You probably don’t need us to tell you this, but the Cleveland Guardians are a small-market team. However, unlike some MLB organizations with a similar budget, they actually try to compete most of the time with the tools they have at their disposal.
These franchises might not have the ability to lure star free agents like the teams in New York or Los Angeles, but there are ways to compete with a small payroll, and the Guardians typically excel at them. Good scouting, excellent drafting, savvy trading, international free agency involvement, and cutting-edge player development tactics and coaching are some of them.
Their impressive organizational model has given the Guardians some really good (and cheap) talent to use on their own roster or to acquire players via trade.
Get this: Gabriel Arias, Bo Naylor, Gavin Williams, Logan Allen, Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin, Brayan Rocchio, Cade Smith, Slade Cecconi, Daniel Schneemann, Angel Martinez, Kyle Manzardo, Erik Sabrowski, Joey Cantillo, Johnathan Rodriguez, Andrew Walters, CJ Kayfus, Parker Messick, George Valera, Petey Halpin, Doug Nikhazy, and Chase DeLauter will all make the league minimum in 2026. All of them. And they have others making close to the minimum salary.
“That’s like $24 million for 30 players,” Cleveland.com’s Paul Hoynes said. “That’s a hell of a deal. And it’s one of the reasons the Guardians will come into the season with one of the lowest payrolls in the big leagues.”
That’s the foundation of the Guardians for the 2026 campaign and the future, if we include franchise player Jose Ramirez, Tanner Bibee, Steven Kwan, Shawn Armstrong, David Fry, and a few others.
The Guardians have decided to go for it with their own young talent, for better or worse, and they are considered one of the favorites to win the AL Central again. They have their own approach and have been very successful with it, because, believe it or not, success is not only measured in World Series titles.
President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti has worked wonders with the organization, prioritizing development from within and sustainability. It might be frustrating at times, yes, but it’s hard to argue with the results: since 2013, Cleveland has made the postseason eight times, the Championship Series twice, and the World Series once.
Yes, it would be nice if they leveraged the financial advantage they get from all the cheap contracts to make one or two splashes that put the team in a position to be ruthless in October, don’t get us wrong. But the Guardians are contenders almost every year, which is a small miracle with their low payroll.
The Guardians are not always a popular pick to go far, but more often than not, they fight for the ultimate goal. One of these years, they will succeed.
NEXT: Stephen Vogt Praises Young Guardians Catching Prospect
