The Cleveland Guardians have never been known for spending a lot of money.
If anything, they have usually rubbed their fans the wrong way by not only refusing to do so but actually moving on from their best players once they get a little too pricey.
Nevertheless, despite how people may feel, no one can argue with the results.
The Guardians, as a small-market team, hold their own pretty well.
That’s why analyst Ken Carman wanted to give credit where it’s due.
“I hate using the Dolans as an example because they’re different from a lot of the others. Typical small market, they get looped into that. I’m not gonna use the [Florida] Marlins, Colorado [Rockies], [Pittsburgh] Pirates in the same sentence as the Guardians. I don’t think they do things nearly as flimsy or haphazardly. They’re a team that has been successful. They haven’t been over the top, and that’s what people care about. They’re upset because you can’t get over the hump but you’re looked at as the model organization,” Carman said.
"I hate using the Dolans as an example because they're different. Typical small market, they get looped into that. I'm not gonna use the Marlins, Colorado, Pirates in the same sentence."@KenCarman says the Guardians are above other small market teams, despite similar payroll⚾ pic.twitter.com/aqS4ikHDMP
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) November 3, 2025
Truth be told, things could be a lot worse for this organization.
Teams like Miami, Colorado and Pittsburgh have floundered, and Cleveland is a similar market to those.
At the end of the day, the Guardians know they can’t compete financially with the likes of the New York Mets, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, so they’re not going to try.
As frustrating as that may be, that approach has worked out for them with consistent playoff appearances over the past decade.
NEXT: Guardians Pitcher Could Have Breakout Season In 2026
