Who Will Be The Guardians' Starting Center Fielder In 2024?
The Cleveland Guardians have a number of questions to answer as they head into the Spring Training and eventually Opening Day. One of those unknowns is who will be the team's starting center fielder at the beginning of the season.
Several candidates and scenarios could play out in the early weeks and months of the season. Let's take a look at some of them.
Myles Straw
For the last two seasons, Myles Straw has been Cleveand's starting, everyday center fielder. He's known as being a solid defensive option and won a Gold Glove in 2022. However, the offense has been lackluster at best making him a liability in the lineup.
Saying that Straw will be the Opening Day center fielder is easily the safe choice to make right now. But other factors could quickly change that prediction.
Jun 22, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians center fielder Myles Straw (7) dives but can not catch a ball hit by Oakland Athletics pinch hitter Tyler Wade (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Estevan Florial
The only new face that the Guardians brought into the outfield mix this offseason was Estevan Florial who was acquired from the New York Yankees. Florial has had a ton of success at Triple-A but wasn't given many opportunities in the Big Leagues with New York.
Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com believes the starting center field job could be Florial's to lose. If anything, he thinks that Straw and Florial could platoon regularly signaling the Guardians phasing out playing Straw every day.
Ramon Laureano
The Guardians chose to bring back Ramon Laureano on a one-year $5.15 million deal when they could've let him walk. That means they at least want him in the mix somewhere in the outfield.
Laureano is a solid defensive player who is good a hitting left-handed pitching. He also brings some pop to Cleveland's outfield (nine home runs in 2023) that the team desperately needs.
It's possible that he could see some time in center field, but it would also make sense for him to platoon with Will Brennan in right field.
Steven Kwan
Steven Kwan is Cleveland's best outfielder on both offense and defense. There's a real argument for the back-to-back left field AL Gold Glove winner to slide over to center field at some point this season.
However, it's hard to see that playing out until the organization figures out what they have with a potential Florial-Straw platoon if that's what's on the table.
