The Cleveland Guardians have been competitive for a long time, accumulating eight postseason appearances in the last 13 seasons and 15 since 1995.
For a small-market team, the Guardians have been one of the most successful in the last 30 years, even making the World Series in 1995, 1997, and 2016.
They haven’t won it since 1948, though, and fans, while they conceded that the team is very well run, are getting desperate because they want a World Series parade.
It’s hard to get too excited when Cleveland is among those who spend the least in baseball, year in and year out.
Ohio’s Tate, via X, posted a graph with Spotrac’s information about the lowest spenders in the 2025-26 offseason.
Unsurprisingly, the Guardians are near the bottom.
He even wrote a snarky comment criticizing the lack of activity:
“That’s how you respond after winning back-to-back AL Central titles with clear and obvious holes in the lineup! Go Guardians!,” he said.
That’s how you respond after winning back to back AL Central titles with clear and obvious holes in the lineup!
Go Guardians! pic.twitter.com/zbBHLhuToO
— Ohio’s Tate (@OhioTate) February 27, 2026
Only the Washington Nationals, with $5 million spent to this point, are lower on the list than Cleveland.
The Guardians are tied for the 28th spot (out of 30 MLB teams) with just $8 million spent on players in free agency.
The front office, led by Chris Antonetti, has been among the best in the league for a long time.
It’s too bad the ownership, led by chairman and CEO Paul J. Dolan, doesn’t always back him whenever it’s time to stretch the budget a bit to get some much-needed free agent help.
No one is asking the Guardians to be the Mets or the Dodgers, but the situation is often frustrating for fans.
At least they were able to lock up Jose Ramirez, the star of the team, to a seven-year commitment that will likely make him a Guardians for life, and that’s fair to point out in this particular discussion.
Still, the current landscape of MLB requires teams to do much more than spend $8 million on external free agents.
Maybe if the roster were a powerhouse, but the Guardians have too many holes to spend so little.
Perhaps Antonetti isn’t shying away from big expectations, but the same can’t be said about the ownership.
NEXT: Guardians Pitching Prospect Suffers Significant Injury
