The Guardians have already made one move this offseason, bringing in Antoine Kelly on a minor league deal, but there’s still plenty of room on the roster for a bigger swing or two. With the General Manager Meetings in the rearview and the Dec. 1 deadline getting closer, the market is starting to take shape, and the kind of names that can still pop up between now and then are the ones that spark real daydreams.
That’s where this trio comes in.
None of these fits are clean, and some are a little far-fetched, but all three would give Cleveland something it can use. If the Guardians are going to break from their usual free-agent habits, these are the types of players who could make it interesting.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is the wild card. At first glance, he doesn’t line up neatly with a roster that already includes left-handed hitting shortstop Travis Bazzana.
But his free agency got more intriguing on Thursday when Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi reported that Chisholm is open to a utility role that would let him move around both the infield and outfield. He came up as an infielder with the Marlins, spent 1 1/2 seasons in the outfield, and has been back on the dirt full-time since the Yankees traded for him in 2024.
Over the last two seasons, he’s been almost entirely a second baseman.
The bat comes with its own questions. Chisholm wrapped up last season with a .231/.312/.399 slashline, 19 homers and a career-best 41 stolen bases. He wouldn’t fix Cleveland’s lefty-heavy lineup issue, but as a versatile piece, he’d be about as electric as it gets.
Sonny Gray is the cleaner baseball fit. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt caught him 45 times back when the two were with the then-Oakland Athletics, so there’s already a built-in connection there. Why not let Gray close out his career with the guy who knows his game best?
Gray has floated retirement before, but he said he wants to pitch again in 2027. After a season in which he posted a 2.72 ERA over 169 innings for the Red Sox, he should have no trouble finding interest.
The hard-throwing version of Gray may be in the rearview, but he’s still getting outs with a six-pitch mix that features a wipeout changeup against lefties and a sweeper that works to both sides of the plate. For a Guardians rotation that needs help, he’d be a strong answer.
Then there’s Seiya Suzuki, the biggest swing of the bunch. He was already a longshot because he’s likely to land a deal near $100 million, and the Cubs’ qualifying offer only makes that path tougher by putting draft pick forfeiture on the table for any team that signs him away. Still, it’s the kind of name that makes you imagine what could be.
Suzuki finished his Cubs run with 113 home runs over five seasons and an OPS above .800 in each of his final four years in Chicago. He’d make an already crowded outfield even tighter, but his right-handed bat at the top of the lineup is the sort of idea that’s hard not to picture.
In Other News...
Guardians May Have A Sensible Answer At First Base
The Guardians have spent plenty of time this winter looking for ways to squeeze more offense out of a lineup that could use another dependable bat, and first base stands out as one of the cleaner places to make a move. Free agent Ty France fits that conversation well. His 2026 work with the San Diego Padres gives Cleveland a recent example of a hitter who can help stabilize the position, while also giving the front office a chance to address an area that has not offered much certainty.
First base is still a spot where the Guardians can sort through internal options and prospects, but the appeal of a straightforward veteran answer is obvious when the roster is trying to improve without creating more holes elsewhere. The bigger picture remains the same, too: Cleveland needs offense, but it also needs pitching depth, so any move at first base has to fit a broader offseason plan rather than crowd it out. France may not solve everything, but he looks like the kind of practical addition that could make the rest of the puzzle easier to manage. [Read more 🡒]
Jo Adell Just Gave Guardians Fans Another Reason To Love Him
Jo Adells first season with the Guardians gave Cleveland plenty to like beyond the usual trade-deadline buzz. Acquired from the Angels during the 2026 season, Adell settled into a meaningful role and got his first taste of postseason baseball, adding a new layer to a year that already featured a strong offensive finish across 158 games.
The on-field production was only part of the appeal. Adell also marked a major personal milestone in November 2026, when he married Jazmine, giving Guardians fans another reason to feel invested in his story as he heads into the next chapter of his career. [Read more 🡒]
Emmanuel Clase Trial Puts Guardians In An Uncomfortable Spotlight
Federal court proceedings have put Emmanuel Clase and the Guardians in an uncomfortable spotlight, with prosecutors and defense attorneys both leaning on text messages tied to the closers alleged role in a pitch-rigging scheme. The messages at the center of the case were presented as evidence as the sides laid out sharply different interpretations of the language used in them, adding another layer of scrutiny to a situation that has already cast a long shadow over Cleveland.
Prosecutors say references to chickens and roosters were coded language meant to conceal the alleged scheme, while the defense insists those words were about legal cockfighting in the Dominican Republic. Clase and two others have been charged with conspiracy and deny the allegations, leaving the Guardians with an unsettling legal story that is still unfolding and could keep drawing attention well beyond the courtroom. [Read more 🡒]