Stephen Vogt still believes in the Cleveland Guardians, despite their quiet offseason.
It’s no secret the Cleveland Guardians haven’t been the most active of teams this winter. Yes, the team has added some much-needed bullpen depth, but the lineup is poised to be nearly identical to what it was at the end of the 2025 season.
Despite the quiet offseason, Cleveland’s skipper, Stephen Vogt, recently spoke with the media and explained that he’s still extremely confident in the Guardians' current roster.
“Yeah, I mean, I'm really excited about our group. You know, we ended the year strong. You looked at the last couple months of our season, the offense improved, we pitched better, everything was clicking in the right direction, and we've got a majority of that group coming back, and we've added reinforcements.”
Vogt is correct: as a team, the Guardians did play a better brand of baseball during the second half of the season, especially in September, when the team logged a .720 OPS, their highest over a month-long stretch.
There are definitely reasons to be excited about this group, such as the continued development of Kyle Manzardo, a full season of Chase DeLauter, the eventual debut of Travis Bazzana, and the potential C.J. Kayfus has to contribute to the team.
That said, there are still concerns with the lineup, and the Guardians have made no moves to address them.
Looking more at the pitching staff, there’s no question the Guardians have rebuilt the reliever core after making that a top priority this offseason. Shawn Armstrong, Connor Brogdon, Collin Holderman, and Peyton Pallette will all be options out of Cleveland’s bullpen.
Even though these may not be blockbuster signings or additions, Vogt pointed out, “You called them minor moves. I wouldn't call them that. These are some really good bullpen arms that are going to add to the depth of our already strong bullpen.”
Even though Vogt is clearly excited about the group he has heading into spring training, the question that remains is whether the Guardians done enough.
Cleveland could still make another addition between now and spring training, and there are certainly free agent options for them to pursue. If the Guardians don’t, Cleveland’s skipper is confident in his team as the largely young core continues to develop.
Category: General Sports
