The Cleveland Guardians knew that the roster decisions they would need to make around late March would be painful. They always are.
By this time of the year, teams need to toughen up and think about the decisions that put them in a position to win as many games as possible, regardless of economics and other off-the-field dynamics. And carrying Nolan Jones on the roster isn’t one of them.
That’s why they opted to outright him off the roster to Triple-A, despite tendering him a contract in November and giving him $2 million. It was a mistake back then, but it would have been an even bigger one to bring him to Seattle next week.
“Guards stuff: Nolan Jones outrighted to AAA. He has the right to refuse the assignment and instead become a free agent. George Valera and Hunter Gaddis are “highly likely” to start the season on IL. Petey Halpin was optioned to AAA. Steven Kwan will play at least some CF this year,” team insider Zack Meisel posted on X.
Guards stuff:
*Nolan Jones outrighted to AAA. He has the right to refuse the assignment and instead become a free agent
*George Valera and Hunter Gaddis “highly likely” to start season on IL
*Petey Halpin optioned to AAA
*Steven Kwan will play at least some CF this year
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) March 20, 2026
Let’s go piece by piece, because Friday evening brought many news and developments.
Jones is a talented player. At his best, he is capable of posting a 137 wRC+ with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season, as he did in 2023 with the Colorado Rockies. The reality, however, is that he hasn’t come close to replicating that performance in 2024, 2025, and spring training this year.
He had been so bad that he even said he didn’t believe Cleveland would offer him a contract back in November.
He posted a 69 wRC+ in 2024 as a Rockie, a 72 mark last year after being re-acquired by Cleveland, and is at a 32 wRC+ in Cactus League play in 2026. Other players did more to deserve roster consideration, and the Guardians acted accordingly.
Jones has the right to refuse the outright Triple-A assignment and test the market, but the Guards would welcome him in Columbus if he wants to work on things and try to resurface.
Valera and Gaddis are trending in the right direction as they recover from a calf problem and forearm tightness, respectively, but they might not be ready in time for the start of the season and might spend a few days on the injured list. They are both healthy now, though, so it’s a matter of ramping up and reaching game shape.
Halpin had a great camp with a 139 wRC+, two homers, and three stolen bases, and did enough to be considered for a call-up at a later date, when needs arise.
The Kwan-to-center-field experiment appears to be a go for the regular season, at least for some games. Putting him there would maximize the Guardians’ offensive ceiling and allow them to play more offensive-oriented guys in the corners.
NEXT: Guardians Announce Starting Pitcher For Opening Day
