Guardians Free Agent Saw Stock Rise Heavily in 2026

The Cleveland Guardians are entering an interesting offseason, following a trip to the American League Championship Series.

As Cleveland prepares for the offseason, the team does have some key players entering into free agency. One of them is left-hander Foster Griffin, whom the Guardians traded for at the deadline this past season.

Griffin was supposed to come into the mix to bolster the team's starting rotation, but he struggled to find his footing in Cleveland. The left-hander couldn't replicate the success that he saw with the Washington Nationals, and he now enters into a complex free agency.

But as a whole, his 2026 season did see his stock raise around the league, with the lefty proving he could be a big league pitcher. Griffin spent three years pitching in Japan between 2023-25, before signing with the Nationals last offseason.

With Washington, Griffin posted a 3.06 ERA over 22 starts, firing 129.1 innings of work. His performance with the Nationals made a trade possible, with teams all around the league intrigued by him.

But once he got to Cleveland, something shifted for Griffin and his numbers skyrocketed on the mound. The left-hander put up a 5.19 ERA over nine starts, throwing 43.1 innings for the Guardians.

In the playoffs, Griffin made three appearances (one start) for the team, recording a 3.48 over 10.1 innings. While the lefty did pitch much better in the playoffs for the Guardians, his issues in the second half could impact his free agency.

But given that there are a lot of pitching-needy teams around the league, Griffin could see himself land a multi-year deal. His overall numbers were strong for the year, even with the struggles in Cleveland, and this will likely factor into teams' evaluation of him.

The Guardians could elect to bring Griffin back, especially with their need for another starter next season. Cleveland threw multiple bullpen games in the playoffs because the team didn't trust the back-end starters, including Griffin.

But Griffin was one of the stronger of the pitchers on the roster, and the Guardians could se a bounce back year from him in 2027. Now that the two sides know each other better, the fit could be strong for a renewed partnership.

The big question around the Guardians is whether the front office will spend what it takes to land the left-hander. Some have projected him to receive a deal worth around $40 over a few years, which seems about accurate for a pitcher of his caliber.

If Griffin can stay healthy, he could be a solid middle-of-the-pack arm for any team going forward, including the Guardians. Cleveland doesn't normally make trades as they did for Griffin at the deadline, which could make the team feel more inclined to bring him back.