2025 Roster - What Makes Sense and What Doesn't

 OK, it's the hot stove.  Fans of the Guardians love to project lineups and rosters.  So let's do the same. Here are some ground rules I will use in mine.

• No free agent signings that only provide likely or possible incremental improvement over internal options. The trades they made so far made this team anywhere from incrementally to somewhat weaker than last year.  You don't get to spend precious dollars just to recoup those losses, especially with the meager returns from those trades.
• No trades to bring in veterans. Same philosophy.  You lost talent and you don't get to trade prospects to get talent back.
• No moves that bring in platoon players.   You're roster has 13 position players.  You have used up 10 with your 9 starters and Hedges.  There is no room to waste a roster spot on a half-time (or less) player.  Utility players are the way to go for those last 3 spots UNLESS you sign one full-time RFer.  
• No relief pitchers on major league deals.  Hey, bring in a few relief pitchers who are as quality if you can get them on minor league deals.  But you just traded away, for very little return, 2 solid middle relievers who weren't going to cost you a lot.  As I said above you just can't double back and spend money on more expensive relievers.  We tried that with Barlow.  How did that work?
• No starting pitcher a major league deal who is worse than your current #2 starter. Look, you always need more pitching.  But this proviso says go big or go home.  You have enough warm bodies already.  Maybe Quantrill or Carrasco or Lorenzen on a minor league deal.
• We need a star - Look, we need someone to hit cleanup who is GOOD at hitting cleanup.  Santana is a #6 hitter at this point of his career.  Lane Thomas is exposed at 4 or 5. Manzardo and Noel are essentially rookies and rookies don't hit 4th because they can't be expected to put fear into the hearts of pitchers.  Therefore, they are no protection for Jose. Santander is a switch hitter, he hit cleanup all last year and he is a RFer.  Everything we need.  And he makes our lineup.  No other FA outfielders are anything more than trying to fit a square peg in a round hole or as a platoon or incremental improvement.  Santander is it.  

So, with those provisos, I have looked at all the prominent and less prominent and less prominent options and here is what I see the lineup and 26-man roster looking like in 2025.

Lineup:

1. Kwan LF

2. Brito 2B

3. Ramirez 3B

4. Santander RF

5. Manzardo DH

6. Santana 1B

7. Thomas CF

8. Naylor C

9. Rocchio SS

Bench:

Hedges - C

Freeman (likely) or Arias - Utility IFer - backup middle infielder and utility player

Noel (likely) or Brennan - Extra OFer - Prioritize power and versatility over experience.  Probably Fry once he is healthy

Angel Martinez (likely) or Schneeman - Utility IF/OF - Switch hitter over LHH.  

Rotation:

1. Bibee

2. Ortiz

3. Williams

4. Lively

5. McKenzie

Bullpen:

1. Clase

2. Smith

3. Gaddis

4. Herrin

5. Sabrowski

6. Walters

7. Avila

8. Aleman (Stephan when he is healthy)

Summary

So there you have it.  One FA signing makes this lineup better.  You are still banking on Brito being better than Gimenez, overall, and Santana being as good as Naylor with both of the replacement (Brito, Santana) maybe fitting in better and accepting lesser roles than Naylor and Gimenez would have been.