WFNY Staff: 2026 Preseason Roundtable

We made it through the winter, with its freezing temps and Browns’ “football”. We did it, gang…we made it. So what better to do than give our staff some important questions that need answered?

Q1: The outfield has been revamped with Steven Kwan moving to centerfield, in at least a part-time role. Do you think it's smart to move Kwan from left so players like CJ Kayfus and Chase DeLauter can play more regularly?

Matt: I think it’s the only way; it makes playing time easier with him shifting to center. Kwan has been overqualified as an LF, and his trophy case of gold gloves to back it up, so moving him to his natural position, dating back to college, makes plenty of sense. It now opens the door for Kayfus, DeLauter, and Valera (when he’s back and healthy) to rotate more seamlessly in the corners, along with providing less wear and tear on DeLauter on the days he’s DHing and not playing the field to keep him healthy. It’s definitely the best solution to equip the outfield with more capable hitters.

Ethan: Is it a smart move overall? Yes and no. Kwan has a history of hamstring issues throughout his career, so there’s some concern with the added load of manning Center Field for 100+ games. Conversely the allure of having the likes of DeLauter and Kayfus in the lineup outweighs any concern of diminishing Kwan’s value from perennial Gold Glove Left Fielder to what is most likely just an above average Center Fielder. If DeLauter can stay healthy he has the potential to be this club’s long-needed secondary punch to Jose Ramirez. With the pieces this organization currently has it’s a logical decision, but they’ll definitely be scouring the bargain bin for a Center Fielder come the trade deadline.

Chris: Anything to get CDL in the lineup more often is a good thing with how strong that bat looked in the spring. And the best way to keep him in the lineup is to protect his health, so limited time in center, maybe even limited time in the field in general. Kayfus getting any at-bats as a result of Kwan in center is a bonus, in my opinion. He's either keeping the seat warm for George Valera to get healthy (knocks so much wood) or being a guy that fills the gaps for off days and defensive subs at first.

Gerbs: DeLauter should be playing near everday: four of six starts a week, with a pinch hit at least once more. If that means putting the player with the best centerfield defense in…center field…sure. The team has done right by Kwan by putting him in left for four years and struggling to find the right mix for CF, despite the glaring sirens of “he’s right there”. I’d take a lesser defensive player in LF with a more prototypical bat for the position in Kayfus with Kwan shifting to CF any day.

Q2: Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio are the expected starters up the middle, at least until Travis Bazzana is ready to take over. Is that the right move and when do you expect we will see Bazzana in a Guards jersey?

Matt: It’s a means to an end, and if there was ever a time to end the madness with Gabriel Arias, it's when you finally call up the number 1 pick. We know who he is, we’ve seen who he is, and it’s not pretty outside of the bazooka of an arm, and occasional titanic blast to the opposite field. He’s on borrowed time and might be fighting Daniel Schneeman for playing time, so it wouldn’t shock me if Bazzana ball comes to Cleveland by mid-May, early June, and Arias is kicked to the curb along with it.

Ethan: Bazzana dealt with two separate oblique injuries in 2025, and has just 26 games with Triple-A Columbus under his belt. Selfishly, and there’s certainly more who will echo the sentiment, I’d hoped they’d be extra aggressive with Bazzana and hand him the keys to the kingdom at Second Base come Opening Day. That’s just not how this club operates, and, intelligently, Bazzana will get some additional seasoning with Columbus at least to start the campaign after a gritty run with Australia in the WBC. This is also why I’m not employed by a Major League front office. As for Arias and Rocchio it’s hard not to be disappointed running back this tandem. Cleveland has a 1,034 PA sample of Arias, and they know what he is: a slick defender with a ton of swing-and-miss, and multiple, recurrent questions about his give-a-damn level. Rocchio, like Arias, is a slick defender and if nothing else it’ll be nice to have borderline elite defense up-the-middle, but as long as Rocchio is unable to figure out how to unlock the bat in any month that isn’t October then I’ll be counting down the days until they try something new. Ideally Juan Brito would have put more pressure on the front office to make this choice harder, but alas Brito is back in the 614 and figures to be on the short list for a call up. Again, this is the best move the organization has with the hand they’ve dealt themselves, but there’s obvious room for improvement. Hopefully by July.

Chris: Bazzana wasn't going to break camp with the big league team when he chose to play for Australia in the World Baseball Classic, and that's totally ok. He wants to be a star and showing out for your country on a world stage is important for that goal. The other important part is, ya know, playing like a star. I expect him to carry himself well for a month or two at Columbus before bumping Rocchio to full time shortstop and Arias to the bench/DFA before the weather gets real warm.

Gerbs: I’m starting to think we will see Bazzana sooner than we think. A lot of people predict the June callup, as obvious from above, but there’s a non-zero chance that we see the Bazzmanian Devil in May. It’s been done before: two weeks and done in the minors for guys like Kris Bryant and our own Francisco Lindor. You can make the argument that the WBC hurt him in that he wasn’t with “our guys” but immediately upon returning, he had impressive showings: going first to third on an infield groundball, a mammoth laser shot against a LHP, and a blistering double the other way. I’m fine cosplaying Gabe Arias as an everyday guy for a few weeks to ensure we get Bazzana for another year.

Q3: The mix at 1B/DH is messy, with the return to health of David Fry and the signing of Rhys Hoskins. What's your feel for the mix of hitters with those two and Kyle Manzardo?

Matt: I think the roles are pretty cut and dry, at least with Hoskins and Manzardo sharing DH/1B. The key is Fry being healthy enough to play the field, bouncing around from catcher, corner outfield, and first base in a role similar to the one he manned in 2024 and not reduced to DH due to Tommy John surgery. I would expect Fry and Hoskins in the lineup against lefties, giving Manzardo days off on occasion or batting lower in the order depending on the matchup.

Ethan: This is an unnecessarily complex question, and truly a problem of Cleveland’s own making. Manzardo posted a 113 wRC+ and 27 home runs as a primary DH in 2025. Fine, not great, but the eye test (and data) could not dislike his first base defense more. Manzardo posted -7 DRS in just 56 games at first base in 2025, and while he only registered four errors he, at times, looked much more incompetent than those numbers would have you believe. Hoskins is the real wild card of the group. He’s not far removed from being a perennial 30 home run hitter, so if he can recover a fraction of his former self while playing league average defense at first base I’ll be a lot more comfortable with the group as a whole.

Chris: Manzo must be the main guy for this lineup to work at its peak. However, Rhys should be more productive than his minor league deal in the spring would suggest, and Kayfus can dabble here as he's the better glove at first base than Manzardo for sure. While I expect a bigger power season from Manzardo (over 30 home runs sounds reasonable), he has backups that can handle duties. Fry looks destined for more catcher and outfielder duties this year now that his arm is reattached.

Gerbs: I wish it wasn’t this difficult, but alas it is. The combo of Hoskins at 1B and Fry in RF against left handed starters will be lightyears better than what was rolled out there last year. The hard part is carving out time for all of them: Fry is also C3, 1B4, OF5, DH3…yet somehow will get starters reps. If he hits, it won’t matter, but if he doesn’t the front office will catch flak again for not making a trade or big league signing for a RHB. I love getting Manzardo away from first, as he looks like he moves as though his bones were fused together, but unless Fry hits, there could have been more done.

Q4: The rotation is deep, running six starters long. Who is your favorite pitcher out of those, Bibee/Williams/Cantillo/Cecconi/Messick/Allen?

Matt: I think I’ve sung the praises of him all offseason, and I’ll continue to do so with Joey Cantillo. The stuff when he’s consistently pounding the zone in attack mode is real. His second half showcased the ability to miss bats with one of the league's best changeups. If he can fine-tune himself more with utilizing the slider to get more swing and miss on horizontal movement, he can become a very solid number 3 in this rotation. Plus, as a fellow left-handed person, I always root for my fellow lefties!

Ethan: To me, Parker Messick is the starter with the most intrigue entering 2026. He rocketed through the minors with only a modest increase in velo, but it’s the command of his secondary pitches that gives him the ceiling of a reliable 3/4 starter. Messick not only passed the eye test in seven major league starts, but his peripheral data backed it up (3.06 xERA, 2.98 FIP, 3.15 xFIP) despite a 1.31 WHIP. Messick has excellent pitching acumen, dating back to his days at Florida State, one of the many reasons Cleveland spent a second-round pick on him in 2022. Adding his talent and knowledge to a staff that includes pitching coach Carl Willis and battery mates Austin Hedges, Bo Naylor and David Fry could very well be a lethal combination every 5th day. Messick will likely be prone to giving up the long ball, it just comes with the territory of being a finesse/command pitcher, but you can rest easy knowing what you’re getting each time he toes the rubber.

Chris: I want to believe in Allen as a good 4th starter, but that last spring start was shockingly bad until it became hilariously bad and led to his demotion. So instead, I really think Cecconi has the juice to be like Mike Clevinger, in role if not performance. He should never have to be the ace, but I believe he can produce close to the Bibee/Williams level with his stuff and demeanor.

Gerbs: I have such a hard time choosing because there are good things about all of them. Messick has the command of secondary stuff that made me fall in love with pitchers like Greg Maddux. Cantillo can be that wipe out lefty that punches dudes out with style. Cecconi battles and battles, which is Cleveland-coded to the core. But there’s something about a big dude who throws hard that just makes me fall in love with Gavin “Big Rig” Williams every time.

Q5: Without Emmanuel Clase, closer Cade Smith took over the job spectacularly. But who's the fireman in the pen now?

Matt: I guess we’re going to find out! My first guess would be Shawn Armstrong, the key bullpen acquisition coming off a season with the Texas Rangers, who posted a K% in the 76th percentile and, in previous seasons, had chase rates in the 90+ percentile. Plus, he has experience saving games totaling 17 in his career, so he’s used to high-leverage situations. With Gaddis missing time to start the year, we’re going to get very acquainted with Shawn Armstrong, especially in the 8th inning.

Ethan: Skipper Stephen Vogt hasn’t been shy about challenging his players. They want to be the best and Vogt wants the best for them. With Cade Smith presumably inheriting the Closer role the fireman becomes whomever Vogt and Carl Willis need it to be night in and night out. Tim Herrin was electric down the stretch in 2025 and should have an expanded role in the bullpen going forward. Rule 5 selection Peyton Pallette seems poised to make the opening day roster. The sleeper candidate, though, is former top prospect Daniel Espino who is finally healthy after a series of injuries that has kept him out of game action since April 29th, 2022. Espino made it through rehab and Spring Training without any setbacks and will join the rotation in Columbus to start 2026. The club will try and stretch him out to start the year, but Espino is a strong candidate for bullpen reinforcement should injuries start to pile up or the club finds themselves in the hunt in the heat of the summer.

Chris: Eventually, Andrew Walters seems destined to be this guy. But until he's healthy, I think Erik Sabrowski is the best bet on the roster. He has the stuff, he stays cool under pressure, and he's arrow-up for potential if he's healthy. “If he's healthy” is carrying a lot of weight in that sentence.

Gerbs: I would love for it to be Gaddis, but he’s hurt. I’d love for it to be some out-of-nowhere guy like Colin Holderman or Connor Brogdon, a Guardians staple of fixing middle-inning guys and making them into more. But the best option would be, to copy Ethan, Daniel Espino. He isn’t up yet, but he has all the makings of a guy who can be a lockdown closer when he’s ready.

Q6: There are very few players who have the chance to go 30/30 year in and year out, and even fewer that can challenge for 40/40. Jose Ramirez is one of one. What are his chances at being only the seventh player to go 40/40?

Matt: He was very close not too long ago, and if not for the weather (why is it always raining?!?), he had a chance to do it. I don’t doubt him, but if I had to put a number on it, I'd say 30 percent.

Ethan: This is the major counting stat I would love to see Jose finally add to his belt. In previous years he’s come close, and often fell short due to being either the club’s only offensive threat that teams would pitch around, or Jose trying to carry the team himself. With DeLauter joining the lineup Opening Day and Bazzana not far off Jose might finally have the insulation in the lineup he’s desperately needed.

Chris: I give him a 10% chance of doing it. But in classic Jose style, if he reaches that mark, I bet Bobby Witt Jr. goes 50/50 and snatches the AL MVP. Jose only loses MVPs to historic seasons, and overrated Jose Abreu COVID years.

Gerbs: I almost had him achieving the task in our “Pen/Pencil” podcast, but I held off. Not here though! Let’s do it, Hosey. If I was putting odds on it, I’d say it’s like 20% likely to happen, but I so desperately want it to because he’s just that good and we only have a few more years of his speed before it falls off.

Q7: How many wins do you think the Guards get to? Will they make the playoffs?

Matt: 92-70 and they lose in the ALDS.

Ethan: I have Cleveland winning 92 games and narrowly taking the division over the Tigers once again in 2026. As with previous years the club has barely improved from free agent additions, but there’s several players due for some positive regression, and it’s borderline impossible to be as bad offensively as this club was in 2025. Okay, let’s rephrase that slightly: Cleveland scored 3.96 runs per game in 2025, good for 28th in MLB. The bar for improvement doesn’t get much lower. In 2025 Cleveland was without All-Star David Fry for most of the year, regressed significantly against Left-Handed pitching from 2024, watched Lane Thomas have a nightmare, injury-marred walk year, and expected to make up Josh Naylor’s production through sheer grit and the power of friendship. A healthy Chase DeLauter should eventually be a major boon to the offense, and the return of David Fry and addition of Rhys Hoskins provide some sorely needed complementary pieces. Travis Bazzana should join the big league club before the trade deadline, and the bullpen figures to be the strength of this team once again. There’s significantly more promise waiting in the wings, and a reminder that the 26 players taking the field today will not be the same 26 players come May, July, or September. Modest improvement to raw offense, an average rotation, and a shutdown bullpen will be the formula to another AL Central title in 2026.

Chris: 88-74, losing in the Wild Card series. I hope this prediction looks really dumb because of rookie hitter breakouts and a deadline acquisition.

Gerbs: 85 wins, second in the division, winning a Wild Card series but losing in the ALDS. I have Manzardo and Ramirez both hitting 30 bombs, Gavin over 200Ks, and a darkhorse George Valera top-5 ROY season (please get healthy soon). Let’s Go Guards!!