The Cleveland Guardians fell just short of reaching the World Series this past season, and during the team’s playoff run, it became abundantly clear what the team needed to improve upon in 2025 to potentially get over the hump and get back to the World Series.
The bullpen carried the team all year, and while the team certainly needs to improve the starting rotation, especially with Alex Cobb, Shane Bieber, and Carlos Carrasco hitting free agency, this team also is in need of another big bat.
The offense fell flat too many times down the stretch and throughout the postseason, but one former general manager Jim Bowden believes the team should make a run at one strong power-hitting outfielder on the open market.
“I wish I could give you Teoscar Hernández or Anthony Santander, but I don’t see either of those happening. If I put on a blindfold, spin around a few times and throw a dart … how about Tyler O’Neill? Remember, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while,” Bowden said.
Tyler O’Neill is coming off one of the best seasons of his career in his first year with the Boston Red Sox, as he smashed 31 home runs in just 411 at-bats, good for a .847 OPS.
Santander and Hernandez would also be great options, but both are more likely to end up in bigger markets with teams that typically spend more money than the Guardians do.
O’Neill would be a fantastic addition to an already solid Guardians lineup, and we’ll see if this is more than just speculation.
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