Way Too Early Look at the Opening Day Roster

 I laugh whenever I see a post titled like this, 6-12 months before the event is supposed to occur. 

But even the construction of an opening day roster makes where we are now to where we have to be in 2+ weeks seem like a year.  So much has already happened and so much can still happen between now and then, as we saw today.  

So, assuming nothing else happens before opening day, here is what I think the opening day roster SHOULD look like:

CATCHERS (3) 

Bo Naylor, Austin Hedges, David Fry

Thoughts: Look, we don't need 3 catchers.  Any that's great.  We only have 2, with Fry being the super utility player.  So far injuries have not impacted the catcher position nor has any performance in ST changed what I thought would happen.

INFIELDERS (6)

3B: Jose Ramirez

SS: Brayan Rocchio

2B: Andres Gimenez

1B: Josh Naylor

DH: Kyle Manzardo

UTIL; Tyler Freeman

Thoughts: A little early for Martinez or Tena, Schneeman not in the picture yet and there is no way, without a trade, that you can keep De Los Santos on the roster as he hasn't shown enough to warrant even the 26th spot.  I think Arias should be sent to AAA.  I believe trading him at this point is a mistake and would rather convince ourselves he is worthless and beyond saving rather than give him away in another typical bad trade and see him bloosom elsewhere.  Hey, I hate that Gio Urshela blossomed somewhere else but feel really comfortable he had his shots here. I don't feel that way, yet, about Arias.

I think we default to this being Manzardo time.  I don't see him as ready and he absolutely the opposite on paper, what we need (another LH hitter and a RH throwing first baseman) but, whatever.   He is young, functional (not fully ready, but functional)

OUTFIELDERS (4)

Kwan, Brenan, Laureano, Straw

Thoughts: This is both the worst case and most predictable case.  Florial was a pipe dream, as was De Los Santos.  It was likely that Noel and Rodriguez were not ready.  The Guardians did nothing either over the winter or up to today (Duvall just signing) to address the outfield production issues we had last year.  In addition, DeLauter is by no means ready and we have 4 guys who ARE ready.  As long as Straw is just the 4th outfielder (and sometime platoon against LH pitching), this is likely an offensive improvement over last year.

STARTING PITCHERS (5)

Beiber, McKenzie, Bibee, Allen, Lively

Thoughts: This is EXACTLY the situation we couldn't find ourselves in: counting on Beiber and McKenzie, with at least one (Williams) injury to the young starters and no reasonable depth starters.  Lively is a black hole (as would Carrasco be).  This is a disaster waiting to happen but, right now, it is our disaster.

BULLPEN (8)

Clase, Morgan, Sandlin, Barlow, Herrin, Curry, Carrasco, Cade Smith

Thoughts: With the news about Hentges it makes me think he will start the season on the IL.  Smith gets this spot by default (Stephan) as I think Gaddis gets stretched out at Columbus in anticipation of the next disaster.  Carrasco is the veteran presence in the bullpen.  The big question mark at this point is Barlow as, if you saw his last performance, you know he had the ugliest clean, 2 strikeout inning imaginable, with a 2-0 count on the first batter leading to a FB to the warning track, a 3 ball count to the second batter and a 3-0 count to the 3rd batter followed by a crushed ball just foul down the line followed by a 3-2 strikeout.  So this bullpen may not be what it will be on opening day because I think it is 50-50 whether Barlow opens the season on the IL and not much better whether he makes it through May before being released, given the way he has pitched this spring.

So, there it is.  My opening day roster.  Bland, blah, and the type of roster that could easily lead to a 61-101 record this year.  But that is getting ahead of myself.  Predictions won't appear here for another 2+ weeks, coinciding with opening day.