The Cleveland Guardians roster might suffer some changes ahead of the 2027 campaign. It’s perfectly normal, but the team should be ready to replace key players in their specific roles.
Some of these replacements are already on the roster: they just might have to be more heavily featured. Here are two clear examples:
Daniel Espino
Adjusting to a new role as a reliever after years of being considered a starting pitcher, Daniel Espino spent considerable chunks of the 2026 campaign in Triple-A. In fact, he racked up significantly more innings in Columbus, 36.2, than he did in the majors, with 15.1.
Despite some bumps in the road and some issues with throwing strikes consistently, Espino completed a successful campaign in which he earned every one of those 15.1 innings he pitched with the Guardians and was a factor in postseason play.
Espino had a 3.68 ERA in Triple-A, a 4.11 mark in MLB, and a solid 3.60 in the playoffs. Strikeouts are a big part of his game, but so are walks. As long as he can keep the ball in the zone, he will likely have an expanded role in 2027 as one of the Guardians’ go-to relievers in the late-inning mix.
Respected veteran Shawn Armstrong is currently a free agent, so Espino could potentially take his place as a setup guy and also as an opener in front of a bulk reliever on occasion, which he already did a few times in the stretch run and the postseason.
Patrick Bailey
During the 2026 campaign, Patrick Bailey and Austin Hedges formed a very solid pairing behind the plate. The former landed in Cleveland in May after a trade with the San Francisco Giants, and not only did he do a commendable job learning every pitcher’s stuff and tendencies, but he also improved his offense considerably.
Bailey ended up slashing a solid .228/.292/.390 with nine home runs and a 90 wRC+ in 82 games with the Guardians, much better stats than anything he ever did in San Francisco with the bat. He and Hedges alternated behind the plate for Cleveland, with the two-time Gold Glover being slightly favored in playing time.
Hedges might return, as he has said he would love to be back. However, market tendencies and dynamics might land him elsewhere on a larger contract, and if that’s the case, Bailey might become more of a traditional starter as a catcher with a backup that spares him only once or twice a week.
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