Guardians Need To Find A Spot For Angel Martínez

Originally posted on FanNation Cleveland Baseball Insider
By Tommy Wild | Last updated 3/10/24

The Cleveland Guardians' Major League roster was already expected to be a mess to figure out heading into Opening Day. That muddled situation has gotten even more complicated as spring training continues.

Angel Martínez is making it pretty clear to the organization and new manager Stephen Vogt that he deserves a spot on the roster. The way it's going, Cleveland is going to need him and his offense in the lineup at some point too.

Martínez has been the talk of camp through the first two weeks. He currently has a slash line of .500/.522/1.00 with an OPS of 1.522 in eight games and 17 at-bats. This offensive outburst includes two home runs and six RBI.

However, figuring out where he fits on the defensive end is another problem. The shortstop battle between Brayan Rocchio and Gabriel Arias continues with neither player separating themselves.

The organization also can't ignore what Angel is doing either. Out of all the middle infield prospects, he's the only one who has taken the opportunity and run with it.

Even if the Guardians feel confident in their middle infield to start the year and beyond, there still could be a spot for Martínez in the lineup for the near or long-term future.

The 22-year-old has worked to make himself more versatile by getting reps in the outfield over the offseason. He made his spring training debut in center field on Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels. However, Tyler Freeman has also emerged as a potential fit in the center of the outfield.

Angel is going to force the Guardians to make some tough decisions whenever they come. The best thing for him to do at this point is to keep proving that he deserves to be at the Major League level.

This article first appeared on FanNation Cleveland Baseball Insider and was syndicated with permission.

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