The Guardians don’t need to solve their offseason puzzle all at once, but two pending free agents stand out as obvious keepers for 2027: Austin Hedges and Shawn Armstrong.
Hedges gave Cleveland something it hadn’t always gotten from him before in 2026 - real production at the plate. He hit .247/.325/.377, knocked 6 home runs and finished with a 100 wRC+, marking the first time in his career that he delivered league-average offense. That alone changes the conversation around him, but the bat is only part of the package.
What still makes Hedges so valuable is everything else he brings. His defense remains a major asset, and so does his experience, his presence in the room and the way he fits the group.
He is also Parker Messick’s personal catcher, and pitchers clearly trust him to handle the job at a high level. That means game-calling, blocking pitches, controlling the running game, scouting the opposition and stealing strikes behind the plate.
For the Guardians, that’s not just a backup catcher. It’s a piece they can feel every day.
Armstrong’s season followed a different arc, but it ended in a place Cleveland could live with. His start with the Guardians was rocky, as he put up a 4.22 ERA in March and April and issued seven walks in his first 10.2 innings after signing a one-year deal. He settled in during May with a 2.08 ERA, then hit another rough patch when injuries piled up, including a calf strain that knocked him out for the final few weeks of the regular season.
When October arrived, though, Armstrong looked like the version the Guardians wanted. He turned in a 1.04 ERA over 8.2 postseason innings, allowed only three hits, walked nobody and struck out six.
Cleveland even trusted him to open multiple important games, putting him in front of the opponent’s best hitters. The 36-year-old proved he could handle that role, and there’s still a path for both sides to line up on a return.
In Other News...
Guardians Just Lost Another Behind The Scenes Voice Rivals Keep Poaching
The Guardians are losing another one of the behind-the-scenes people who helped shape their offensive program, as Conner Watson is headed to Houston to become the Astros director of hitting. Watson spent the past two seasons as Clevelands assistant director of hitting development, and his move is the latest reminder that the organizations player development work keeps getting noticed well beyond Progressive Field.
Chris Antonetti has already acknowledged the staff turnover, and in some ways that comes with the territory for a club whose development pipeline is routinely viewed as a strength. Still, it is the kind of loss that matters, because these roles influence how hitters are identified, coached and pushed forward before they ever become everyday names in Cleveland. The Guardians have built a reputation other teams want to borrow from, but keeping the people who built it together is proving to be a challenge. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Regret Letting These Prospects Slip Away
Clevelands farm system has already produced enough intriguing names to keep tabs on, and a few former Guardians prospects are beginning to look like more than background pieces in other organizations. Juan Brito, Jacob Cozart and Josh Hartle all moved on in separate trades, and each has taken a step that suggests the move may end up benefiting their new clubs as much as it cost Cleveland. Brito landed with the Reds and flashed promise in a limited look, while Cozarts strong Double-A showing for the Angels has put him on a path toward a possible big league debut.
Hartle may be the most interesting of the three because of the role he could eventually fill for Washington. He has been effective at Double-A and looks the part of a pitcher the Nationals can build around in the near future, which only adds to the sense that Cleveland may have parted with more upside than it realized. None of these deals is decided today, but by 2027 the Guardians could be looking at three former prospects becoming useful major leaguers somewhere else. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Have Built Something Special With These Two Young Arms
The Guardians have spent years trying to assemble a homegrown pitching core that can carry them beyond one good season, and Gavin Williams and Parker Messick are making that plan look a lot more realistic. Williams emerged as one of the most overpowering arms in the American League, leading the league in strikeouts and carrying that stuff into the postseason, while Messick put together a strong regular season that put him squarely in the Rookie of the Year conversation.
What makes the pairing so intriguing for Cleveland is that both pitchers came through the organizations development pipeline, giving the front office a chance to imagine a rotation anchored from within rather than pieced together from the outside. Williams already looks like the sort of frontline starter who can headline October games, and Messicks rapid rise only deepens the sense that the Guardians may have more than one future ace on their hands. [Read more 🡒]