No matter what happens from now until the start of Spring Training, the Cleveland Guardians’ lineup going into Opening Day will look much different than it did when the 2024 season ended.

Josh Naylor and Andres Gimenez are out; Carlos Santana is in. The Guardians will either rely heavily on their prospects and youth, sign one of the remaining free agents, or swing a trade to fill their spots.

Based on everything we know about the Guardians’ offseason so far, here’s the best prediction for Cleveland’s 2025 Opening Day lineup.

LF – Steven Kwan
1B – Carlos Santana
3B – Jose Ramirez
DH – Kyle Manzardo
2B – Juan Brito
CF – Lane Thomas
RF – Austin Hays
SS – Brayan Rocchio
C – Bo Naylor

There’s nothing too surprising with the top four in this order. The most significant decision Stephen Vogt will have in this section of the lineup is who to bat second.

Manzardo had some experience hitting their last season, but Santana still has a tremendous eye and on-base percentage (.328 OBP in 2024), making him a better option as a top-two hitter in the order.

Moving on to second base, the Guardians have some decisions to make with how they want to approach the position heading into this season. As of now, allowing Brito to be the full-time second baseman appears to be the best option.

Yes, there are some defensive concerns, but his offensive potential should make up for that.

Lane Thomas was at the center of some trade rumors earlier this offseason, but the Guardians would need a backup option if they were to move on from him. So far, that hasn’t happened, so it’s hard to envision a Thomas trade happening.

Maybe the biggest shock of this prediction is including Austin Hays as the starting right fielder.

The Guardians need more offensive production from their outfield. It’s no secret that they’re a money-conscious organization, so signing someone such as Hays with a ton of upside makes a lot of sense for the team.

Maybe it won’t end up being Hays who becomes a Guardian, but Cleveland should at least sign one low-risk, high-reward veteran before the offseason is over.

If the front office doesn’t sign a veteran outfield, Jhonkensy Noel is the next option up to start in the Guardians lineup.

Both Rocchio and Naylor could take big steps forward in 2025. They’re likely locks at their defensive positions, but it’s hard to move them up any further than this because of their regular season performances from a year ago.

It’s important to note that there is still plenty of time before Spring Training games actually begin and plenty of free agents left, which could directly or indirectly impact the Guardians. This is just a prediction of what Cleveland’s lineup could be, not what it will be.

But until that happens, this type of lineup feels like what Guardians fans could see on March 27.