GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Guardians have a slew of roster decisions to make before Opening Day next Thursday night in Seattle. Their outfield composition is chief among them.
The Guardians had 11 outfielders in big league camp when it started. Through Tuesday’s 8-6 win over the Reds at Goodyear Ballpark, seven outfielders remain: Chase DeLauter, Stuart Fairchild, Petey Halpin, Nolan Jones, Steven Kwan, Angel Martínez and George Valera. CJ Kayfus (who also can slot in at first base) makes eight.
The outfield figured to be one of the Guardians’ most competitive positional groups entering camp. As we fast approach the regular season, it’s not just a matter of deciding which guys will make the initial 26-man roster. It’s also a matter of who fits where.
Here are a few stray questions on Cleveland’s outfield picture.
Who’s in center?
In the second inning Tuesday, Kwan turned 90 degrees to his right and began running toward the center-field wall. After a brief chase, he easily snagged a line drive hit by Reds third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes.
Kwan began to get reps in center field last month; the Guardians wanted to see what their best outfield alignment could look like -- both defensively and offensively. They have not officially named him their Opening Day center fielder, but it might be trending that way. Tuesday marked his 10th start in center this spring. He’s made three in left.
"I think I've gotten some good plays, definitely some ones that I've had some learning opportunities from,” Kwan said of playing center. “It's also probably the hardest center fields in all of baseball [in Arizona], with the sun and just the ball flying. That's a good stress test, but it’s been going pretty solid so far.”
Kwan is the piece through which the rest of the puzzle will come together. If he’s the everyday center fielder, the Guardians will have more flexibility in the corners. That includes an ability to start two of DeLauter, Valera and Kayfus on a given day. Each has seen his most time in the Minor Leagues in the corners.
The Guardians may ultimately keep Kwan in left. If they do, DeLauter, Halpin, Jones, Fairchild (a non-roster invitee who would have to be added to the 40-man roster) and Martínez (who has also seen time in left this spring) are the options for center.
Will Valera be ready?
Valera has positioned himself to make his first career Opening Day roster. The 25-year-old has hit .292 (7-for-24) with one homer over 10 games this spring -- the most recent of which was on March 9.
Valera has been sidelined by a mild left calf strain. He has been throwing and hitting, and on Tuesday he did some running. He’s doing better and appears to be trending in the right direction, and the Guardians are hopeful he could return to game action in the coming days.
Based on the calendar, there is at least some question of whether Valera will be ready for Opening Day. The Guardians won’t rush him for the sake of being on their Opening Day roster. His long-term health is priority No. 1.
How could Fairchild fit?
Fairchild has a few intriguing traits. He hits right-handed; the Guardians are a left-handed-heavy team. He also can play each outfield spot and has fared well against lefties in his career (.746 OPS). Fairchild (who’s 4-for-16 in six Cactus League games) could be an intriguing fit to balance out Cleveland’s overall left-handedness -- and slide around the outfield as needed.
“What he's shown is that you can trust him to go in a Major League game and have a competitive at-bat," bench coach Tony Arnerich said, “grind out an at-bat, and he can play anywhere on the field. He's a very good defender, which we've seen.
“When you know you can rely on those things, it's really valuable.”
Who makes the cut?
Given the presence of Swiss Army knife Daniel Schneemann, that could leave three outfield spots up for grabs beyond Kwan. DeLauter will have one, and the same may go for Valera, assuming health.
It’s looking increasingly tough to leave Martínez off the roster; he has a 1.205 OPS this spring. Halpin has had a strong spring, but has two Minor League options remaining. Kayfus could open with Triple-A Columbus given the Guardians’ crowded first-base mix.
The Guardians may face a decision on Jones. They avoided arbitration with him in November, but he entered Tuesday with a .504 OPS in 10 games this spring and has played in four of the past nine contests. He has no options remaining.
The one thing that’s certain? The Guardians have a lot to figure out in the next week.