The Guardians may have found another spring storyline waiting in the wings, and this one comes with real job-opening potential.
First base is shaping up as one of the most interesting spots to watch next March, with top prospect Ralphy Velazquez in position to push for the opening-day conversation in 2027. According to a recent Cleveland.com look at the roster, the door is at least cracked open for Velazquez and Kyle Manzardo to battle for the job in camp.
“First base will be a position to watch next spring training. Top prospect Ralphy Velazquez and Kyle Manzardo are two of the candidates.
Velazquez had a monster 2026 at Double-A Akron and Triple-A. Antonetti says he and Manzardo will have a chance to win a big-league job next spring,” Hoynes wrote.
That sets up a fascinating situation after a season in which the Guardians leaned heavily on their young core and still came up just two games short of the 2026 World Series. Chase DeLauter, Travis Bazzana, Parker Messick and Gavin Williams all took major steps forward this year, and Velazquez now looks like the next wave of that group.
Manzardo’s season made the first-base picture murky. After breaking out in 2025 with 27 homers and a .768 OPS, he stumbled badly in 2026, finishing with a .215 average and 13 home runs. Cleveland had to trade for Nathaniel Lowe at the deadline to help patch over the production drop, especially with the Rhys Hoskins signing not working out.
Velazquez, meanwhile, has put himself in striking distance quickly. He is only 21 and has just 85 games of experience above Double-A, so nobody is suggesting the Guardians should force the issue. But if he carries the same kind of bat into spring training that he showed throughout 2026, the competition could get very real.
That could leave Lowe on the outside looking in once free agency arrives, while Manzardo may be pushed into a narrower path to playing time and end up battling for designated hitter at-bats instead.
In Other News...
Guardians Bullpen Depth Just Took A Hit Fans Should Notice
Carlos Hernndez and Connor Brogdon have both elected free agency after spending the 2026 season with Cleveland, a move that trims a little more off the clubs bullpen depth as the offseason gets rolling. Neither pitcher was central to the Guardians pitching plans during the year, and each bounced between the major league roster and minor league affiliates while trying to carve out a role.
For a team that always has to manage innings carefully, losing two experienced arm options is the kind of detail that matters even if it does not change the top of the bullpen right away. Cleveland could still circle back and try to bring one or both back later in the offseason if the market allows, but for now the Guardians will have to weigh their relief depth a little more closely. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Already Have Tough Calls Waiting In Free Agency
The offseason picture is already starting to take shape for Cleveland, and it comes with a familiar kind of roster squeeze. Several players from the 40-man roster are headed toward free agency after the season, leaving the Guardians with decisions to make on familiar names such as Foster Griffin, Austin Hedges, Nathaniel Lowe and Rhys Hoskins. For a club that has made a habit of balancing cost, fit and continuity, these are the sorts of choices that can shape the margins of the roster long before winter really arrives.
The appeal of sorting through that group is that each case feels different, with recent performance giving Cleveland something to weigh beyond simple experience or familiarity. Some players could be candidates to return if the fit makes sense, while others may be more likely to move on when free agency opens. Either way, the Guardians will be looking at a handful of familiar faces and deciding which ones still fit into the next step of the roster and which ones are likely to be part of the leaguewide search for their next landing spot. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Offseason Pitching Plan Is Starting To Come Into Focus
After the disappointment of an AL Championship Series exit, the Guardians are already looking at ways to sharpen the pitching staff for next season. Left-handed help is part of the conversation, and two names have surfaced as possible fits while Cleveland sorts through how it wants to deepen a group that still has room to improve.
JoJo Romero would bring a bullpen look the Guardians could use, especially after a strong recent postseason run, while Kris Bubic offers a different kind of flexibility with both starting and relief experience. Bubic also comes with injury questions, which is exactly the sort of risk-reward decision Cleveland will have to weigh as it builds out the offseason plan and tries to line up the right mix of upside and reliability. [Read more 🡒]