Who's On Second? Inside the Guardians' Second Base Battle

When the Cleveland Guardians traded Andres Gimenez this winter, they threw open the doors to a competition for second base this spring. While Travis Bazzana is the long-term answer and might make his major league debut as early as this year, for now, a quintet of players will battle it out.

Juan Brito has the most offensive upside of the group. He had a .256/.365/.443 slash line at Triple-A last year. He crushed a career-high 21 home runs, had 40 doubles, and added 13 steals. Brito also showed impressive plate discipline with a 13.5% walk rate. According to Prospects1500, he ranks No. 7 overall in the Guardians' system.

Others vying for the job include Gabriel Arias who is known more for his defense. Then there's Tyler Freeman who has been in the Guardians' system since 2017. And then there are Angel Martinez and Daniel Schneemann who both made their MLB debuts in 2024. Lots of decent options, but no clear standout as of yet.

Manager Stephen Vogt commented about the competition, saying, "We don't have a front-runner. We don't have an idea or a pipe dream, so to speak. We want to see what guys can do." Forbes described the Guardians' search for their interim second baseman as a serious "Who's On Second?" quest, making it clear that this position battle is wide open.

Who do you think wins the second base job? Drop your predictions in the comments - I'd love to hear your take.

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