The Cleveland Guardians aren’t the type of team that will spend big bucks on a free agent, even if they might be just one bat away.
With that in mind, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report believes they could look to make an interesting bid this offseason.
Reuter predicted that they will sign free agent outfielder Cedric Mullins.
That way, they could have Mullins, Nolan Jones and Steven Kwan in the outfield, C.J. Kayfus at first, Travis Bazzana at second, Jose Ramirez at third, Gabriel Arias at shortstop, and Kyle Manzardo at designated hitter in their lineup.
Mullins was an All-Star as a proficient hitter with great speed, but he hasn’t been up to that level this season, which is why the New York Mets might let him walk after acquiring him from the Baltimore Orioles in a deadline trade.
He hit .229 with a .738 OPS in 91 games with the Orioles this season.
In 30 games with the Mets, he’s hitting .174 with a .556 OPS, and he’s 0-for-26 in his past 10 games.
That doesn’t indicate offensive prowess, so he might not be what the Guardians need, but he would be in line with the type of move the organization makes.
As for the proposed lineup, manager Stephen Vogt might not choose Arias over Brayan Rocchio in the middle of the infield, but a lot can happen from now until Opening Day of the 2026 season.
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