The Cleveland Guardians have a real offseason call to make on Foster Griffin, and it comes with a familiar front-office wrinkle: how much are they willing to pay for a pitcher whose stock rose fast?
Griffin arrived in Cleveland as something of a baseball unknown after spending the previous three seasons in Japan. That stretch overseas, after an MLB run from 2020-22 that didn’t take off, helped reshape him into a different pitcher. The Washington Nationals were the first club to bet on that reboot, signing him to a one-year, $5.5 million deal in late December.
That move turned into a breakout. Griffin made the National League All-Star team this year and then became valuable enough for the Guardians to give up prospect capital to acquire him for the stretch run and playoffs.
Across his time with Washington and Cleveland, Griffin put up a 3.60 ERA over 172.2 innings. He was also useful in October, logging a 3.48 ERA in 10.1 innings with 15 strikeouts and no walks. Cleveland even handed him the Game 1 start against the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Guardians won that game.
Now comes the hard part. Griffin is a free agent, and the price tag figures to be the central issue.
“Griffin might be the most fascinating name on Cleveland’s free agent list because of how dramatically his value changed during the season. But the Guardians aren’t likely to win a bidding war for a 31-year-old pitcher whose market value has risen substantially. Griffin’s October performance might end up being his parting gift to Cleveland,” Noga wrote.
The Guardians could certainly use what Griffin offered down the stretch, but he’s also a 31-year-old left-hander without top-end velocity, which makes him the kind of pitcher who can attract real attention if the market heats up. If that happens, Cleveland is the type of team that usually looks for a cheaper route, whether that means promoting from within or shopping for a lower-cost alternative.
There is, though, a scenario where the Guardians stay in the mix. If Griffin’s market doesn’t move the way many expect, Cleveland will be watching closely. They value pitchers who can produce results like this, and a two-year deal could be the sweet spot.
Anything longer than that, and it gets tougher to picture the Guardians going all-in.
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
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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 🡒]