The Guardians are heading into an offseason that should bring a few changes, even if most of the 2027 roster already feels mapped out. Cleveland has long operated like a team that builds from within, but there’s still room to clear out some names and make space for what comes next.
A few players who helped the club this year simply don’t look like they’ll be back when Opening Day arrives.
RHP Shawn Armstrong
2-1, 4.58 ERA in 35 1/3 innings
Armstrong came in last offseason on a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the idea that he’d help stabilize the bullpen. Instead, his year was interrupted by two lower-body injuries that kept him off the field for long stretches.
He did turn in a productive postseason, but that probably isn’t enough to change the bigger picture. He’s already slated for free agency, and it’s tough to see Cleveland deciding to bring back the 36-year-old if he keeps pitching.
RHP Logan Allen Cecconi
Cecconi might be the final big-league piece left from the Josh Naylor trade, but that alone may not save his roster spot.
He made 44 starts for the Guardians over the last two seasons, yet the 4.51 ERA attached to those outings tells the story: the results haven’t really justified the workload. Cleveland already has the top four spots in its rotation lined up with Parker Messick, Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee and Joey Cantillo, and there’s more pitching depth coming behind them in Justin Campbell and Austin Peterson.
Cecconi is also about to reach arbitration for the first time, and that looming raise could push the Guardians toward moving on before the bill gets any bigger.
1B David Fry
.201/.313/.364, 8 HR, 20 RBI, 59 K in 91 games
Fry’s place in Cleveland baseball history is secure after that walk-off homer against the Yankees in 2024, but that moment may end up being the high point of his time with the organization.
He looked like a breakout star early in 2024, when a hot stretch earned him an All-Star selection, but the arm injury and Tommy John surgery that followed changed everything. Last season he posted a .592 OPS while spending the year as a full-time designated hitter, and this year he was a little better at .677, though still not enough to make a strong case for a bigger role.
That’s part of why the Guardians sent him to the minors after the trade deadline before bringing him back when Rhys Hoskins got hurt. At this point, a non-tender feels like the cleanest path.
1B Rhys Hoskins
.179/.306.376, 13 HR, 38 RBI, 100 K in 95 games
Cleveland brought Hoskins in on a one-year contract hoping his three-true-outcomes bat would play in its lineup. He reached base at a decent clip and struck out plenty, but the power never really showed up the way the Guardians wanted.
He stayed near the top of the team home run list for much of the year, though that said more about Cleveland’s lack of pop than it did about Hoskins delivering the kind of impact expected from him. His season ended in August because of a back injury.
Whatever he was before the ACL tear with the Phillies, he wasn’t that in Cleveland. The Guardians should let him walk.
UTL Daniel Schneemann
.210/.276/.332, 7 HR, 30 RBI, 84 K in 91 games
Schneemann looked like he was building something in 2025 after appearing in a career-high 131 games, but the bat went backward again this season.
The defense is still there. He can handle just about any position at an above-average level, and that versatility matters.
But the offensive side has become harder and harder to overlook. His career line sits at a 78+ OPS across 834 at-bats, and his 29% strikeout rate is a rough fit for a team that still needs more production.
The Guardians also appear to have an answer waiting in Angel Genao for that utility role, which makes Schneemann an easier name to replace with someone who can bring more offense.
In Other News...
Guardians May Need A Painful Trade To Become A Real Threat
After pushing all the way to the American League Championship Series, the Guardians are heading into the offseason with a familiar question in front of them: how do they turn a strong young core into a roster that can survive the best teams in October? One path runs through the trade market, where Cleveland could look to add real impact rather than just depth, and the Los Angeles Angels loom as a possible match with infielder Zach Neto and pitcher Reid Detmers both drawing attention.
Neto would give the Guardians a versatile infield piece with upside, while Detmers offers the kind of arm that could deepen the rotation and change the shape of the staff. The problem is cost, and that is where things get complicated for a front office that has to weigh short-term gain against long-term control. A deal of that size could force Cleveland to put real prospect value on the table, with names like Ralphy Velazquez and Cooper Ingle among the kinds of assets that could come up in talks. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Bullpen Depth Just Got Murkier Heading Into Next Season
Clevelands bullpen picture for next season already had plenty of moving parts, and now two more names are back on the open market. Connor Brogdon and Carlos Hernandez have elected free agency after each was designated for assignment and spent time in the minors, leaving the Guardians with a little less certainty as they sort through relief options for the winter.
Brogdon logged 16 innings for Cleveland with a 5.06 ERA, while Hernandez worked three innings and posted a 6.00 ERA. Neither stint changed the broader conversation much, but both remain the kind of depth arms teams often keep in the pipeline, and there is still a chance the Guardians could bring one or both back on minor league deals depending on how the market develops. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians ALCS Exit Exposed A Problem Cleveland Cant Ignore
The Guardians ALCS loss to the Tampa Bay Rays left the same uncomfortable truth hanging over their winter plans: the offense simply did not do enough when the stage got bigger. Cleveland had trouble scoring consistently throughout the series, and the final three games underscored how quickly the lineup could stall when pressure mounted.
Several hitters finished the matchup with low averages, a reminder that the margin for error was thin once the pitching matchups tightened. If Cleveland wants to turn that October trip into something more lasting, the front office is staring at a clear to-do list that goes beyond one area, with the club expected to look for more help in the lineup, the bullpen and the rotation. [Read more 🡒]