Guardians Encouraged By Estevan Florial's Progress
The outfield picture remains unclear as the Cleveland Guardians get closer to Opening Day. The newest outfield to the organization, Estevan Florial, remains in play to be on the team's big league roster despite a difficult spring.
Stephen Vogt still remains encouraged by what he's seen from the 26-year-old.
"As far as Florial goes, I've really liked his at-bats as of late," said Vogt. "He got off to kind of a rough start, but this is a guy who is new to the organization.
"He's starting to get more and more comfortable and better and better each day putting a lot of time with J.T. McGuire out there working on center field. He's also spent a lot of time in the cages with [Chris Valaika] and the hitting group. So, Estevan's at-bats have been a lot better over the last week and I really like the way he's trending and progressing."
Vogt emphasizes Florial's recent plate appearances. But he has just one hit and five strikeouts in his last 11 at-bats over the last week. To be fair, the quality of these appearances and battle with the picture also matter in the eyes of coaches.
Florial's overall spring training slash line is a .152/.222/.152 in 11 games and 33 plate appearances.
Mar 12, 2024; Surprise, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Estevan Florial (90) bats against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
© Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
It's a good sign that the coaching staff feels Florial is headed in the right direction. However, the bottom line is that he is fighting for a spot on this roster. Florial is out of options so the next step for Cleveland would be designating him for assignment so there will be pressure to perform right away.
