A lockout is looming in MLB. Everybody knows that if a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) isn’t finalized by December, the owners will lock out the players, and the start of the 2027 campaign might be delayed.
Because of that, teams are particularly wary about long-term commitments. They want to know the conditions under which they will negotiate deals before proceeding with four, five, or six-year contracts.
That didn’t stop the Cincinnati Reds from agreeing to an extension with young pitching star Chase Burns, though. Perhaps it’s time for the Cleveland Guardians to do the same.
Who are the candidates to get an extension from the Guardians, though? Perhaps the team wants to see Brayan Rocchio perform at this level for longer than a few months before committing. It may be too early to tie Parker Messick up, but it would make sense under the right conditions.
Cade Smith could be a nice candidate, but there’s always risk in tying up relievers. Chase DeLauter could be a fantastic candidate, but perhaps the Guardians want to see him get through an entire season healthy first.
How about these two?
Gavin Williams
Williams is not as old as you probably think he is, at 26 years old. He is about to enter his prime and could become expensive in arbitration after 2027.
If the Guardians offer him, say, a five-year extension that kicks in next year, they would be covering three arbitration years and two years of free agency.
A potential deal would help Williams get a nice raise in his arbitration years (significantly more than he would make in the traditional, year-to-year way), and the Guardians would get him at a lower projected cost than if he were to enter the free market. It could be a win-win.
In that hypothetical five-year deal, Williams would get a chance to enter free agency in his age-31 campaign, young enough to score another solid contract if there are no options included in the first one.
Williams is sporting a 3.81 ERA in 113.1 innings this year, striking out 29.1 percent of the hitters he has faced.
Travis Bazzana
Perhaps Bazzana is still too inconsistent to make the Guardians entertain the thought of a contract extension. He is an All-Star, though, owner of a 103 wRC+ in 2026 with seven homers and 13 steals.
A hypothetical extension would cover multiple pre-arbitration years, giving him a chance to earn millions early in his career. Of course, that would be in exchange for giving Cleveland a discount in his late-arbitration and free agency seasons.
With Bazzana, we would be talking about a long extension. Seven or eight years would make sense for both parties. This is all speculation, of course, and the rookie would need to finish out the season strong to make the Guardians feel more confident about investing.
NEXT: Guardians Have Set A Quiet Franchise Record This Season
