The Cleveland Guardians still have many decisions to make during the 2026 regular season.
The Cleveland Guardians are getting ready to kick off the second half of the 2026 season on Friday evening against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
A lot has happened in the first half, both good, bad, and everything in between.
As Cleveland tries to put together a final playoff push over the final two months of the regular season, here are three questions the Guardians must answer coming out of the All-Star Break.
Where Will The Offense Come From?
It’s no secret that the biggest flaw of this Cleveland roster is its offense. Simply put, it isn’t good enough right now to make a deep postseason run.
The Guardians’ .679 OPS is the second-worst in MLB. Same with it's team 92 wRC+. Cleveland has also scored the third fewest runs in all of MLB, with 385.
The lineup needs more help, but where will that come from?
Will the Guardians be big buyers at the trade deadline and bring in a proven MLB bat to add to the middle of the lineup? If not, will Cleveland continue to be aggressive with their prospect call-ups in August and September?
Right now, this is the biggest unknown the Guardians must answer.
Jul 11, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; The Cleveland Guardians react following the win against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn ImagesHow Will The Roster Look Whem Jose Ramirez and Angel Martinez are Healthy?
At some point, and hopefully some point soon, both Jose Ramirez and Angel Martinez will be back on the field after suffering injuries in the middle of June.
Getting back both of these players is, of course, a boost for Cleveland. However, the question that follows is: how will the lineup look after activating them?
In the wake of these injuries, Kahlil Watson was promoted, and Gabriel Arias was activated off the injured list. Cooper Ingle also had a cup of coffee with the big-league team before being optioned back to Triple-A.
Ramirez obviously has a roster spot locked up, Martinez has played well enough this season to be an everyday player, Watson has shown enough to continue to keep getting playing time, and, yes, Arias is arguably Cleveland’s hottest hitter right now.
The Guardians could have some tough roster decisions to make once this duo is healthy.
What Will Cleveland’s Trade Deadline Plan Be?
The Guardians are in an interesting case with the trade deadline rapidly approaching. Yes, they need more offense, but they could also use another bullpen arm on top of more starting pitching depth in the Minor Leagues.
What the Guardians end up doing at the trade deadline will likely come down to what the front office wants the team’s timeline to be.
If Cleveland wants to go all-in this season, they have the prospect capital to make some blockbuster trades. The Guardians could also stay the course with their young core, which they’ve done in recent years.
Either way, the deadline is rapidly approaching, so the front office must make a decision soon to make the proper moves or trades that fit that plan.
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