The 2026-27 offseason is a very important one for the Cleveland Guardians. After falling again in the AL Championship Series for the second time in three years, they need to get the necessary pieces to take the next step and get over the hump.
However, they also have plenty of free agents set to leave and, as a result, holes to fill around the roster. All things considered, here are the two most pressing offseason needs:
The Return Of Austin Hedges
Austin Hedges is not just your typical backup catcher, as we recently explained. He gives the Guardians things that they can’t just sign in the free agent market: a good rapport with almost every pitcher on the roster, experience, a steady clubhouse presence, leadership, and elite game-calling skills.
On top of that, Hedges worked hard all year to become a league-average hitter, which he achieved as his 100 wRC+ proves. Only 22 catchers with a minimum of 200 plate appearances reached that threshold, and Hedges was one of them.
Additionally, if you were looking for reasons to bring back Hedges, he is Parker Messick’s personal catcher and, well, the lefty put together a campaign worthy of an ace, with a 2.56 ERA and 193 strikeouts. Bringing back the backstop should be one of the offseason priorities for Cleveland.
One Difference-Maker For The Offense, One For The Pitching Staff
The Guardians’ offense has plenty of young, up-and-coming talent. Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana will lead this team for years, Angel Martinez and Brayan Rocchio took a step forward this season, and Ralphy Velazquez is young and talented, waiting for his chance.
Jose Ramirez has some bounceback potential next year, and Steven Kwan and Jo Adell are entering the last year of their respective contracts. They need one more star in that lineup, though, a player who can take some of the pressure off the young guys and serve as a complement to Ramirez, who might be declining.
Additionally, with Foster Griffin hitting the free-agent market, you can say that Cleveland could use another star pitcher to join rotation stalwarts Gavin Williams and Messick. This hypothetical pitcher doesn’t necessarily need to be on the same level as the two aces, but he does need to offer more upside than Griffin.
Joey Cantillo and Tanner Bibee remain big parts of the project, but they lack the ceiling of a frontline starter. If the Guardians could add another top arm to the mix, they could be close to unstoppable.
NEXT: 2 Reasons To Be Excited About The Guardians' Future
