Fates of Gabriel Arias and Amed Rosario are intertwined ... for now

There can be only one!

Guardians 7, Brewers 4

Box Score
Petey Halpin hit his first double of the spring, clearing the bases and bringing in three runners in this 7-4 win over the Brewers. Tyler Freeman finally got his first hit of the spring, going 1-for-1 with a walk and scoring twice.

Today’s baseball: Guardians vs. Athletics, 3:05 p.m. ET (no broadcast)

Cleveland Guardians news

Inbox: Will Arias get to play every day? | MLB
Mandy Bell doesn’t see an everyday role for Gabriel Arias right away, barring injury. That doesn’t mean he won’t get playing time, though, there’s just literally nowhere to put him every single day. His future, as Bell puts it, “depends on [Amed] Rosario’s future.”

Why the Cleveland Guardians shouldn’t trade Amed Rosario | Away Back Gone
Speaking of Amed Rosario, Away Back Gone doesn’t believe the Guardians should trade him, and I kind of agree? Just like trying to come up with trades for him at the deadline last year, he doesn’t provide enough trade value to overcome what would be lost by his leadership and clubhouse presence — at least, that’s how it looks on the outside.

Of course, if he utterly tanks in the first couple of months and punches a puppy or something I’m sure it’ll be worth trading him for a minor-league lottery ticket and letting Gabriel Arias get everyday playing time instead. But for now — with his production fine and puppies unpunched — I don’t think he’s going anywhere until after the season.

The Guardians’ Former Rule 5 Breakout Reliever | MLB Trade Rumors
This isn’t an MLB trade rumor, despite the source. MLB Trade Rumors just loves them some Trevor Stephan — and who can blame them? There might not be much new in this article for anyone who followed the Guardians closely last year, but it’s fun to see Stephan get some love from a national source.

In case you forgot, Stephan was a surprise runaway success for the Guards last year, finishing with a 2.69 ERA in 63.2 innings. His gmLI, which measures the leverage of the game when a pitcher enters, was 1.41. That’s good for third on the Guardians among relievers who pitched at least 40 innings. For a former Rule 5 draft pick who looked shaky at best in his rookie season, earning that much trust from a veteran manager right away is a big deal.

Around the league

• Andrew Painted is already injured.
• Max Scherzer earned a balk trying to game the pitch clock.
• The Cubs no-hit the Phillies.
• The Red Sox still found a way to shift on Joey Gallo.
• MVP predictions for 2023.