Cleveland Guardians' 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 on Oct. 17, 2024, in Cleveland.
Jhonkensy Noel in competition for at-bats in right field, DH
Jhonkensy Noel could also be a regular factor for DH at-bats as the Guardians look to get at-bats for a few players — including Will Brennan , Johnathan Rodriguez, Daniel Schneemann and Gabriel Arias — in right field.
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Noel belted 13 home runs in only 179 at-bats in the regular season and then launched a mammoth home run to extend Game 3 of the American League Championship Series .
The blemish on his record is that he also struck out 63 times, and his contact at the major league level continues to be a concern. The Guardians' competition in right field could shake out a number of ways depending on how Noel and Brennan look, and whether Rodriguez, Schneemann or Arias make a push for more at-bats.
"I think just continuing with the swing decisions and the quality of contact," Vogt said of what would be the ideal improvement for Noel entering 2025. "We all know that when he gets it, he gets it. Jhonkensy is a good hitter."
As that unfolds, the DH spot can then become a regular avenue for the Guardians to figure out what they have in some spots. Manzardo and Noel could receive much of those opportunities until Fry is ready, but a number of scenarios could play out between first base and right field that lead to plenty of changes.
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For now, how the Guardians handle the DH spot is wide open as the trucks and loads of gear make their way to Goodyear, Ariz., for spring camp.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians could use Kyle Manzardo, Jhonkensy Noel as DH
