It would be amazing if the Cleveland Guardians broke their typical free agent mold and found a way to sign a Kyle Schwarber or a Kyle Tucker this offseason or package their prospects to pull off a trade for a win-now player. However, those aren’t the moves that we typically see from Cleveland’s front office.

Before the offseason frenzy of signings and trades really begins, here are a few realistic expectations and predictions for the Guardians this winter.

Guardians Sign A Veteran Outfielder

The Guardians recognize they need more offense, specifically from the outfield. That doesn’t mean they’ll sign one of the top free agent bats, but they could look to get one or two more good seasons out of one of the veterans on the market.

Austin Hays (30), Jesse Winker (32), Cedric Mullins (31), or even a reunion with Lane Thomas (30) could each make sense for the Guardians without breaking the bank in terms of their payroll, even though Cleveland should be in a position to increase their overall salary this winter.

Cleveland has a history of signing former All-Stars toward the end of their career, for example, Carlos Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez in 2019, or even Carlos Santana this past season. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the team take the same route this offseason.

Cleveland Adds An Under-The-Radar Reliever

Jakob Junis wasn’t the top arm on the free agent market last season, and his signing with the Guardians certainly wasn’t a top storyline. Still, the 32-year-old recorded a 2.97 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP for Cleveland last year.

The Guardians organization has a strong reputation for identifying and developing talent, as well as helping established pitchers maximize their performance. 

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Guardians go in a similar direction this winter, trading or signing for a reliever that may not appear impactful at the time, but plays a key role out of the bullpen next season.

Guardians Make A Trade From Their Starting Pitching Depth

Right now, Cleveland’s starting pitching options for next year are Logan Allen, Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo, Slade Cecconi, Parker Messick, Doug Nikhazy, and Gavin Williams. If all goes well this offseason, Daniel Espino could be an option if he stays healthy, and prospects Khal Stephen and Austin Peterson could enter the mix, too.

The Guardians have depth in their rotation, which is one of the reasons why the team declined John Means’ team option.

At some point, the Guardians will need to clean up and determine who is in their long-term plans and who could be used as a trade chip. That said, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team trade one of their back-end starting pitchers to a team that’s desperate for more depth.

Similar to how the Guardians traded Eli Morgan to the Chicago Cubs last offseason to free up a spot in the bullpen.