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The dates are set. Pitchers and catchers will report to the Guardians¡¯ Spring Training camp on Feb. 11, and their first workout will be on Feb. 13. The full squad will report on Feb. 16, and the first team workout will be on Feb. 18.

Baseball season is getting closer.

Over the next few weeks leading up to Spring Training, we¡¯ll go position by position to break down each area of the Guardians¡¯ roster. Last week we got things started with catching. Now we move to first base.

Projected starter: Carlos Santana

He¡¯s coming home.

For the third time in his career, Santana is ready to begin a stint with Cleveland. The first one began 15 years ago in 2010; now the man who will turn 39 years old in April is ready to defeat Father Time once again with another productive season.

Last year, Santana hit .238 with a .748 OPS, 23 homers, 26 doubles, 65 walks and 99 strikeouts in 150 games for the Twins. He may be aging, but it¡¯s not showing in his play, considering he took home a Gold Glove last year for his defense at first base. So, he can still bring some pop to the order (which will be necessary now that Josh Naylor is gone) and he can play a solid first base. He just needs to prove that he can do it all over again as he approaches 40.

The backups: Kyle Manzardo, Jhonkensy Noel

Manzardo will be the main backup. and with Naylor gone, he will likely be able to rotate in defensively more often than he did in 2024. In his second stint with the big league club last year, Manzardo showed just how impactful his bat can be by hitting five homers in 18 games in September. Now that he¡¯s had that experience and gained some more confidence, he may be able to take his game to the next level in ¡¯25.

Noel is also an option at first base, as he showed last year. He¡¯s a threat to hit the ball 800 feet, but he¡¯s also a liability when it comes to protecting the strike zone. Noel got off to a hot start to his Major League career last year before he essentially went ice cold. Of course, everyone remembers when he found his way out of it in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Yankees with his two-out game-tying blast in the bottom of the ninth, but the slugger known as ¡°Big Christmas¡± will have to show more consistency this year to get prolonged playing time.

Question to answer: Was it worth parting with Naylor?

It may take some time to get this answer. Although the Guardians benefited from Naylor¡¯s production the last few years, they knew they needed starting pitching help, and when they can only do so much on the free-agent market due to financial restrictions, Naylor was an obvious trade candidate because of his value and the fact that Manzardo was sitting behind him.

But this is a team coming off of a ¡°final four¡± finish in ¡¯24, and Naylor was one of the most critical bats in the lineup. Parting with him had to mean the return would outweigh the loss, and that responsibility now falls on the shoulders of Santana (free-agent replacement) and pitcher Slade Cecconi (acquired in the trade).

Who else is in the Pipeline?

Ralphy Velazquez (No. 5; High-A Lake County)
C.J. Kayfus (No. 6; Double-A Akron)
Micah Pries (unranked; Triple-A Columbus)