In recent years, the Cleveland Guardians have gone after aging players who may not have much left in the tank. That has usually backfired, and even though they’ve been able to get them on cheap deals, they’ve been flops more often than not.
That’s why the team should try to take a different approach this time around. And while they may still cheap out and not spend big bucks to lure the prominent bats they need to fix their ailing offense, they should still be able to get valuable players at a fair price.
With that in mind, Zack Meisel of The Athletic dug deep into the free-agency pool to determine some of the best potential matches for this organization.
While the fans may not necessarily be thrilled, his selections actually made perfect sense, all things considered:
“That should rule out an aging veteran aiming to unleash one last bit of major-league production that the team has settled for in years past, such as Carlos Santana, Eddie Rosario, Domingo Santana or Hanley Ramirez. Someone with a specific skill set of need — such as a righty who has tormented southpaws and hasn’t exhibited declining skills, in the ilk of Austin Hays or Rob Refsnyder — might better match their appetite,” Meisel wrote.
The Guardians aren’t going to go after the likes of Pete Alonso or Alex Bregman, and they were never even going to submit a bid for Kyle Schwarber. Considering that, it’s better to focus on realistic and actually attainable targets.
This team wasn’t that far behind last season. Their offense was dreadful and ranked near the bottom in most major categories, yet they still found a way to make the playoffs and win the division. That’s not to say that they should just rest on their laurels and settle for what they have.
However, that does mean that it will be crucial to spend the money and resources wisely, as they might be just a couple of tweaks away from World Series contention.
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