Guardians News: Will Tyler Freeman Switch Positions?
Oh, what to do with the Cleveland Guardians' plethora of middle infield prospects? Sometimes it feels like it would be easier just to move one of them to the outfield. That's exactly what might be happening with one of Cleveland's young players.
Tyler Freeman has reportedly been working out in the outfield lately with coach JT Maguire at the team's development center in Goodyear, Arizona. This could hint toward Freeman seeing more reps in the outfield in Spring Training and into the regular season.
It's not a terrible idea to see what Freeman can do outside of the infield.
The Guardians already have to decide between Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio, who have elite defensive potential at shortstop, and Andres Gimenez at second base who is under team control through the 2030 season.
This leaves Freeman in an awkward spot while also still having a ton of potential of his own, specifically on the offensive side. He finished the 2023 season with a slash line of .242/.295/.366 in an inconsistent role with the team.
Aug 24, 2023; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Guardians second baseman Tyler Freeman (2) waist for the ball to tag out Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts (50) at second base during the fourth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
It's also no secret that Cleveland needs to somehow address its lackluster offense which especially suffered from the outfield position group. If Freeman can provide a steady bat in the lineup while playing adequate defense in right field then this position switch is a no-brainer for the Guardians.
This move is unprecedented as Cleveland has a history of trying to have non-outfielders try out the position. Some of the most recent examples of this are David Fry, Nolan Jones, Amed Rosario, Ernie Clement, and Jason Kipnis.
The biggest hurdle with this is that Freeman hasn't played one inning of outfield since being drafted by the organization back in 2017. He's only ever played shortstop, third base, or second base at the minor league and big league level.
Freeman is a tremendous athlete and he's been able to showcase that on many occasions since making his debut. This transition, if successful, could open up plenty of new possibilities for the Guardians.
