The Cleveland Guardians will have, once again, a very modest payroll.
The organization has shown time and time again that it can be competitive even without adding too many free agents and too much money.
However, this situation has routinely capped their ceiling and, sometimes, their floor, too.
So far, the Guardians have only added catcher Austin Hedges and pitcher Ben Lively via free agency.
They rank near the bottom of MLB teams when it comes to free agency spending as of Sunday night.
“Free agent spending this winter, by team: Dodgers: $717M, Phillies: $172M, Diamondbacks: $122M, Giants: $113M, Royals: $105M, Cardinals: $99M, Reds: $87M, Tigers: $42.75M, Braves: $30M, Rangers: $26.5M, Mets: $18M, White Sox: $16.75M, Orioles: $13M, Astros: $12M, Brewers: $10.25M, Angels: $6.8M, Guardians: $4.75M, Nationals: $4.25M, Pirates: $3.2M, A’s: $1.5M, Rays: $1.1M, Red Sox: $1M, Blue Jays: $0, Cubs: $0, Mariners: $0, Marlins: $0, Padres: $0, Rockies: $0, Twins: $0, Yankees: $0,” MLB insider Jeff Passan tweeted.
Free agent spending this winter, by team:
Dodgers: $717M
Phillies: $172M
Diamondbacks: $122M
Giants: $113M
Royals: $105M
Cardinals: $99M
Reds: $87M
Tigers: $42.75M
Braves: $30M
Rangers: $26.5M
Mets: $18M
White Sox: $16.75M
Orioles: $13M
Astros: $12M
Brewers: $10.25M
Angels:…— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 17, 2023
The Guardians have spent just $4.75 million on the two players mentioned in this article, and barring any surprises, it doesn’t look like that number is going significantly up.
After finishing last season dead last in home runs, the Guards badly need to bring in offensive reinforcements.
However, it’s fair to say they won’t be going after a Cody Bellinger or a Matt Chapman.
Can they target the middle tier of hitters?
Teoscar Hernandez, Joc Pederson, Justin Turner, J.D. Martinez, Jorge Soler, Tommy Pham and the like?
Theoretically, they can.
Realistically?
They will likely get one from a lower tier and add a piece via trade, possibly using Shane Bieber as bait.
This team could really use two or three truly impact power hitters, but it’s unclear if they can add them without spending significant money.
The offseason is long, though, so fans should wait and hope that the front office finds creative ways to improve the offense and bring in impact hitters.
NEXT: Guardians Analyst Highlights Must-See 2024 Starting Rotation
