While it’s true that the Cleveland Guardians’ offseason wasn’t particularly active in the player acquisition department, that doesn’t mean the team didn’t make good decisions and moves.
Sometimes, general managers and presidents of baseball operations can make impactful decisions that don’t have anything to do with signing free agents: extending the right people, making savvy trades, getting rid of a clubhouse cancer or a hefty contract, and snatching a good prospect in the Rule 5 Draft are just a few examples of this.
Granted, the Guardians didn’t exactly sign Kyle Tucker or trade for Freddy Peralta, but they did make some moves, and Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report ranked them.
“1. Extended 3B José Ramírez, 2. Signed RP Shawn Armstrong, 3. Signed RP Colin Holderman,” Reuter wrote.
That’s his ranking, and it isn’t a bad one. The Guardians’ best move during the offseason was basically locking up their homegrown star until he retires.
“A fresh seven-year, $175 million extension that runs through his age-39 season in 2032 should ensure José Ramírez spends his entire career in a Guardians uniform. With 57.6 WAR and eight top-10 finishes in MVP voting, he is quietly on a Hall of Fame trajectory,” he said.
While Reuter acknowledges the fact that Cleveland’s offseason was quiet, he did mention the acquisition of a few relievers, such as Armstrong, Holderman, and Connor Brogdon, plus Rule 5 Draft pick Peyton Pallette. Armstrong is by far the best of the bunch, as he is coming off a 2.31 ERA season in 74 innings with the Texas Rangers.
He also struck out 74 hitters against just 20 walks, and even though he is 35 already, he showed last year that he is still in top form. Holderman had a bloated 7.01 ERA in 25.2 frames in 2025, but he suffered knee and thumb injuries that might have played a role in his struggles and had ERAs below 4.00 in each year from 2022 to 2024.
Reuter evidently likes the Holderman move and believes he can bounce back to pre-2025 levels, and so do the Guardians. The Rhys Hoskins signing could also make a list of the best and most impactful offseason moves, as he provides some much-needed power from the right side of the plate.
All things considered, the Guardians didn’t really do much, but that means they are showing faith in their current core, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
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