The Cleveland Guardians are in the running to have the lowest payroll in all of MLB in 2026 unless they start spending some cash this offseason. It’s frustrating for this fan base, because this team has won the AL Central in consecutive years and could compete for a World Series with a little help, but ownership doesn’t appear willing to play ball and pony up for a few pieces that the team sorely needs.
That being said, the Guardians are going to have to make moves at some point. It has been a slow-moving offseason league-wide as many teams are bracing for a potential lockout in 2027, but one insider believes an “interesting” free agent target could be on Cleveland’s radar.
Cleveland.com’s Paul Hoynes recently wrote about a few potential targets the Guardians could be in the mix for, and he threw out the idea of signing Harrison Bader. The journeyman outfielder is coming off a career year at the dish and is reportedly looking for a multi-year deal, and it would be wise for the Guardians to look into it.
“The one guy is interesting that’s been connected with Cleveland is Harrison Bader. He’s playing center field in this lineup. He’s said to be looking for a 2-3 year deal,” Hoynes said.
Bader posted a .796 OPS with 17 homers and 54 RBIs in 448 at-bats for the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies in 2025. He is also one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball and would be a fantastic addition to Cleveland’s outfield if the front office gets the go-ahead to spend a little money.
At 31 years old, there shouldn’t be concern about Bader’s production falling off a cliff, and he shouldn’t break the bank on a two or three-year deal. It’s exactly the kind of move this front office needs to be looking into, because the big-name targets such as Kyle Tucker or Bo Bichette certainly won’t be on the table.
Having Bader and Kwan in the same outfield would make life quite a bit easier for this pitching staff. We’ll see if anything develops on this front, or if this rumor stays just a rumor.
NEXT: Analyst Proposes Blockbuster Guardians, Reds Trade
