Guardians News: Will Tyler Freeman Switch Positions?

It's not a terrible idea to see what Freeman can do outside of the infield. 

The Guardians already have to decide between Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio, who have elite defensive potential at shortstop, and Andres Gimenez at second base who is under team control through the 2030 season. 

This leaves Freeman in an awkward spot while also still having a ton of potential of his own, specifically on the offensive side. He finished the 2023 season with a slash line of .242/.295/.366 in an inconsistent role with the team.

It's also no secret that Cleveland needs to somehow address its lackluster offense which especially suffered from the outfield position group. If Freeman can provide a steady bat in the lineup while playing adequate defense in right field then this position switch is a no-brainer for the Guardians.

This move is unprecedented as Cleveland has a history of trying to have non-outfielders try out the position. Some of the most recent examples of this are David Fry, Nolan Jones, Amed Rosario, Ernie Clement, and Jason Kipnis. 

The biggest hurdle with this is that Freeman hasn't played one inning of outfield since being drafted by the organization back in 2017. He's only ever played shortstop, third base, or second base at the minor league and big league level.

Freeman is a tremendous athlete and he's been able to showcase that on many occasions since making his debut. This transition, if successful, could open up plenty of new possibilities for the Guardians.