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Let¡¯s keep whipping around the horn.

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. We¡¯ve knocked out catcher and first base. Let¡¯s move on to a trickier position: Second base.

Projected starter: Your guess is as good as mine

OK, if we have to say names, let¡¯s just go with Gabriel Arias as the placeholder right now, but this is a position that is 100 percent up for grabs. Andr¨¦s Gim¨¦nez has provided his pitchers, coaches, managers and fans so much reassurance over the past few years, knowing that if a ball is hit to the right side of the infield -- no matter where it is -- it¡¯d be fielded beautifully and an out would be recorded. Offense ends up getting talked about more than defense, but there¡¯s something to say about the level of comfort the 2023 Platinum Glover gave everybody.

But that reliable glove is in Toronto now. Gim¨¦nez's lack of offense (.638 OPS in 2024) ended up outweighing those defensive contributions, considering he was still owed nearly $100 million in his contract over the next five years. Cleveland wanted to free itself from that contract and open up an opportunity for another player to hopefully bring some more life with his bat while also playing a sound second base. We just have no idea who that will be yet.

As I said, if we have to name a leader in the clubhouse right now, we can turn to Arias. Why? Well, he obviously has a good bit of Major League experience. Arias is another player who is known for his glove and can play a sound shortstop, which should translate to second base. When he was optioned to Triple-A Columbus last year, he started to find his groove again at the plate, hitting .317 with a .905 OPS, five triples, six homers and 20 RBIs in just 43 games. Arias then played in the Venezuelan Winter League and hit .292 with a .911 OPS and six homers in 27 games. The Guardians have been very encouraged by this trend, which would lead us to believe that he¡¯ll be the favorite to start at second base until proven otherwise.

Other candidates: Juan Brito, Daniel Schneemann, Tyler Freeman, Angel Martínez

Brito is the only player in this group who has yet to make his Major League debut. He is someone the Guardians have really liked for a long time, so much so that they traded their former top prospect, Nolan Jones, to acquire Brito from the Rockies. He¡¯s currently ranked as Cleveland¡¯s No. 8 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and the switch-hitter can control the strike zone and has made pretty consistent contact from both sides of the plate in his professional career, though he¡¯s definitely seen more success as a lefty hitter against righties the last two seasons. Brito is best suited to be a second baseman in the Majors and may develop into a solid big league hitter. He just needs an opportunity to prove that could be the case.

At some point, Brito will make his debut in 2025, but if it¡¯s not right away, it could be Freeman, Schneemann or Mart¨ªnez who win the second-base duties. Although Freeman played mostly in the outfield last year, he¡¯s a natural infielder and can easily slide back in at second base. It will be dependent upon how reliable his bat looks during Spring Training to determine whether he should get the starting job. But he and/or Schneemann could also serve as the utility man given their defensive versatility.

Question to answer: Who will hit?

It¡¯s really that simple. Yes, there will be a drop-off in defense at second base no matter who wins the job. It¡¯s nearly impossible to replicate the things Gim¨¦nez is able to do with his glove. It¡¯s the offense that¡¯s been lacking since Gim¨¦nez¡¯s All-Star season in 2022. The team needs more hitters, which is why this trade happened in the first place. If Arias can continue his hot streak through Spring Training, there¡¯s no reason he wouldn¡¯t win the starting job. But Cleveland knows there¡¯s untapped potential in Brito, and if he can give his coaches a taste of what he can do consistently against big league pitching in some Cactus League games, he could earn an Opening Day roster spot.

Who else is in the Guards' Pipeline?

No. 1 prospect Travis Bazzana (High-A Lake County)
No. 4 Angel Genao (High-A Lake County)
No. 9 Welbyn Francisca (Single-A Lynchburg)
No. 23 Alex Mooney (High-A Lake County)
No. 26 Jake Fox (High-A Lake County)