It’s quiet. Almost too quiet.
The Guardians – and almost all teams in MLB – are quiet at the moment, as the sports world revolves around the College Football Playoff, the NFL playoffs, and NBA and NHL seasons
ramping up to the halfway points. In another month or so, we’ll start seeing photos of Spring Training and that’ll change. But, I really wish I could sit Chris Antonetti and Stephen Vogt down and ask them some questions they might answer in a meaningful fashion. So, to be clear, I am not asking them “What restrictions have you got for payroll for 2026?” or “Are there players you are still trying to add?” because there will not be a meaningful answer there. But, here are ten questions on which I think they could offer legitimate insight without giving away state secrets.
Question 10 – Johnathan Rodriguez was absolutely horrific in right field by every metric last season; do you see that as something he can and will improve on, or is he viewed as mostly a DH-option?
Question 9 – Angel Martinez struggled defensively in centerfield and hitting right-handed pitching; what is he doing this offseason to try to improve in those areas and where do the coaches see hope that he can make those improvements meaningfully?
Question 8 – Is David Fry preparing to play first base and right field as well as catcher this season?
Question 7 – Will Daniel Espino be stretched out as a starter throughout this year if healthy or is the expectation that he will be limited to relief?
Question 6 – Juan Brito has been playing first base exclusively in the Dominican Winter League; is he still seen as a second base option for the Guardians?
Question 5 – Travis Bazzana struck out at a significantly higher rate than expected in his first full professional season; is there a reason the organization believes that happened and what are the reasons to believe he can improve on his strikeout rate and his power numbers in 2026?
Question 4 – If the organization ends up with six healthy major league quality starters to open the season, that will be extremely good news. Would the organization consider running the six-man rotation they did in September of 2025 to open the year, or no?
Question 3 – Nolan Jones had a very difficult 2025 so many fans were surprised to see him tendered a contract for 2026 – where does the organization see hope for Jones to improve at the plate?
Question 2 – Do you feel like the team needs more right-handed help given the amount of left-handed hitters on the roster and in the farm system?
Question 1 – Do you understand how important it is to fans that the organization do all within its power to make sure that Jose Ramirez plays his entire career in Cleveland will ownership and the front office prioritize making that happen?
So, hey, I know Chris Antonetti is going to a dinner with fans in Akron, soon. If anyone going wants to rundown this list with him, you’d have my eternal gratitude. Until then, you can speculate on the answers in the comments below!
