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We’re back with another edition of Around the Horn. If you’ve missed any of the previous installments, our goal is to go position by position to examine what questions the Guardians may need to answer before the end of Spring Training.

We’ve covered catcher and first, second and third base. Let’s move to shortstop.

Projected starter: Gabriel Arias
Here’s where things get cloudy.

Arias is going to be the projected starter at least until Spring Training begins. However, this is the first position we’ve analyzed that is far from a sure thing. Defensively, Arias is more than capable of handling shortstop. His glove paired with Andrés Giménez at second base has the potential to be quite impressive. The problem is, his bat hasn’t developed the way it was projected to when he was rising through the Minor League system. In 2021, Arias hit .284 with an .802 OPS in 115 games with Triple-A Columbus. But he’s batted .207 with a .630 OPS in 138 Major League games.

Backup options: Tyler Freeman, Brayan Rocchio, José Tena, Angel Martínez, Juan Brito
Giménez would not be considered a “backup option” for Arias, but we talked about whether he could move to shortstop when we highlighted second base last week. At this point, it seems less likely that he’ll move from second, but it’s certainly on the table.

That brings us to Freeman, Rocchio, Tena, Martínez and Brito -- Cleveland’s never-ending pipeline of middle infielders. Freeman has the ability to play all over the infield and was even willing to try left field last season. That versatility may help him land a utility role, but like Arias, he will need to be more consistent with his bat to prove that he can make the jump to the starting job.

Rocchio is Cleveland’s No. 1 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He got a taste of the big leagues last year and still has plenty of room to grow offensively and defensively, but he has the potential to add some power to the lineup. Plus, his baseball IQ is known to be high. Rocchio may be raw, but he’ll certainly be in the running to earn the job.

Then there’s Tena, Martínez and Brito. They’re all a little further away from everyday roles in the Majors than the first two options. While Tena (Cleveland’s No. 15 prospect) had limited big league exposure last season when the Guardians were short staffed in the infield, he’s still only played 20 games with Triple-A Columbus. Neither Martínez nor Brito have reached the big leagues, but both are also highly regarded in the Guardians’ system. Martínez is ranked 10th and Brito is sixth. Martínez didn’t have as impressive of an offensive showing in 2023, but he may prove to be a reliable option for Cleveland as he continues to develop.

Brito is expected to have the best upside of the trio of prospects. The Guardians haven’t been shy in expressing their excitement for the 22-year-old infielder since he was acquired in the trade that sent Nolan Jones to the Rockies in November 2022. He’s a switch-hitter who can make hard contact while controlling the strike zone well. Brito needs time to continue developing in the Minors, but he’ll certainly be on everyone’s radar as the ’24 season unfolds.

Question to answer: Can Arias hit lefties?
Sometimes guys can fall into bad luck. Young players can press themselves early in their careers to prove they belong in the big leagues. It may just take time for Arias to settle in. However, the concerning stat from last season was his performance against lefties. In his Minor League career, Arias never showed any signs of needing to be a platoon player. In 2023, though, he went a mere 9-for-108 (.083) with a .316 OPS in 119 plate appearances against southpaws.

Not only will Arias need Spring Training to show the strides he took offensively over the offseason in order to remain the leading candidate to win the job, he’ll also need to start to demonstrate that the struggles against lefties were just a one-season fluke.

Who else is in the Pipeline?
• No. 14 SS/3B Angel Genao (age: 19, Single-A Lynchburg)

• No. 16 SS Welbyn Francisca (age: 17, Rookie-level Arizona Complex League)

• No. 17 SS/2B Kahlil Watson (age: 20, High-A Lake County)

• No. 22 SS Alex Mooney (age: 21, Single-A Lynchburg)

• No. 26 3B/SS Dayan Frias (age: 21, High-A Lake County)

• In case you missed it, the Guardians signed the No. 13 international prospect on Monday afternoon.

• There’s another one. Vladimir Miguel Guerrero, the half-brother of Blue Jays All-Star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr., signed with the Mets.

• “You’re dating my sister? Why?” Here’s the story of what happens when your longtime baseball rival marries your sister.

The Guardians thought their coaching staff was set a few weeks ago, but just before the calendar flipped to 2024, assistant hitting coach Victor Rodríguez left the organization to take the main hitting coach position in San Diego, leaving one more vacancy for Cleveland to fill before Spring Training.

On Monday, the club announced that Dan Puente will take on assistant hitting coach duties alongside Chris Valaika. Puente spent the past four seasons in the Cubs’ organization, serving as the hitting coach of the High-A South Bend Cubs in 2022 and ’23 (the team won the Midwest League title in ’22). He was a 12th-round pick by the Orioles in the 2004 MLB Draft and played in two seasons in their Minor League system as a catcher and first baseman.

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