The Guardians’ offseason picture is already taking shape, and it could include a wave of departures once the brief post-World Series negotiating window opens.
MLB rules give teams a short stretch to work out deals with their own free agents before those players are free to test the market, and Cleveland appears set to watch several names move on. According to Joe Noga of Cleveland.com, the Guardians could lose five players to free agency: catcher Austin Hedges, first basemen Nathaniel Lowe and Rhys Hoskins, and pitchers Foster Griffin and Shawn Armstrong.
“For Cleveland, that means five days to decide whether there is any reason to bring back catcher Austin Hedges, first basemen Nathaniel Lowe and Rhys Hoskins, or pitchers Foster Griffin and Shawn Armstrong,” Noga wrote.
Among that group, Noga believes “Hedges might be the only realistic candidate to return,” though even that would likely require a pay cut. The 34-year-old catcher has made clear he’d like to stay in Cleveland, but that doesn’t guarantee the feeling is mutual, even at a reduced number.
Lowe, who came over from the Cincinnati Reds at the early-August trade deadline, gave the Guardians the steady veteran bat they wanted at first base. His arrival, along with deadline addition Jo Adell, helped push Cleveland from 14th in the American League in runs per game at 3.95 to third at 4.73, according to Noga. Even so, Lowe may be the easiest to replace, with Kyle Manzardo and top prospect Ralphy Velazquez both in line to handle first base.
Hoskins was brought in during spring training to fill that same veteran first-base role before Lowe eventually took over, but his season never really got on track and ended with him on the injured list. Armstrong, a reliever, is another veteran with an injury history, and his price tag appears likely to keep him elsewhere.
Griffin may be the toughest call of the bunch. The left-hander arrived at the deadline and boosted his stock, especially with the way he performed out of the bullpen in the playoffs. That success could make him too expensive for Cleveland, particularly since the Guardians already had a sturdy rotation in place before he arrived, with Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo and Slade Cecconi still behind Gavin Williams and Parker Messick.
However this shakes out, the roster is going to look different by the time the next season begins.
In Other News...
Astros Just Poached A Guardians Hitting Mind Fans Should Notice
The Astros have added another familiar name from Clevelands player-development pipeline, hiring Conner Watson as their new director of hitting. Watson spent the past two seasons as the Guardians assistant director of hitting development, a role that put him in the middle of one of baseballs more closely watched organizational systems for turning raw tools into big league production.
For Cleveland, it is another reminder that its development staff remains a target for clubs looking to sharpen their own infrastructure. Houstons front office has been active on that front, bringing in Watson after recently naming Spencer Medick as director of pitching, and it is doing so while the Astros are still trying to fill both their general manager and manager openings. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Just Made Their First Base Direction Pretty Clear
Rhys Hoskins gave the Guardians a useful veteran bat after arriving on a minor league deal and earning a spot on the roster, but his stint in Cleveland never really changed the long-term picture at first base. He appeared in 95 games and supplied 13 home runs, yet the overall offensive return fell short of expectations, leaving the club where it has been leaning for a while now: toward the younger core.
With Hoskins now a free agent, the path forward at first base looks even clearer for Cleveland. The organization is expected to keep prioritizing left-handed, developing hitters such as Ralphy Velazquez and Kyle Manzardo, a sign that the Guardians are more interested in building around their next wave than revisiting a short-term fix. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Keep Stockpiling Pitching With Another Intriguing Young Arm
The Guardians have added another arm to their growing international pipeline, officially signing 17-year-old left-hander Nerio Reyes out of Venezuela. Reyes trained at CJB Academy in Maracaibo, and his arrival fits neatly with Clevelands long-running habit of betting on young pitchers with upside and room to develop.
Reyes is expected to make his professional debut in the 2027 season in the Dominican Summer League, giving the organization time to let him grow into his body and his craft. For a club that has steadily leaned into finding and shaping pitching talent from Venezuela, this is another reminder that the Guardians are still building the same way, one young arm at a time. [Read more 🡒]