One of my favorite aspects of Major League Baseball & fantasy baseball is roster construction. One move can have ripple effects throughout an organization. What happens on the edges might mean an opportunity or a job lost for someone else down the road. With that in mind, I've decided to do a division by division breakdown of the 40-man rosters and beyond, and try to uncover some sneaky fantasy gems for you in 2025.
The big position battle right now in Guardians camp is for the starting second base gig, as the Guardians did not bring anyone in after trading away Gold Glove candidate Andres Gimenez. I understand trading Gimenez as the offense had stagnated a little bit but they really should have brought in some veteran competition at the position. As things stand, Juan Brito looks like the favorite for the open playing time at the keystone. Brito is already on the 40-man roster and spent the entire 2024 season in Triple-A Columbus where he hit .256/.365/.443 with 21 pops and 13 steals. The approach is solid here and he doesn’t strike out that much, but i do think his 16% mark in Triple-A would swell into the 20-22% mark in the big leagues. Brito played all over the infield in 2023 but has now earned his super utility merit badge by spending some time in the outfield last year. His best position is second base though, and he can be average or close to it there. My concern is this, yes he won’t strike out a lot and yeah he’s not horrid defensively but he isn’t Andres Gimenez and I think that will be tougher to replace than you think. He was a set it and forget it guy at the big league level that was reliable and made contact. Brito doesn’t hit the ball all that hard, so he’s similar in that aspect, but yeah. For these smaller market clubs run prevention is almost as good as a run produced, but preventing runs from a position player side of things is much cheaper. For a full season I think Brito settles in around .240 or so with 10-12 homers and 7-8 steals. Perhaps the biggest thing working against Brito is also the fact that he has the number one pick from last year breathing down his neck and no matter what he does he can’t hold him off. Travis Bazzana isn’t on the 40-man yet and breaking camp already seems off the table, but if he’s as good as I think he is, then he is going to force the issue rather early. Some changes to the skyline outside of the park has turned Progressive Field into a comfortable place to hit for left-handers, as it is the fifth best park in all of baseball for left-handed power. It was 29th best in 2023. You can read our report on the site, but we love Bazzana. He’s the starter at second base in 2026, but how soon does he take over in 2025? Gabriel Arias is kind of in this mix as well but I think he fits best in a utility role. He played every spot besides catcher last year, but I don’t think he has enough offensively to play more than part-time.
Bo Naylor seized the starting job last year but I think this is the year where he takes it on his own merit because he hits. I think he will hit enough to be a rosterable catcher in 12-team leagues. I’m optimistic, but wish I had more than just a gut feel about it. All the numbers last year were awful. A .264 OBP with a 31% strikeout rate. Yikes. He might always need a platoon partner, but in a daily league that’s not that bad because you can see when the off days are coming. Will the Guardians get 20 or more homers from Kyle Manzardo? What about Carlos Santana? They really need one of those dudes to step up.
The Guardians are still searching for a power hitting outfielder and might have one in Jhonkensy Noel. Sure there are plenty of other flaws in his offensive profile and he’s not penciled in for a starting role right now, but when you haven’t had a 20-homer bat in the outfield since 2014 you should be willing to make sacrifices. Noel was below average against right-handers last year but crushed left-handed pitching. Will Brennan’s career high homers in a season in 13 when he was in the minors. These two seem destined for a platoon. Brennan makes contact at a good rate but doesn’t hit the ball very hard or draw walks. He also can’t hit lefties. He’s miscast as a starting outfielder on a contender. Lane Thomas just doesn’t seem like their type of player even though they traded for him last year. He’s been below-average against right-handed pitching for his entire career and even lost playing time down the stretch last season. The Guardians tried moving him all winter but couldn’t get a deal done. Petey Halpin is on their 40-man and he's a plus or better runner that can play centerfield but has a fringy hit tool and below-average power. Perhaps he’s the new Myles Straw? Angel Martinez and Tyler Freeman also occupy 40-man spots but they also don’t have any power. They both can play the infield and outfield. Jonathan Rodriguez crushes left-handed pitching and has some power but he has the same contact and approach issues as Jhonkensy Noel but not as much power. Carrying both of these guys on the roster at the same time would be difficult.
I’m bummed about Chase DeLauter and his most recent injury. I have always thought of him as the answer in right field for them, and now that’s a bit murky which stinks. He’s going to miss 8-to-12 weeks due to sports hernia surgery. I still think he can make it to the big leagues in 2025 if he hits, but you can’t count on him for 2025 anymore.
Pitchers
I really loved Gavin Williams as a prospect and I think he’s really in store for a big season. Williams has a big fastball, averaging 96.6. He appears fully healthy and over the elbow injury that cost him about a month last year. He’s leading all starters this spring in swinging strike rate as I type this. I had him ranked over Tanner Bibee as a prospect and I think with a command improvement Williams can be right there and possibly even better.
New trade acquisition Luis Ortiz is competing for a rotation spot with Joey Cantillo, Logan Allen and Slade Cecconi, who they also acquired this off-season. Triston McKenzie should also be in this battle, but he’s out of options and too talented of an arm to expose to waivers. I’m giving the early nod to Ortiz because I think they have a chance to coax a little bit more out of him, specifically breaking ball command. Cecconi got roughed up last year between getting sent back and forth to Triple-A five separate times, but he lacks an out pitch and I think left-handed hitters will give him fits as a flyball oriented guy in this park. I view Cantillo as a pen arm all the way. Can that delivery hold up as a big league starter? I have my doubts. Plus the command is shaky and that’s very much not the Guardians thing. Logan Allen is a soft tosser better used sparingly.
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
Sophomore undergraduate student at Indiana University studying Sports Marketing & Management. Staff writer for Prospects Live covering MiLB prospects, MLB Draft, and Fantasy Baseball
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
A Giants fan living in San Diego, been playing fantasy baseball since 2005 and dynasty since 2021. Started the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast in June 2023 and joined Prospects Live in March of 2024.
