Cleveland, OH

Cleveland Guardians Still Have Pieces To Make A Blockbuster Move

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Spring Training is rapidly approaching, and the Cleveland Guardians still have some questions about some key positions.

They were three wins away from reaching the World Series last year and should be looking to make a win-now move, but the roster still has holes to fill.

Thankfully, the Guardians have plenty of pieces throughout the organization they could use to make a blockbuster move. Let’s break them down.

Let’s start with this: Even after being active this offseason, the Guardians have roster areas on the roster that could be upgraded.

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Another proven veteran arm could strengthen the starting rotation, and the Guardians desperately need another outfielder to boost their offense.

The Guardians have made plenty of money-conscious moves this offseason.

This started with trading Andres Gimenez and the roughly $90 million left from his contract. They also moved on from Josh Naylor and Myles Straw, which opened up more flexibility for future moves.

Even after Paul Sewald’s one-year, $7 million contract, FanGraphs estimates the Guardians’ 2025 payroll will be $96 million. This is a $8 million decrease from last season, when the team reached the ALCS.

Cleveland certainly has the payroll room to add another free agent or make a trade for a player with a larger contract.

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Nov 10, 2023; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, right, talks to the media as president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti looks on during an introductory press conference at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
/ Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Cleveland has never been known to be a big player in the free-agent market. The vast majority of their future stars come via trade.

What teams typically value the most in blockbuster deals is prospect return. Thankfully, the Guardians are regarded as having one of the best farm systems in baseball and several elite prospects.

MLB Pipeline recently released their top 100 prospects for 2025, and the Guardians had four of their Minor Leaguers appear on this list.

Outside of Travis Bazzana and possibly Jaison Chourio, the Guardians should feel comfortable parting ways with any of their prospects if it’s a deal that makes their Major League roster better right now.

If there’s one area the Guardians have plenty of depth at, it’s their elite bullpen. That reliever core only got stronger with their recent free-agent signing of Paul Sewald.

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Cleveland could trade away one of their relievers in a package for an impact bat and still have one of the best bullpens in baseball.



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