The Cleveland Guardians have had an eventful offseason.
They have brought in many players, such as Luis Ortiz, Slade Cecconi, Carlos Santana and Paul Sewald, and re-signed Shane Bieber.
Prominent players also left the organization, such as Josh Naylor, Andrés Giménez, Eli Morgan, Nick Sandlin, Matthew Boyd and Alex Cobb.
In the end, Matthew Schmidt of SI.com doesn’t believe the team looks that much better than the one that went to the 2024 American League Championship Series.
“The Guardians have made multiple trades and have reshaped their roster ever so slightly, but they haven’t done anything to really move the needle in anyone’s eyes,” Schmidt wrote.
Schmidt suggests Cleveland could contend given the state of the American League, but he appears to believe the team could have and should have done more in the offseason.
He doesn’t think the Guardians are any closer to contending for the title despite having a clear star, the AL Manager of the Year and a solid pitching staff.
“Cleveland is no closer to contending for a World Series now than it was last October when the New York Yankees eliminated Stephen Vogt’s club from the ALCS in five games,” Schmidt wrote.
In reality, the pitching staff looks better than last season, considering Bieber is expected to be a factor in the postseason, and Ortiz and Cecconi both have a high ceiling.
The offense will suffer the loss of Naylor, but Santana and Kyle Manzardo should be able to fill in for him just fine.
Giménez’s defense was very impactful at second base, but the players vying for his spot have much more offensive potential.
The Guardians still have some time to bring in a bat, preferably an outfielder.
If not, they will have to rely on their homegrown hitters.
The Guardians might not be flashy or spend a lot, but they remain a dangerous team in the AL Central.
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