The Cleveland Guardians aren’t going to spend big bucks or make big moves in the offseason. That’s just not the way they operate.
Instead, they will most likely hope that the reinforcements come from inside. They have a myriad of young talent and prospects who look poised for a breakout campaign in 2026. With that in mind, team analyst Paul Hoynes urged three of them to step up.
Per Hoynes, having Chase DeLauter, George Valera, and C.J. Kayfus take a leap will be instrumental to this team’s success:
“The Guardians need… one, maybe two of [Chase DeLauter, George Valera and C.J. Kayfus] to really kind of step up, establish themselves, just kind of establish a niche for themselves on this roster,” Paul Hoynes explained on the podcast. “Obviously Valera and DeLauter have had health issues. Two of the three guys have got to have an impact on his team in a positive way.”
It’s as simple as that. This team clearly isn’t that far behind in terms of being a World Series contender, given that they’ve won the division twice in as many years under Stephen Vogt, and they made the playoffs despite having one of the worst offenses in all of baseball.
DeLauter and Valera have the potential to be two dominant sluggers, providing this team with the hard-hitting outfielders they’ve craved for a while. As for Kayfus, he already showed glimpses of what he can do.
Granted, there are plenty of risks that come with banking all their hopes in unproven and young players, especially given that two of them have had their fair share of injury concerns. That being said, it might be this team’s safest and best bet right now. If at least two of them play well, this team should be pretty dangerous.
With Travis Bazzana waiting in line, the Guardians can be a great team for years to come.
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