CHICAGO - The Guardians spent Wednesday in elimination mode, but the offseason was already waiting in the wings.
A loss to the White Sox in Game 3 of the American League Division Series would end Cleveland’s season. A win would only keep the door cracked open, with two more victories still needed to extend October. Either way, the front office never stops moving, and there’s plenty to sort through once the final out of the World Series is in the books.
That process could get a little messy this winter, too, with the basic agreement set to expire and a lockout potentially on the horizon. Even so, the Guardians will have decisions to make on a group of free agents from a roster that is still among the youngest in baseball.
Here’s the list: catcher Austin Hedges, first baseman-designated hitter Rhys Hoskins, first baseman-designated hitter Nathaniel Lowe, right-hander Shawn Armstrong and left-hander Foster Griffin.
Hedges has been on this path before. He’s signed one-year free-agent deals with Cleveland for the last four years, and this season he turned in one of his most productive years at the plate. At 34, he still brings value beyond the box score, too, with his voice in the clubhouse and his work on the field.
Hoskins came to Cleveland on a one-year deal in February, but a back injury has kept him out since Aug. 18. He finished at .179 with 47 hits in 263 at-bats, along with 13 home runs and 38 RBI.
Lowe arrived from the Reds at the trade deadline and has played well since joining the Guardians. The Reds had signed him to a minor league deal worth $1.75 million and brought him to spring training this year.
Armstrong also came in on a one-year contract, landing a $5.5 million deal before the season that included a mutual option for 2027 worth $8 million and a $1.5 million buyout. Injuries limited him to 41 games, though he still made the ALDS roster.
Griffin’s path is a little different. He has only one year of big-league experience, but when he signed with the Nationals in December 2025 after three seasons pitching in Japan, he negotiated the right to become a free agent after the 2026 season. Cleveland picked him up from Washington at the deadline.
So yes, there’s a long offseason checklist coming. For now, though, there’s still a game to play.
If the Guardians force a Game 4 on Thursday, Parker Messick will get the ball. And Messick had a pretty clear idea of what kind of pitcher Cleveland has always wanted in Daniel Espino.
“He was actually, like, the prototype for what they wanted us to be as a Cleveland pitcher,” said Messick. “He threw multiple pitches for strikes. He was the hardest worker, took care of business in every aspect of his game with nutrition, weight room, training room, all of it.”
Messick said he got that message loud and clear almost immediately after the Guardians drafted him in the second round in 2022. The club brought his entire draft class into a room and showed them a video of Espino.
“They showed us a video of him striking out, like, 15 people in (Double-A) Akron,” said Messick. “I’m pretty sure it was one ball put in play, and it was a jam shot back to the pitcher and he literally fielded it, stared at the guy running down the line, tossed it to first.
“They’re like, this is what we want you guys pitching like.”
Espino is only now beginning his big-league career after missing almost four years because of injuries.
Back in the dugout, manager Stephen Vogt knows exactly what kind of atmosphere his team is walking into at Rate Field. The Guardians are the visitors, the White Sox are chasing a clincher at home, and Chicago fans have been waiting a long time for a moment like this after three straight seasons of 100 or more losses.
Vogt didn’t ask his team to avoid the noise. He asked them to lean into it.
“Whether they’re cheering for you, against you, I always ask the players, what do you like better?” said Vogt.
“Do you like to make 50,000 people go crazy, or do you like to shut 50,000 people up? They’re both very different feelings, but they’re equally as fun.
“So, it’s going to be a great environment. I’m looking forward to it.”
And if the White Sox finish the job in Chicago, it would be a rare scene indeed. It would mark only the second time since 1906 that they have clinched a postseason series at home, with the first coming that same year in the World Series against the Cubs.
In Other News...
Steven Kwan Sends A Clear Message As Guardians Face Elimination
The Guardians have been here before, staring at another elimination game with their season hanging by a thread. Cleveland has stumbled badly in these spots over the years, losing 13 of its last 14 postseason elimination games, but Steven Kwan said there is no panic in the clubhouse as the team prepares for Game 3 of the ALDS against the Chicago White Sox.
Cleveland has already shown this October that it can shake off a bad start, rallying from a 2-0 deficit in the 2024 ALDS to extend its run. The challenge now is even more immediate after dropping the first two games of this series, but Kwans message was clear: the Guardians are not treating the moment like a lost cause. [Read more 🡒]
Vogt's Gavin Williams Decision Just Put More Pressure On Cleveland
Stephen Vogts choice to lift Gavin Williams in the sixth inning of Game 2 against the White Sox was made with caution in mind, as the Guardians manager said he wanted to avoid overextending the right-hander after 91 pitches. Williams had been working through a tough spot when he was removed following a single, and Cleveland was counting on the bullpen to keep the game manageable.
Instead, the relief group gave up more runs, and the loss left Cleveland in a deeper hole in the series. Now down 0-2 with the next games in Chicago, the Guardians face a tougher road than they wanted, and the decision to protect Williams only adds to the scrutiny as the pressure builds. [Read more 🡒]
Steven Kwan Just Made Clevelands Long Term Outlook More Complicated
Steven Kwans value is climbing at just the right time for the Guardians and at a difficult one for their long-term payroll planning. MLB Trade Rumors Matt Swartz projects Kwan at $11.3 million in arbitration for 2027, a number that reflects the strong second half he put together after Cleveland held onto him through trade rumors and the usual arbitration math that comes with a player gaining leverage.
The Guardians got plenty of return on that bet, with Kwan helping power a run to the American League Central title. But his rising cost is part of a bigger picture for a club that also expects Cade Smith to land at $5.5 million in arbitration and remain the teams long-term closer, which means Clevelands most important young pieces are getting expensive fast and the front office will have some choices to make. [Read more 🡒]