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Guardians Have Clear Need Heading Into MLB Offseason
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- Guardians Have Clear Need Heading Into MLB Offseason
(Ken Blaze-Imagn Images)
The Cleveland Guardians are entering an interesting offseason, following an appearance in the American League Championship Series.
Cleveland exceeded expectations last season, with the team now wanting to replicate the success from 2026 in 2027. The Guardians have a nice core in place, but this team does need a little more firepower to get them contending for a World Series title.
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Heading into the offseason, former MLB general manager Jim Bowden of The Athletic believes that the Guardians have a clear need this year. Bowden mentioned that Cleveland should be looking to add starting pitcher and bullpen help this winter.
After Cleveland threw multiple bullpen games in the playoffs, the need for another starting pitcher does seem crucial. The Guardians have a solid core at the front of the starting rotation, but the back end leaves something to be desired.
Gavin Williams and Parker Messick lead the way, with arms such as Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo, and others behind them. The Guardians could elect to bring left-hander Foster Griffin back next season, with him hitting free agency.
But Griffin's time with the team didn't go as planned, and the Guardians may not want to pay to keep him around. However, Griffin does know the system now, and maybe coming back to go after a title could be the best situation for both sides.
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Given the need in Cleveland, bringing Griffin back wouldn't be the worst idea, especially if he can rekindle his All-Star form from last season. The Guardians aren't normally a team that makes trades to land players like Griffin, and maybe this helps the front office decide to sign him back.
For the bullpen, the Guardians had a good one in the playoffs, but the team just couldn't finish the job. Adding more depth could be helpful, with teams all across the league needing multiple arms to dominant down the stretch of a season.
But if not, there are plenty of other talented arms available in free agency or via the trade market for the Guardians to consider. Cleveland's front office is going to have to spend a little money to add, bringing in more talent to help this squad get over the hump in the AL.
While the Guardians likely won't be a top spender, this team deserves some sort of investment, especially after reaching the ALCS last season. Cleveland's front office owes it to the players and fans to add payroll, giving this team a better shot to win next year.
