Guardians rookie will primarily play DH while working at 1B and ... outfield?

Original source (on modern site) | Article images: [1]

CLEVELAND, Ohio — One of the first things Guardians manager Stephen Vogt shared with Kyle Manzardo when he arrived in Cleveland this week was the idea that what got him to the big leagues is what's going to keep him here.

That means "Go out there and hit, young man." But in the meantime, there will be plenty of opportunity to put in some work on the defensive side of things.

To nobody's surprise, Vogt said the Guardians will get Manzardo most of his at-bats as a designated hitter for now, while finding time for him to play first base and continue working with infield coach Rouglas Odor and major league field coordinator Kai Correa on his defense.

To everybody's shock, Vogt also floated the idea of the 23-year-old getting a look in the outfield during drills and workouts.

"We're going to have him work with J.T. (Maguire, outfield coach)," Vogt said. "We just want to create as much versatility as we can with our roster. As of right now, I would say he's going to get the majority of his reps at DH."

• Jose Ramirez goes deep in the count and over the fence in Guardians' 11-4 win over Twins
• Rookie didn't expect the big leagues to be easy: Guardians takeaways
• Guardians, Minnesota Twins lineups for May 18, 2024: Game 46

Vogt said he is not sure when Manzardo last played in the outfield, but it sounded like he was open to the idea.

"We're just looking for ways to get as many of our players versatility as possible, and if it works great," Vogt said. "If it doesn't, that's okay too. It's one of those things that we're just going to take day by day."

Correa said Manzardo's presence in major league camp during spring training helped to get him on the same page with Guardians coaches. When he transitioned to Triple-A under manager Andy Tracy, his growth continued as Tracy is a former big league first baseman.

"Now it's about running the last lap from them, figuring out what his routines have been, continuing to run through scenarios where the first baseman is responsible for different things," Correa said. "That's the big next step for him."

Correa said at the big league level, Manzardo will learn how to be a participant in bunt defense and controlling the running game and anticipating the kind of throws, or errant throws, an infielder is going to make in a moment."

"Those circumstantial, situational things are going to be big for his development," Correa said.

Vogt rejected the idea that playing Manzardo at DH could slow any of the progress he has made with his glove by limiting his opportunities to learn in game situations.

"Kyle's a good enough baseball player and Rougie and Kai are going to work him at first base to where he's ready to go," Vogt said. "We'll take it day at a time, but I think Kyle can handle it, and he's able to put the work in and stay sharp."

Fanatics Sportsbook10X$100 BONUS BETBET MATCH BONUS

Must be 21+. GAMBLING PROBLEM? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, KY ,MD, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV); (888) 789-7777 or ccpg.org (CT); 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA); (800) 327-5050 or gamblinghelpline.org (MA), mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1800gambler.net (WV)

Correa, known for his innovative infield drills, said he can tailor programs specifically for Manzardo to maximize is time, even on days when he is in the lineup at DH.

"There's a giant opportunity to manufacture situations," Correa said. "You do the work within the context of a game situation as opposed to just doing the mechanics of catching and throwing the ground ball."

That's how Correa and Odor can get creative as an infield group with the rookie.

"Even if he's not playing first base often, whether he's DH or he's coming off the bench, there's some optimism in looking at that and saying from a workload standpoint," Correa said. "You can get after it in your pre-game work and build out those situations for him to work through."

Vogt said he is just ready to watch Manzardo play and to let the rookie be himself.

"Too many times we have expectations of what people are going to be or what we think they should be," Vogt said. "Kyle earned his way here. I'm excited just to get to know him as a person and as a ball player and see where it goes."