Cleveland, OH
MLB Front Office Rankings, 2024 season: No. 25, Cleveland Guardians
Recap: How the front office rating works
This is one in a series of assessments of the performances of front offices for the 2024 season. Each front office is given a score based on the total Wins Above Average of the players they either traded for, signed via free agency or extension, or promoted from their farm system, since the conclusion of the 2023 post-season.
A front office’s score also includes the total Wins Above Average of players traded away or lost to free agency since the end of the 2023 post-season. The front offices are being presented in order of their total value from No. 30 (worst) all the way to No. 1 (best).
These ratings do not necessarily reflect the final standings. Front offices are measured based only on the talent they acquired or lost during the past 12 months. Players on multi-year contracts, or already under team control, don’t count toward this rating.
25. Cleveland Guardians: Chris Antonetti, President of Baseball Operations; Michael Chernoff, General Manager, -5.6.
The Guardians won 92 games this past season, doing so despite occasional front office interference, particularly on the pitching staff.
Seeking to improve on a lackluster 76-86 2023 season, the veteran team of Antonetti and Chernoff— who have been running things in Cleveland nearly a decade—identified the starting rotation as the area most in need of support for new manager Stephen Vogt.
They were right about the problem, but wrong about the methodology in solving it.
One of the first things Antonetti and Chernoff did last offseason was allow Reynaldo Lopez to walk in free agency. Lopez, after all, had been a lightly used afterthought in Cleveland’s bullpen, making just a dozen 2023 appearances covering 11 innings.
The Atlanta Braves saw in Lopez what the Guardians’ front office failed to recognize: a front-rank starter. Lopez put together a 1.99 ERA for the Braves in 25 starts, good for +3.9 WAA.
The Guardians, who got 25 starts from only two of the 14 pitchers who took the bump to open games for them this past season, could have used Lopez’ consistency, particularly in their ALCS showdown with New York.
Having axed Lopez, the Guardians proceeded to flesh out their roster by bringing back Carlos Carrasco, a former Clevelander most recently toiling with the Mets. In 21 starts, Carrasco went 3-10 with a 5.64 ERA and -2.1 WAA.
That functional swap—Carrasco for Lopez—cost the Guardians six games by itself, according to WAA.
Five most impactful Antonetti-Chernoff moves in 2023-24
|
Transaction |
Net Impact (Wins Above Average) |
|---|---|
|
Let Reynaldo Lopez hit free agency |
-3.9 |
|
Signed free agent Carlos Carrasco |
-2.1 |
|
Promoted Hunter Gaddis |
+1.7 |
|
Promoted Cade Smith |
+1.7 |
|
Promoted Tim Herrin |
+1.2 |
How, then, did Cleveland manage to win 92 games and the division? It’s a good question with only a partial answer.
Part of that answer lies in the fact that four of the Guardians’ most productive players in 2024—Jose Ramirez, Steven Kwan, Andres Gimenez and Emmanuel Clase—all were playing on contracts signed prior to the end of the 2023 season, meaning their data does not impact the 2024 Antonetti-Chernoff rating.
It’s also worth considering the team’s commitment to a bullpen-first strategy. While relievers are notoriously unreliable, and Cleveland’s commitment to them bit the Guardians badly in the postseason, it worked well for the long in-season grind. Three rookie-status system arms—Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis and Tim Herrin—combined to produce 216 innings in support of Clase, all with sub-2.00 ERAs and solid WAAs.
Naturally, even dominant relievers affect wins above average less than an everyday position player or starting pitcher, as they just aren’t in games long enough to truly swing outcomes in tangible ways.
The Guardians also played two games above their 90-72 Pythagorean record. Beyond that, though, there isn’t a perfect explanation for the season the Guardians had. Sometimes baseball doesn’t lend itself to exact quantifiability.
For the most part, Antonetti and Chernoff played the hand they had been dealt prior to 2024. Their personnel moves only affected 42 major leaguers—a relatively modest number—and split right down the middle, half positive, half negative.
Previous Rankings
27. Chicago White Sox, Chris Getz, -10.2
26. Oakland Athletics, David Forst, -6.8
25. Cleveland Guardians, Chis Antonetti and Michael Chernoff, -5.6
Next: 24. Detroit Tigers, Scott Harris, -5.3
More From Call To The Pen:
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ERIE COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) – Ohio troopers said a 13-year-old boy died Thursday from injuries stemming from an ATV crash on Sunday afternoon.
The highway patrol has identified the victim as Lamonie Campbell from Cleveland.
The crash, which also hurt a 10-year-old boy, took place around 1:45 p.m. in the eastbound lane of State Route 113 in Milan Township.
The 10-year-old was operating an ATV, with Campbell as the passenger, when the crash happened.
A Toyota, operated by a Berlin Heights man, struck the ATV as it entered State Route 113 from a private drive, troopers said.
According to the highway patrol, the ATV caught fire as a result of the crash, which also sent the Toyota off the roadway before it rolled and struck a pole.
First responders first took the boys to Fisher-Titus Medical Center for treatment.
Troopers said the 13-year-old was later flown by medical helicopter to a Cleveland hospital.
There’s no update at this time on the 10-year-old’s condition.
State Route 113 was closed for approximately one hour and 50 minutes.
The highway patrol will continue to investigate the crash.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
Cleveland, OH
Colt Emerson Leads Mariners Past Guardians In Return to Ohio – WHIZ – Fox 5 / Marquee Broadcasting
CLEVELAND, OH – Some three years ago, Colt Emerson was tearing it up in the Muskingum Valley League for John Glenn, on his way to being named the Gatorade Player of the Year, right here in Ohio. Now, fast forward to 2026, he returns home for the first time as a pro, as the Mariners faced the Guardians in a true homecoming for Emerson.
“Being here is special. A lot of games growing up, coming here. So it’s going to be pretty surreal” said Emerson before game one of the series in Cleveland. “I love the game, you know? I respect the game, and I’m just so grateful to be here.”
Growing up a lifelong baseball fan in Ohio, Colt always knew this day would come, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have to pinc himself every now and again when he puts on the Mariners jersey.
Emerson continued, “If ten-year old me can see me sitting here, see me on the field, that’s the only thing that matters. It’s been a fun journey.”
The game started slowly for Seattle, with no runs or even hits to talk about, at least until Emerson took the plate in the third. With one swing of the bat on an inside change up from left handed pitcher Joey Cantillo, he sent one into the right field seats for a home run in his first at bat back in his home state.
“I can’t even describe it” said Emerson, with a broad grin across his face after the game. “When I saw it go out, I took my time around the bases, just to look around, you know? You grew up playing here, and your first at bat, you hit a home run. It’s cool.”
Colt had quite the efficient ball game, reaching base three times with two walks, and accounting for two of the Mariners’ runs in the three to one victory. It is his first career multi-walk, and multi-run game in the major leagues.
Emerson continues to amaze his manager, Dan Wilson, each and every game.
“Like we’ve said before, he just sees the game and he senses the game and knows what to do in the right situation, and tonight was another example of that” said Wilson.
It’s another memorable moment in the remarkable rookie career of one of John Glenn High School’s finest, as Emerson continues to provide a much-needed spark for Seattle.
The Mariners are in Cleveland for two more games this weekend before heading back on Sunday night.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Heinen’s Grocery Store announced on Friday that it will be closing its downtown Cleveland location on the corner of East 9th Street and Euclid Avenue.
This last day will be on July 31.
The store first opened in 2015.
All associates at the downtown store will be offered roles at other Heinen’s locations, and there will be no layoffs, the release said. This decision affects only the Downtown Cleveland location.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb shared the following statement after the announcement was released:
This is a developing story. Return to 19 News for updates.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
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