At least one former Guardian is going to finish the 2026 World Series as a champion, and depending on which side wins, there could be more than one.
That’s the setup for this Fall Classic between the Brewers and the Rays: both clubs have ex-Cleveland players in the mix, but Tampa Bay carries the heavier load of former Guardians connections. Last year, Guardians fans had to watch Alex Call celebrate a title with the Dodgers, and in a strange way that was the cleaner result - he was doing it against a Blue Jays roster packed with Cleveland ties. This time, the former Guardian pool is split across both teams, and somebody from that group is guaranteed a ring.
Milwaukee’s group starts with 1B Jake Bauers, who has become a familiar name again in Northeast Ohio thanks to his postseason run. Bauers was named NLCS MVP, and his success has put him back in the spotlight for Guardians fans. Cleveland letting him go does not carry quite the same sting as some of the other exits on this list, since he struggled with three other teams before landing in Milwaukee, but he’s still another example of a player getting away and finally putting it together somewhere else.
The Brewers do have one more Cleveland-related piece on the roster, though Bo Naylor is on the Guardians’ roster and was left off their NLDS and NLCS rosters.
The Rays, meanwhile, are stacked with familiar names.
3B Junior Caminero never technically suited up for the Guardians, but he has become one of the franchise’s biggest “what if” stories after Cleveland dealt him to Tampa Bay as a prospect for Tobias Myers. The Guardians kept him quiet for most of the ALCS, but he delivered his defining moment in Game 6 with a two-run homer off Hunter Gaddis. If the Rays go on to win the title, he has a real shot at World Series MVP.
1B Yandy Díaz is another former Cleveland piece who has blossomed in Tampa Bay. The Guardians traded him away in 2018 as part of the deal that brought them Bauers, and he has grown into one of the best Rays in franchise history.
In Cleveland, Díaz already had the bat-to-ball skills; the Rays helped him adjust his swing so he could lift the ball more consistently. His name has floated through trade talk for the past couple of seasons because of Tampa Bay’s tight budget, but the club kept him, and he’s answered with a huge year.
He’ll be central to whatever the Rays try to do in the World Series.
2B Richie Palacios is another player whose career got a second life in Tampa Bay. The Rays picked him up after he could not carve out a real role with the Cardinals as a fourth outfielder, then moved him to the infield and helped refine his swing.
That turned him into a valuable role player, and Cleveland got a direct look at it in the ALCS, when he hit .500 with two RBI. He should also have chances against the Brewers’ steady run of right-handed pitching.
The Guardians saw him as the odd man out during their strong 2022 season, and he’s found a better fit since.
The Rays’ former-Guardians list also includes Sulser, a pitcher many Cleveland fans probably won’t remember right away, but he was once part of the organization’s future. The Guardians drafted him in the 25th round in 2013, and he climbed as high as Triple-A before Cleveland sent him to Tampa Bay in 2018 in the Díaz deal.
He later bounced around after the Rays designated him for assignment in 2019, but returned to the organization in 2024 and has been in their bullpen since. He has made one appearance this season.
In Other News...
Guardians Face Tough Free Agency Calls With Key Veterans Up Next
The Guardians are heading toward another familiar offseason crossroads, with several veterans set to hit free agency and each one carrying a different kind of value to the roster. Shawn Armstrong, Foster Griffin, Austin Hedges, and Rhys Hoskins all fit into that category of players who helped fill needs during the season, even if their futures now look increasingly uncertain as Cleveland weighs fit, performance, and long-term planning.
Armstrong appears to be the likeliest departure, while the rest of the group is drawing varying levels of outside interest as clubs look for short-term help or depth. Griffin is projected to land with the Braves, Hedges with the Rockies, and Hoskins on a minor league deal with the Athletics, leaving Cleveland with more work to do if it wants to keep any of that experience in-house. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Make Their Stephen Vogt Stance Clear Amid Seattle Buzz
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The bigger takeaway for Cleveland is stability. The Guardians expect continuity not just in the dugout but throughout the staff, with pitching coach Carl Willis also slated to return in 2027. For a team that has leaned on consistency to stay competitive, keeping the current structure intact matters almost as much as any offseason move. [Read more 🡒]
Steven Kwan Puts Cleveland At A Tough Offseason Crossroads
Steven Kwans status gives Cleveland one of its most interesting offseason questions, because the Guardians are staring at the final year of his club control while also weighing a future that could get expensive fast. He is projected to earn more than $11 million through arbitration in 2027, and after a strong second half in 2026, he again showed why he remains a valuable piece, even earning Gold Glove finalist recognition in center field.
For a team still trying to add more power to the lineup, the calculus is not simple. Cleveland can keep Kwan and explore an extension, or it can listen to trade interest before he gets any closer to free agency, and the speculation around him has not gone away even with his recent surge. That leaves the front office trying to balance present value, payroll concerns and the possibility that one of its most reliable players could become the centerpiece of a bigger offseason decision. [Read more 🡒]