The Cleveland Guardians are not a big-market team.
Their spending philosophy is not that of a big-market squad.
They have earned more than their food fair share of criticism over the years for rarely spending big in free agency.
However, it’s hard to argue with the facts: they have been in the postseason in six of the last nine campaigns.
The truth is that they are very good at building from within.
Yes, they won’t splash the cash and bring in a $150 million free agent, but they draft well, are very good at identifying talent in international free agency, execute savvy trades and are excellent at developing their own stars.
Their current roster is a major example of their philosophy.
“The Guardians’ active roster includes only 3 players acquired via Major League free agency: Austin Hedges, Matthew Boyd, Ben Lively. All signed 1-year contracts,” MLB insider Jon Morosi posted on X.
The Guardians’ active roster includes only 3 players acquired via Major League free agency: Austin Hedges, Matthew Boyd, Ben Lively.
All signed 1-year contracts.
Credit the @fangraphs Roster Resource for help with my research. @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) September 23, 2024
The Guardians have only three cheap free agents, yet they recently locked up the AL Central title and have a comfy lead in their division.
There are multiple paths towards being a successful MLB organization, and Cleveland’s blueprint should help other teams with financial limitations.
They do everything right, and even though that hasn’t translated into World Series titles yet, they are always competitive.
Oh, and the three free agents on the roster have contributed to their 2024 success: Hedges is a valued backup catcher, Lively is a member of the rotation and so is Boyd.
They have complemented the team’s incredibly talented homegrown core, and they are about to test their approach in the postseason.
President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti and his staff have done an admirable job.
NEXT: Guardians Close To Securing First-Round Bye Despite Loss
