The Guardians’ offseason to-do list has a couple of glaring holes, and both trace back to the same place: first base and the rotation.
Nathaniel Lowe and Foster Griffin each spent only a half-season in Cleveland, but both left enough of an imprint that replacing them is now one of the biggest priorities on the board. That task may get a little easier if Chris Antonetti’s comments this week are any indication. The Guardians president of baseball operations said Cleveland plans to spend more this offseason, which could help them get into the mix for free agents who can help cover those losses.
Here are six names that could fit the bill.
Ty France sits at the top of a thin first-base market, and he checks a lot of boxes for Cleveland. He brings steady defense, contact ability and, most importantly, bats right-handed.
France was available to every team last offseason before settling for a one-year, $1.35 million deal with the Padres, then turned that into a 21-homer, 72-RBI season. That likely pushes him beyond the Guardians’ comfort zone financially, but he’d be a natural fit in the middle of the lineup.
Kyle Manzardo remains part of the conversation too, even if his role is less clear than it looked a year ago. He disappeared from the spotlight after Cleveland sent him to Triple-A in August, but he still finished the year with a .820 ERA in 37 games with the Clippers.
The Guardians clearly still believe in him, though the presence of power-hitting first base prospect Ralphy Velazquez complicates the picture. Even so, Manzardo still matters to the roster and should have a place in Cleveland’s 2027 plans in some form.
Velazquez himself may be the most important internal answer on the board. He’s only 21, but he already ranks among the best power hitters in the minors and put together a huge season with 29 homers across Double-A and Triple-A, while leading the Guardians’ system in slugging percentage (.548).
Cleveland has often taken the patient route with its top prospects, but that approach may not be realistic here. Without Velazquez, the first-base platoon looks rough.
Manzardo is useful, but Velazquez has nothing left to prove in the minors.
On the pitching side, Slade Cecconi is one possible internal replacement for Griffin. He made 21 starts for Cleveland in the first half of 2026 before losing his rotation spot when Griffin arrived via trade.
Now that Griffin is gone, Cecconi could get that chance back next season, assuming he isn’t dealt first. He gave the Guardians some innings, but a 4.78 ERA reflected too many outings where one bad frame blew things up.
He’s also due a slight arbitration raise. He looks like a useful depth arm for 2027, though he may carry more value as a trade chip in this unusual offseason.
Casey Mize is another arm who could help stabilize the back end of the rotation. Earlier this summer, the Tigers effectively waved the white flag on 2026 by sending Mize to the Padres along with Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers.
Cleveland won’t forget his 2.41 ERA in 33 1/3 career innings against the Guardians, and now he’s available in free agency. His stock dipped after a 7.46 ERA in 10 starts with San Diego, but his track record should still earn him a solid deal.
He’d make sense as a back-of-the-rotation fit.
Dustin May rounds out the group as another mid-tier pitching option. He opened 2026 as a dependable middle-rotation starter for the Cardinals before landing with the eventual world champion Brewers.
His results dipped after the trade, but the underlying numbers were helped by a new arm angle. Add in his willingness to tinker, plus his above-average extension and velocity, and he becomes a pretty appealing match for Cleveland’s pitching group.
May and Mize would help the Guardians deepen the rotation. France would strengthen the lineup.
Cecconi, Manzardo and Velazquez each factor into the first-base and pitching puzzle in different ways. However Cleveland chooses to attack it, the next few moves will say plenty about how aggressively the Guardians plan to address two of their biggest needs.
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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 🡒]
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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
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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 🡒]