GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Guardians have been working through their final Opening Day roster decisions. Barring any unforeseen changes or last-minute additions, Cleveland’s mix is set ahead of its season opener on Thursday.
Angel Martínez is expected to round out an outfield mix featuring Steven Kwan, Chase DeLauter and CJ Kayfus, while Colin Holderman will be one of the eight relievers in the Guardians’ bullpen.
“It's just the time of year where lots of things can happen,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said Tuesday morning. “We were pretty candid with [Martínez and Holderman]. We said, ‘Again, we just don't know what may develop over the course of the next couple of days, and there's some chance we might have to pivot.’
“But our expectation is both of those guys will be on the team.”
Catcher Austin Hedges is considered day to day with a bone bruise on his right hand. He was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning of Monday’s 7-0 win over the D-backs at Chase Field, and X-rays came back negative for a fracture. He’s set to be part of the Opening Day mix.
You can find how the full roster is shaping up here. Let's dive into how we got there.
The outfield
The final decision remaining has included non-roster invitee Stuart Fairchild. The 30-year-old (who can play all three spots and hits right-handed) is expected to open the season with Triple-A Columbus.
Fairchild’s Minor League contract included an upward mobility clause. If a team wants to add him to its 26-man or 40-man roster, the Guardians would have to make a decision on whether they would match that proposition or part ways with him.
“If it's status quo, he would start in Triple-A,” Antonetti said. "We've talked through all of this with Stu and CJ and Angel.”
Kwan will see time in left and center field this season, and DeLauter (MLB Pipeline's No. 46 overall prospect) will slot in right and at DH. Assuming things stay status quo, the switch-hitting Martínez can play each outfield spot and help balance a roster crowded with lefties.
Martínez had a 1.233 OPS with six doubles and four homers over his first 17 games this spring. That included a .967 OPS in 33 at-bats as a left-handed hitter. He had a .545 OPS as a lefty in 2025.
“He worked really hard on his left-handed swing over the course of the winter, and we saw that play dividends in Spring Training,” Antonetti said. “Combine the things he can do offensively, from both sides of the plate, with the defensive versatility he has, he could be a really valuable member of our team and help us find ways to win games.”
Kayfus offers a power-hitting lefty in the corner outfield mix, who can also slide to first base as needed. His fit earlier in camp was a bit of a question mark following the addition of Rhys Hoskins, who has made the roster, as expected. But George Valera (who was positioning himself to make the Opening Day roster) will open the season on the injured list with a left calf strain.
Kayfus made his MLB debut on Aug. 2 this past season and had a .707 OPS over 44 games. That included an .888 OPS over 20 games in September. Through 17 games this spring, he slashed .225/.340/.475 with two doubles, two home runs and seven walks with 11 strikeouts.
“He earned that spot on the roster,” Antonetti said. "We think he’s a guy that can contribute offensively and provide versatility to play a number of different defensive positions.”
The bullpen
There is a bit more finality here. Non-roster invitee Kolby Allard will officially open the season with Columbus. He had an upward mobility clause, but there was not a team that had an immediate big league opportunity for him.
The Guardians plan to stretch Allard out, to a point. They value his versatility and his ability to pitch in both short and long bursts.
“We want to build up his volume,” Antonetti said, “but we don't want to build it up so much that he's unavailable to us for too long, because he could be among the first options that we look at.”
There has been some uncertainty on Holderman’s status because he has two Minor League options remaining. The Guardians are excited about the developmental strides he’s made in camp while acclimating himself to the organization.
Spring results are not the be-all end-all, but Holderman allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings over his final six appearances, versus eight runs in 2 2/3 innings over his first two outings.