The Guardians are back in familiar territory with José Tena.
Cleveland claimed the infielder off waivers from the Nationals after Washington designated him for assignment, adding a low-cost depth piece to a roster the club is always trying to reinforce. As team insider Zack Meisel posted, “The Guardians claimed infielder and old friend José Tena from the Nationals. They traded him to the Nationals in 2024 for Lane Thomas.”
Tena’s path with Cleveland goes back to 2018, when he entered the organization at 17 years old. He reached the majors with the Guardians in 2023 before being moved a year later in the deal that sent Thomas to Washington. Thomas gave Cleveland useful work in the 2024 postseason, but his regular seasons with the club in 2024 and 2025 were hampered mostly by injuries.
Now Tena returns after spending this season with the Nationals, where he hit .222/.302/.370 in 115 games and 288 plate appearances. He finished with seven home runs, six stolen bases, and an 85 wRC+.
Across his big league career, Tena owns a .240/.303/.358 line and an 83 wRC+ in 659 plate appearances, most of them coming with Washington. The bat has not yet matched the prospect buzz he carried in the late 2010s and early 2020s, when he was viewed as one of the organization’s better young players. He peaked as Cleveland’s No. 9 prospect in 2022 and was a regular top-30 name from 2020 through 2024.
What does travel with him is defensive flexibility. Tena can handle second base, third base, shortstop and both corner-outfield spots, and he even pitched in one game for the Nationals this year in mop-up work.
The Guardians will take a look and see whether there’s more offense in there. Like everyone else on the roster, Tena will have to earn his place, but for the price of a waiver claim, Cleveland has every reason to find out.
In Other News...
Guardians Dream Outfield Fit Would Test Clevelands Willingness To Spend
Randy Arozarenas strong 2026 season with the Mariners has put him back in the center of the free-agent conversation, and it is easy to see why he would draw attention from Cleveland. He gave Seattle a rare blend of impact and athleticism, hitting .281 with 26 home runs and 26 stolen bases, the kind of production that checks a lot of boxes for a Guardians lineup still looking for a right-handed power bat with speed.
The catch, of course, is the price. Arozarena is expected to land a deal in the neighborhood of four years and $90 million or more, which would be a meaningful test of how far Cleveland is willing to stretch financially for a player who could change the shape of its outfield. For a club that usually has to be selective with big commitments, the fit is obvious, but the decision would say plenty about how aggressively the Guardians want to chase a higher ceiling. [Read more 🡒]
Cleveland Keeps Losing Pitching Minds And The Pressure Is Building
Joe Torres is the latest member of Clevelands pitching infrastructure to move on, leaving after five seasons as the clubs assistant pitching coach to take over as pitching coach with the Reds under Terry Francona. It is another reminder of how much of the organizations recent success has been built on continuity, and how often that continuity is tested when other teams come calling with bigger titles and expanded responsibilities.
For Cleveland, the challenge is less about one departure than the pattern itself. The club has watched coaches and front-office personnel leave for other organizations, and now it has to keep the machine running while sorting through internal options such as Brad Goldberg for the open spots. The Guardians have leaned on a clear organizational blueprint for years, but the pressure grows each time another key voice walks out the door. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Linked To Risky Power Options Fans Will Definitely Debate
The Guardians are being tied to a trio of power-oriented names as the non-tender deadline approaches, and it is the kind of speculative shopping list that usually gets fans talking. Tanner Banks, Nolan Gorman and Mark Vientos all come with different backgrounds and different levels of risk, but the common thread is the same: each is sitting in a precarious spot with his current club, and each could become available if his team decides the price is no longer worth it.
For Cleveland, the appeal is obvious enough. The Guardians have spent years trying to find more thump without sacrificing too much roster flexibility, and all three players would at least fit the general search for upside. But the reasons they are even in the conversation are just as clear, from recent struggles to injury concerns to questions about whether any of them can settle into a reliable role, which is why this kind of fit feels more like a debate than a prediction before the November 20 deadline. [Read more 🡒]