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Wait for a rebound or hope for a breakout: A look at the Guardians situation at shortstop

Cleveland Guardians' Amed Rosario swings at a pitch from the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, May 29, 2023, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Cleveland Guardians' Amed Rosario swings at a pitch from the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, May 29, 2023, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

CLEVELAND — The Guardians know Amed Rosario can find a scorching hot groove at any time. The question: how long can they wait for it to show up again?

In his two seasons with Cleveland, Rosario accrued 2.3 fWAR and 2.5 fWAR in 2021 and 2022, respectively, and displayed a knack for racking up four- and five-hit games in a cluster. That hasn't been the case yet in 2023.

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After putting up very similar seasons at the plate the last two years (.282/.321/.409 in 2021 and .283/.312/.403 in 2022), Rosario's production has dipped this year, as he's hit .224 with a .584 OPS. He's been worth -0.7 fWAR.

Rosario is an offense-first shortstop who has had his defensive play swept under the rug by his bat. Amongst shortstops with at least 1,000 innings since the beginning of the 2021 season, only four are further into the negatives in terms of Defensive Runs Saved than Rosario (-11).

When he's hitting as well as he has at times, the Guardians can look the other way when it comes to his glove, as it's more than worth it to keep his bat in the lineup everyday. But if he's struggling at the plate, it's the opposite situation as with Myles Straw, a Gold Glove winner, in center field.

As manager Terry Francona has noted at times this season — and in the past in more general terms — cutting bait with a slumping player too soon can mean you simply miss out on the turnaround, especially with a shortstop with the track record of Rosario's.

But as the sense of urgency mounts, and as the Guardians try to track down the Minnesota Twins for the American League Central lead, the waiting game might become more difficult.

Rosario's contract status and the direction of the roster as a whole also might not play into his favor. He's still only 27, but he's also one of the few players on the roster who isn't under long-term club control. After signing a one-year, $7.8 million deal to avoid arbitration, Rosario can become a free agent at the end of the season. Star third baseman Jose Ramirez has lobbied for the team to sign Rosario to a long-term deal in the past.

Cleveland Guardians' Gabriel Arias follows through on a swing against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, May 29, 2023, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Cleveland Guardians' Gabriel Arias follows through on a swing against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, May 29, 2023, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Guardians shortstop options after Amed Rosario include Gabriel Arias, Tyler Freeman, Bryan Rocchio

The other factors: Gabriel Arias and Tyler Freeman (and eventually, Brayan Rocchio).

Arias and Freeman are also pushing for at-bats. The Guardians haven't been shy about wanting to get Arias, especially, more plate appearances. Entering Tuesday's game against the Boston Red Sox, Arias had hit just .214, but it had come with four home runs. He also has a cannon of a right arm that plays anywhere in the field.

Freeman hasn't gotten much playing time, but it's something Francona has acknowledged as something to figure out moving forward. And Rocchio is one of the club's higher-ranked prospects who is slated to, eventually, make his mark on the major league roster whenever he makes the jump to the big leagues for good.

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The logjam of middle infielders (Andres Gimenez could always slide over to shortstop and have one of the other options play second base), combined with Rosario's contract situation, puts more of a deadline on the team needing to see a turnaround.

The Guardians have seen Rosario get hot at the plate, as he helped propel them to the playoffs a year ago. But it's possible that more than a slow burn is needed to keep Arias, Freeman, Rocchio and anyone else at bay.

Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Twitter at @ByRyanLewis.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians shortstop situation between Amed Rosario, Gabriel Arias