The offseason has started for the Cleveland Guardians, and fans need to keep an eye open at all times because the organization will probably need to make some moves over the winter. The looming lockout will probably get in the way at some point, but that doesn’t mean President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti won’t try to make things happen.
We know that the Guardians will keep most of their young guys and try to acquire some help on the cheap. They could also execute some moves that may surprise people. These two examples are within the realm of possibilities:
Non-tender Jo Adell
The Guardians added Jo Adell on deadline day, and he was a solid player for them with a .244/.324/.417 line, seven home runs, a 107 wRC+, and 32 RBI in 48 games. He was also important in the series against the Chicago White Sox in the postseason.
Adell is very good against lefties, a longtime weakness of the Guardians. However, he is about to enter the last year of salary arbitration in his contract, and will get very, very expensive.
MLB Trade Rumors projects his 2027 salary to be just under $10 million, which is probably too rich for a Guardians organization that is known for looking at the bargains aisle when shopping. Every possibility is in play for Adell and Cleveland: they could bite the bullet and keep him, they could try to trade him, and they could even non-tender him.
It will be fascinating to see what they do with him.
Trade For Reid Detmers
Now that the Los Angeles Angels finally got a competent owner, one has to expect the organization to start making baseball decisions that actually make sense. LA won’t be competitive in the next two years, which is what’s left of Reid Detmers’ service time clock before reaching free agency. That means a trade should be in order.
Few teams have a strong farm system and are close to being World Series contenders, but the Guardians are one of them. The willingness to make big deals or signings, however, isn’t always there, but if they feel bold, adding Detmers to their rotation now that Foster Griffin is a free agent makes plenty of sense.
Detmers posted a brilliant 3.36 ERA in 185 innings, with 211 strikeouts. He would give Cleveland a three-headed monster at the top of the rotation instead of just a one-two punch in Parker Messick and Gavin Williams.
Now, acquiring Detmers will likely be costly in terms of prospects. Think multiple guys between Ralphy Velazquez, Cooper Ingle, Braylon Doughty, Juneiker Caceres, and Khal Stephen, plus other pieces. However, it’s an addition that can push Cleveland over the top.
NEXT: One Guardians Player Could Be An MVP Candidate In 2027
