The Guardians are heading into the winter with a clear priority, and it sits right at the top of the pitching staff. Chris Antonetti said Cleveland wants to bring in starting help, and he didn’t leave much room for interpretation about how the club plans to do it.
“We’re looking to add starting pitching. We need more,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti told reporters, including MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince, this week at the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas. “Trade, free agency, if we can add a starter, we want to do that.”
That’s a meaningful shift for a team that has usually found ways to patch together rotation spots from within. This time, the Guardians sound ready to shop outside the organization, whether that means a deal or a free-agent signing.
Cleveland does have options already on hand. Gavin Williams and Parker Messick helped anchor the rotation in 2026, and Messick’s season was strong enough to finish third in AL Cy Young voting. Tanner Bibee remains part of the picture too, though the Guardians are hoping for a rebound after an uneven year that left him out of the playoff rotation.
Behind that group, Logan Allen, Joey Cantillo and Slade Cecconi are also in the mix. Cantillo is expected to prepare as a starter this winter after command problems pushed him into relief, while Cecconi will spend the offseason rebuilding his workload after time in the bullpen.
Then there’s Daniel Espino, who remains the biggest unknown. The former top prospect missed most of 2022 through 2025 after two right shoulder surgeries, and the team still hasn’t decided whether he’ll start or relieve next season.
That uncertainty is part of why Cleveland is looking outside the building. Foster Griffin logged 172 2/3 innings this season before reaching free agency, and the Guardians would rather not ask too much of pitchers who haven’t proven they can handle a full load yet.
Castrovince mentioned a list of possible fits for Cleveland’s budget, including Tyler Mahle, Casey Mize, Jack Flaherty, Michael Soroka, Matthew Boyd, Kris Bubic and David Peterson. Tarik Skubal sits at the top of the market, but he’s expected to command a deal well beyond anything Cleveland has ever spent.
A return for Griffin is still on the table, too. He struggled after arriving at the deadline, finishing the regular season with a 5.19 ERA in nine starts, but he was much sharper in October with a 3.48 ERA and got the ball in Game 1 of the ALCS. Antonetti said Griffin showed he can be a really effective major league pitcher, leaving the question of whether Cleveland will be willing to go to the multiyear level he figures to find elsewhere.
For now, the direction is obvious: the Guardians want another dependable starter, and with payroll set to rise, they may finally have the room to chase one.
In Other News...
Guardians Just Made A Quiet Hire With Real Defensive Upside
The Guardians have made a low-key addition to their staff with some real defensive value, bringing in Alex Burg as their new quality control coach. Burg arrives from San Francisco, where he served as the Giants field coordinator and catching coach, and his background gives Cleveland another experienced voice in a part of the game the organization has long treated as a priority.
His arrival also creates a familiar link for catcher Patrick Bailey, whom Burg previously coached with the Giants. For Cleveland, the hire is about more than one big-league backstop, though. It gives the club another resource for a catching group that includes prospects the organization wants to keep developing, with Cooper Ingle among the names in that mix as the Guardians continue building depth behind the plate. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Could Have A Buy Low Trade Chance Worth Watching
The trade market around Dylan Crews is starting to get some attention, and that is the kind of development the Guardians tend to monitor closely. According to The Athletics Spencer Nusbaum, multiple teams have shown interest in the Nationals infielder, who is still just 24 and coming off his first full season in Washington. The offensive production was modest, but the pedigree remains obvious, which is why a player like this can suddenly move from long-term project to buy-low target.
For Cleveland, the fit is easy to see on paper. The Guardians have built their roster around pitching depth and have been willing to explore creative ways to add talent without straying far from their usual approach. A player with Crews upside could make sense if the price is right, especially if Washington is open to listening, but there is no official trade or even confirmed negotiation yet. For now, it is more a name to track than a deal in motion, which is enough to keep it on the radar in Cleveland. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Shortstop Suddenly Has Real Pressure On His Future
Brayan Rocchio has spent most of the last three seasons as the Guardians starting shortstop, and the case for keeping him in that role has always started with the glove. He has shown strong defensive skills, while the offense has been more uneven, even if his 2026 numbers moved in the right direction and settled closer to league average.
This winter brings a different kind of pressure. Rocchio is now arbitration-eligible, and with other infield prospects pushing for opportunities on the roster, Cleveland has a decision to make about whether he still fits as part of the long-term picture or whether his name could come up in trade discussions. [Read more 🡒]