The Cleveland Guardians’ offense was a massive letdown in 2025 and was the main reason why this team was unable to get over the hump in the postseason. The offseason is now about two months old, and this fan base’s patience is waning thin as the front office has once again dragged its feet when it comes to making a big splash to land an impact bat.
To make matters worse, other frugal teams such as the Chicago White Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates are swinging deals for upgrades to the lineup, and it’s reached a point where the Guardians are now in the running for having the league’s lowest payroll. It’s an inexcusable place to be for an ownership group that is among the richest in the sport and a team that has won consecutive AL Central titles.
While no external moves have been made to improve this offense, there are some in-house options who should be able to deliver at a more consistent rate in 2026.
MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins and his colleagues collaborated on an article highlighting a key bounce-back candidate from each team, and for the Guardians, Stebbins believes it could be outfielder David Fry.
“Fry had a tough 2025 at the plate, albeit amid some unique circumstances. He was limited to DH and pinch-hitting duties coming off offseason Tommy John surgery and slashed .171/.229/.363 with eight homers in 157 plate appearances over 66 games. His season ended after a frightening moment in which he was struck in the face by a Tarik Skubal pitch on Sept. 21, which later required surgery. He’s set to have a normal Spring Training, and a rebound offensively could be in store for the 2024 All-Star, whom the Guardians can envision helping at catcher and around the diamond defensively,” — Tim Stebbins
Fry had an abysmal 2025, much like many of his teammates. He was one of 11 Guardians with at least 100 plate appearances to hit under .225.
It was a far cry from his breakout 2024 season when he posted an .804 OPS, and unless the team ponies up some cash and brings in a big bat or two, Fry is still slated to have a big role in this offense in 2026. His positional flexibility will make it easy to find a spot for him on a day-to-day basis, though hopefully he is fully healthy and won’t be forced strictly to DH duties like he was this past season.
Much of this offense’s issues need to be fixed internally.
A combination of some veterans having rebound campaigns and a few youngsters surfacing from the minors could be exactly what the doctor ordered.
NEXT: Stat Shows How Guardians Have Dominated AL Central This Decade
