By plan or action (more inaction in this case), this offseason, the Guardians will head into the 2026 season counting heavily on young players. No matter what moves they made this offseason, Travis Bazzana was always hopefully going to play a big role at some point during the year. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said that Bazzana, a non-roster invitee to major-league spring training, will see a lot of time early in camp to get him ramped up for the World Baseball Classic, where he and several other Guardians will represent their countries. “It’s always something I’ve looked to do in my career,” Bazzana said. “Play against some of the best players in the world in a playoff environment in packed houses. It’s only a short amount of games. Four or maybe more. Every game matters. Every pitch matters. It means a lot, and I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time.” There is always concern about the long-term impact of the World Baseball Classic, with players ramping up to play high-intensity games in early March before a long regular season. Bazzana is coming off a season in which he lost time to two different oblique injuries, and he likely will be key to the Guardians’ offense at some point. He says he is already full-go into spring training this year and is eager for the chance to represent Team Australia. The Classic could serve as not only an opportunity to represent his country, but as preparation for future big moments and get his 2026 season jump-started. He’ll also serve as something of a leader for Australia, because he is the biggest face of baseball the country has had. He’s not the most veteran player on the roster, but he is their highest-profile player, and he embraces the pressure and challenges that come with that. That can have an impact on his career as he plays alongside Jose Ramirez, someone he already looks up to in terms of leadership and how he plays the game. “Any opportunity you get to play in a packed house, or a win or go home game is a challenge,” Bazzana said. “The moments people have to step up in, so when the Guardians make the playoffs, future environments I have to be familiar with, so any chance I get is exciting.” Bazzana won’t be the only Guardians player in the Classic who could have an impact on the roster at some point this season. Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) is in Pool C with Australia, where fellow Guardians NRI, OF Stuart Fairchild, will be playing. Vogt said Fairchild will get plenty of time early in camp, too, before heading off to Japan, and as a right-handed hitting outfielder, could also see time in Cleveland this year. Three Guardians on the major-league roster will be part of the Classic, with catcher Bo Naylor representing Team Canada once again. So, Cleveland will be without its starting catcher for a week or two in camp. Minor league pitcher Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson will be part of Team Canada’s pitching staff, so he will get a chance to work with Naylor in the WBC. This will be Wilkinson’s first WBC appearance. Bo Naylor, shown during Guardians spring training on Feb. 18. (Chris Carlson - The Associated Press) Starter Logan Allen is representing Team Panama, which is part of Pool A with Canada. That pool plays in Puerto Rico. Infielder Dayan Frias, who was re-signed to a minor-league deal in the offseason ahead of becoming a minor league free agent, will once again represent Team Colombia at shortstop. Frias was the starting shortstop for Colombia in the WBC in 2023. They are also playing in Pool A. In Pool D in Miami, which includes Team Israel, where durable reliever from the Guardians’ 2025 bullpen, Matt Festa, will be on the pitching staff. He’ll be joined by Guardians assistant pitching coach and Beachwood native, Brad Goldberg, who will serve as Israel’s pitching coach. Two minor-league pitchers for the Guardians will be part of Team Italy’s staff, which plays in Pool B in Texas, the same Pool as the U.S. Dylan DeLucia, who already has a ton of big game experience — pitching in the College World Series for Ole Miss and winning the Most Outstanding Player award in it, as well as pitching for the Lake County Captains Midwest League championship winning team in 2024, will be part of the staff. He will be joined by lefty Ryan Prager, who pitched at Texas AM and was drafted by Cleveland in 2025, making his minor-league debut late last year. The Guardians will also be without their base coaches during the World Baseball Classic. First base coach and former Cleveland catcher Sandy Alomar will be part of Team Puerto Rico’s coaching staff, part of Pool A in Puerto Rico. Third base coach and fellow long-time Cleveland staffer Rouglas Odor will be on the coaching staff for Team Venezuela in Pool D. The World Baseball Classic begins March 5 and pool play runs through March 11. Each pool is four games with two teams advancing from each pool. The Classic concludes with the championship being played March 17 in Miami. ...read more read less