The Guardians have built plenty of their own success by developing from within, but every once in a while a former Cleveland prospect pops up somewhere else and makes you wonder what might have been. That has already happened with names like Richie Palacios and Junior Caminero, and there are a few more ex-Guardians who could make their old club second-guess things in 2027.
One of the most intriguing is second baseman Juan Brito, now with the Reds. Cleveland never really got a long enough look at him. He climbed the system steadily, looked like a real candidate to crack the roster in 2025, and then a thumb injury knocked him off course.
Brito did get his big league debut with the Guardians in April after Gabriel Arias landed on the injured list, but he only appeared in 15 games before being sent back to Triple-A when Travis Bazzana needed a spot. That ended up being it for his Cleveland run. He was designated for assignment in August and dealt to Cincinnati for cash considerations.
The Reds first sent him to the minors, then brought him back at the start of September. Brito made the most of that opportunity, putting up a .309/.339/.509 slashline with three homers and 11 RBI in 18 games.
It’s a small sample, sure, but it was enough to put him in position to make a real push for the Reds’ Opening Day roster, whether at second base or in a utility role. He’s not going to carry a .509 slugging percentage over a full year, but he showed enough to look like a player who could stick in Cincinnati’s long-term mix.
Another name to watch is catcher Jacob Cozart, now with the Angels. Cleveland dealt from its catching depth at the trade deadline and sent Cozart to Los Angeles for Jo Adell, and there’s at least a chance that move ends up working out better for the Angels.
Adell gave the Guardians plenty of production, but his name has already started surfacing in trade rumors because of his projected $10 million salary for 2027. Even if Cleveland keeps him, it likely only has one season left with him anyway.
Cozart, meanwhile, got to Double-A after the trade and hit .831 OPS with seven home runs in 28 games. That kind of showing gives him a real path to a big league debut sometime in 2027. The Guardians still have Kody Huff and Cooper Ingle in the catching pipeline, so they’re not empty there, but a strong rookie year from Cozart would certainly change the conversation.
Then there’s right-hander Josh Hartle, who wound up with the Nationals when Cleveland sent him out as part of the package for Foster Griffin. It was a bet on pitching present over pitching future.
Griffin did not build on his strong first half with the Guardians, while Hartle turned in a 2.15 ERA in 29 1/3 innings at Double-A after the deal. Washington needs arms badly, after posting a 4.68 ERA last season, and Hartle has a clear route to becoming part of that solution.
If he keeps trending up, the Guardians could end up looking at this one with regret. And if Hartle and Will Dion both reach their big league potential, that trade could start to look bad very quickly.
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 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 🡒]
Two Guardians Enter 2027 With Everything To Prove
The Guardians got deep enough in 2026 to reach the AL Championship Series, but the loss to Tampa Bay left a few familiar questions hanging over the roster heading into the winter. Two of the names carrying the most scrutiny are Tanner Bibee and Kyle Manzardo, both of whom found themselves in very different places by the end of the season than they were when the year began.
Bibee led Cleveland in innings during the regular season, yet he was used sparingly once October arrived, a reminder that the club is still sorting out how to trust its top arms in the biggest moments. Manzardos path is murkier still after his offense dipped from 2025 to 2026, a slide that helped prompt a trade acquisition and put his hold on the first-base job in question as the offseason takes shape. [Read more 🡒]