The Cleveland Guardians have had a quiet offseason so far and patience is wearing a bit thin coming off a pair of disappointing playoff exits on the heels of back-to-back AL Central crowns. The team needs a big bat or two wherever it can find it, but the front office hasn’t ponied up any significant cash up to this point.
Cleveland may not be in the mix for the biggest bats like Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, or Alex Bregman, but there is value to be found in the bargain bin. One insider recently shared why they are a fan of a bargain bin move the Guardians made that could eventually provide a solid return on investment.
It got lost in the headlines because it’s not exactly a blockbuster signing, but the Guardians recently signed former top prospect Carter Kieboom to a minor league contract with an invite to major league camp. Cleveland.com’s Joe Noga recently wrote about the signing and described it as a nice high-upside insurance signing that should protect Kyle Manzardo.
“[Carter Kieboom’s] not going to get in the head of a guy like Kyle Manzardo who’s not going to have to look over his shoulder at a more veteran player like Kieboom and think ‘Oh, is this guy going to take away at-bats or take opportunities away from me?’ It just seems like he never really hit that consistency level with the Nationals. But a guy who spent last season basically at Triple-A hitting .319 in the Pacific Coast League, you know, that tells me that he can at least put the bat on the ball. A really good insurance policy just in case something goes terribly wrong,” Noga said.
Kieboom was supposed to be Anthony Rendon’s heir at third base for the Washington Nationals, but he floundered after being called up and failed to live up to his significant hype. He debuted in 2019 and has hit just .200 across 516 plate appearances.
He saw eight at-bats for the Los Angeles Angels in 2025 after not appearing in the majors in 2024, and after hitting .319 in the PCL last year, perhaps the 28-year-old is ready to turn a corner. Nobody expected Manzardo to have the year he did in 2025, so you never know who this coaching staff will be able to coax a great year out of.
This is a no-risk move that could potentially help the team if Kieboom can find a way to flip the switch and tap into that ability that made him a huge prospect at one point. It won’t satisfy the fans who are dying for the team to make a big move, but it’s a solid depth move with some intriguing upside.
NEXT: Guardians Prospect Named Potential Answer To Team's Power Issues
