What To Watch For In First Guardians Spring Training Game
We've finally made it. After months of no baseball, the Cleveland Guardians will play their first Spring Training game on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds. Even though the game doesn't count toward the regular season there is a still a lot of storylines to watch for as the games get started.
Mike Zunino Catching
One of the two major free agents that the Guardians signed over the offseason was Mike Zunino who will be their primary catcher for at least the majority of the season. However, he was still rehabbing from injury when he was signed so there were questions about whether Zunino would be ready for Spring Training.
Well, he's more than ready as Zunino will get the start behind the plate in the Guardians' first game.
The entire rotation got used to pitching to Austin Hedge who'd been with the team for two and a half years. Zunino is a seasoned veteran so it's unlikely that there'll be too many issues but it's still worth watching how Cal Qunatrill and the other pitchers work with him.
MLB's New Rules
Something that'll be impossible to not watch is the new rules that are being implemented this season. From the pitch clock to the three disengagement rules, the game is going to look much different than it did at the end of October when the Guardians last played.
There is a lot of optimism about these rules will speed up the game but there's no way of knowing until we actually get to watch them in use.
Sep 29, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; The Cleveland Guardians celebrate a win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Who Will Fill Out The Guardians Bench?
The Guardians have just their starters just about locked up for Opening Day but there are still some spots available on the Big League roster. With the trades of Owen Miller and Will Benson over the offseason there are some spots at the end of the bench that are up for grabs.
The easy candidates for this are Tyler Freeman, Gabriel Arias, and Will Brennan but perhaps if another player gets hot during Spring Training the coaching staff will be forced to make another decision.
This is exactly what happened with Steven Kwan last season.
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