Assessing Where the Guardians are in the Offseason

With the addition of Justin Bruihl, what should we expect from the Guardians for the rest of the offseason?

The Guardians’ roster currently stands full at 40 players, 21 pitchers and 19 hitters. I don’t see any room for movement on the pitching side (except via a trade), and a free agent signing on the position player side would require designating for assignment Daniel Schneemann, Gabriel Arias, Johnathan Rodriguez or Nolan Jones (who just reached a $2M deal with the team to avoid arbitration). It’s possible the team believes Jones would just get through waivers, effectively giving them another minor league option on him, but I think it’s fair to expect that if they try that move, they won’t try it until the end of spring training. For better or worse, it seems unlikely the team will cut Schneemann or Arias given their defensive versatility and given the dearth of players in the system who can competently play shortstop at the moment. And, with the DFA of Jhonkensy Noel, Rodriguez seems like an unlikely cut decision given how few right-handed bats the team has on the 40 (only four, plus four switch-hitters one of whom is Rocchio who hasn’t hit well from the right-side).

So, in conclusion, it seems that IF the Guardians are going to make a significant move on the hitting side, they are going to make a trade and try to deal someone like Juan Brito, George Valera, Petey Halpin, Khalil Watson or C.J. Kayfus (depending on the player they are getting in return). They could also, of course, deal a pitcher, though I think if they do so, it will probably be an arm not yet on the 40-man roster (a la the Alex Cobb and Lane Thomas trades). I do not think there is any particular reason to be confident the Guardians WILL make a move, but there is still a chance. They surely realize that the outfield is in desperate need of some depth, especially of a right-handed hitter who can conceivably play centerfield. They, hopefully, realize that upgrading the position of right-handed slugger who can play first base or DH is something they should be opportunistic about. With that said, here are some right-handed hitting names to monitor, most of whom can play centerfield:

Davis Schneider, OF(not a centerfielder), Blue Jays, 26 years old, under team control through 2029, 105 wRC+ against LHP – Moderately Available
Ryan Mountcastle, 1B, Orioles, 28 years old, under team control thorugh 2026, career 124 wRC+ against LHP – Very Available
Yandy Diaz, DH, Rays, owed $9M for 2026 with a $13M 2027 vesting option, 34 years old, career 150 wRC+ against LHP – Moderately Available
(Note: If the Red Sox are inclined to trade Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu, both are left-handed hitters, but can play good-great centerfield and would be enough to move DeLauter to right-field. But, either would be very, very expensive to acquire).
Luis Robert, CF, White Sox, 28 years old, owed $20M for 2026 only, 140 wRC+ vs LHP – Very Available
Jo Adell, OF (not a centerfielder), Angels, 26 years old, under team control through 2027, 105 wRC+ against LHP – Difficult to Acquire because the Angels make no sense
Jake Meyers, CF, Astros, under team control through 2027, 110 wRC+ against LHP – Difficult to Acquire because the Astros don’t have to move him and he is a great centerfielder defensively.
Colby Thomas, OF, Athletics, 24 years old, second year of team control, 136 wRC+ against LHP last season – Unclear Availability
Michael Helman, OF, Rangers, 29 years old, 82 wRC+ against LHP, under team control through 2030 – Moderate Availability
Dane Myers, OF, Marlins, 29 years old, under team control through 2029, 126 wRC+ against LHP – Moderately Availabile
Willson Contreras, 1B/C, Cardinals, 34 years old, owed $18M AAV for 2026-2027, 135 wRC+ against RHP for his career – Available IF he’ll waive his no-trade clause
Jacob Young, CF, Nationals, 26 years old, under team control through 2029, 84 wRC+ against LHP – Unclear Availability
Alex Call, OF, Dodgers, 31 years old, under team control through 2029, 108 wRC+ against LHP – Moderately Available

Surely, surely, when the dust settles in January, one of these teams will see that it makes sense to take a couple Guardians’ prospects for one of these players. Will it be as exciting as Contreras or Diaz would be? Probably not. But, even acquiring a Myers, Meyers, Call or Mountcastle would be pretty exciting for the Guardians, at this point. Or, we will enter Spring Training hoping Angel Martinez learned how to take a walk and play centerfield and David Fry of 2023-May 31st 2024 returns, and C.J. Kayfus takes a leap.