The Cleveland Guardians are still a few pieces away from being World Series contenders, but this offseason is the perfect time for the front office to make a couple of big moves.
The Cleveland Guardians have toed the line between contention and retooling the last few seasons. The team has reached the playoffs three of the last four years, but has reached only as far as the American League Championship Series.
Looking ahead to this offseason, now is a perfect time for the Guardians to go all-in, sign a big-name free agent, package some prospects to make a league-altering trade, and become real World Series contenders in 2026.
Jose Ramirez Is Still Elite
Jose Ramirez is coming off another elite season where he slashed — and was in contention to win a Gold Glove Award at third base. He was even one of the three American League MVP finalists.
That said, the Guardians' superstar turned 33 at the end of September. He may still be playing at an elite level, but that’s not going to last forever. Who knows when Father Time will catch up to J-Ram?
With that in mind, Cleveland should be thinking about Ramirez’s timeline and doing everything it can to build a championship team around arguably the best player in franchise history.
Apr 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) is congratulated by left fielder Steven Kwan (38) and shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) after hitting a three run home run off New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt (36) during the third inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn ImagesCleveland’s Payroll Flexibility
Payroll, money, and salaries will always be a tough topic for the Guardians. We know Cleveland is never the biggest spender, and it typically carries a payroll of under $100 million.
Looking ahead to 2026, though, the Guardians should be in a position to add a larger contract to the roster.
Cleveland has some money coming off the books and is currently looking at a payroll of about $69 million for next season. If the Guardians follow a similar trend in the past season, then they’ll have a payroll of around $95 million, giving them about $25 million to play with.
The Guardians could use that flexibility to add one of the bigger-named free agents, or to trade for a contract with more money coming in than going out.
The point here is that Cleveland should have some room to make some moves.
The American League is Relatively Open
Unlike the back-to-back World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League, the American League is still relatively open. The Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Detroit Tigers will all be contenders, but they still have holes on their rosters.
While the Guardians are probably still one tier below this group, they could easily enter the conversation with one or two more above-average hitters and could easily put themselves in the conversation as a championship-caliber roster.
Cleveland’s pitching is elite, and probably always will be. The Guardians need to take advantage of a competitive AL and commit to adding more to the lineup this winter.