George Springer still carries the kind of October reputation that can make a front office pause. He hit three homers in the Astros’ three-game sweep of the Guardians in the 2018 ALDS, and even with Houston’s sign-stealing scandal later coming to light, Springer’s standing as one of baseball’s most dangerous postseason bats never really faded.
Now he may be headed toward another team change after a disappointing Blue Jays season that ended at 79-83. His six-year, $150 million deal with Toronto expired after this year, and although Springer said at season’s end that he “didn’t know” about his future, the 37-year-old is plainly in the later stages of his career.
There should still be plenty of interest if he chooses to keep playing. The Guardians, though, ought to pass.
Springer may still have enough left to help as a designated hitter, but he does not look like the right answer for Cleveland, and he certainly does not seem worth the projected $10.2 million price tag that has been floating around on Twitter. The Guardians already tried the veteran comeback route once, and it did not pay off.
Last offseason, they brought in Rhys Hoskins as a bounce-back bet. That move blew up, with Hoskins enduring a rough season before it ended because of a back injury. Cleveland does not need to repeat that mistake with another aging hitter.
There is one obvious selling point with Springer: the postseason résumé. He has 23 career playoff homers, the fourth-most in MLB history, and added four more during Toronto’s run to the World Series last year. That kind of track record will always draw attention.
But at this point, Springer looks more like a short-term hired gun than a player who fits into any long-range plan. He finished 2026 with a .726 OPS in 126 games and posted 0.6 bWAR, the lowest total he has had in a full season.
The fit is awkward too. Springer is basically a full-time DH now, and the Guardians already have a bat-first crowd with Angel Martínez, Chase DeLauter and Jo Adell. There will be plenty of free-agent names to sort through before spring, but Springer should be one of the easiest to eliminate.
In Other News...
Steven Kwans Guardians Comments Mean More Than Fans Might Think
Steven Kwans season finished on a far better note than it began, and the broader view matters here as much as the numbers. After a rough first half, he settled in and finished with a strong 114 wRC+, reinforcing why he remains one of the more valuable everyday pieces on the roster. Along the way, he also made clear how he feels about the group around him, praising the Guardians young core and sounding genuinely energized by what the club could become.
Those comments carry extra weight because Kwan is no ordinary talking point for the front office. He is moving toward his contract year in 2027, which puts Cleveland in the familiar position of weighing whether to extend a homegrown player or eventually cash in on his value. For a team built around young, controllable talent, Kwans outlook is a reminder that the Guardians may soon have to decide whether their vision for the future includes one of their most reliable bats for the long haul. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Near-Miss Put Three Roster Problems Front And Center
A familiar postseason frustration has pushed Cleveland right back into roster-building mode. After falling to Tampa Bay in six games in the American League Championship Series, the Guardians enter the winter with the same basic mandate that has shadowed them for stretches of the season: find more offense and shore up the starting rotation if they want to take the next step.
Those needs also narrow the priorities. Cleveland could use help in the outfield, with Jarren Duran among the names worth tracking, and the rotation has room for another arm such as Michael Detmers. There is also the more obvious hole at first base, where the Guardians still need a reliable everyday answer, and solving even one of those issues would go a long way toward making the lineup and staff fit together better. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Face A Tough First Base Call After ALCS Run
The Guardians run ended in the American League Championship Series, and the next phase of the offseason is already starting to come into focus. Along with the usual list of contract decisions, Cleveland has a few familiar names headed toward free agency, including Nathaniel Lowe, Austin Hedges, Rhys Hoskins and Foster Griffin, while Shawn Armstrongs situation sits in the middle with a mutual option to sort through.
First base is one of the more interesting calls on the board. Cleveland has to decide whether to keep Lowe in the mix or let him walk, and the answer could shape how quickly a younger option gets a real look. Ralphy Velazquez is among the prospects the organization is weighing for future contributions, which makes this a position to watch as the Guardians try to turn an encouraging playoff finish into a more settled roster plan. [Read more 🡒]