The Guardians are still hanging around the postseason race, and that alone keeps them interesting. Cleveland sits 5.5 games back of the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central and is 1.5 games out of the third and final AL Wild Card spot, which leaves the door open even if the roster still has obvious holes.
That’s the backdrop for CBS Sports analyst Matt Snyder’s look at clubs that could turn things around next year. At 61-66, Cleveland fits the profile of a team close enough to contention now and with room to take another step in 2027. Snyder grouped the Guardians with the Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, Washington Nationals, Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Angels in the broader exercise.
Cleveland landed in Snyder’s “Still 2026 contenders, but …” category, which he described this way: “Sure, these teams are contending, but let’s face it: they aren’t good teams,” Snyder said about the subcategory that also had the O’s, the Tigers, the Rangers, the Twins, the Jays, and the M’s.
His biggest concern was the offense, especially with José Ramírez’s production slipping and Steven Kwan also regressing. Ramírez has a modest 104 wRC+ this season while dealing with injuries, and he’ll be 34 for most of the 2027 season.
He has carried the organization for more than a decade, but the question now is whether he’s moving into the decline phase. That remains unresolved.
Even with that uncertainty, Snyder pointed to enough young talent to keep the Guardians in the mix. He mentioned Kyle Manzardo, Travis Bazzana and Angel Genao as players who could help the lineup take a real step forward, while also noting that prospects such as Ralphy Velazquez and Jaison Chourio could get sprinkled in. On the pitching side, he called Gavin Williams and Parker Messick “a nice foundation for the rotation, too.”
That same group is why Cleveland can still see a path forward beyond this season. Chase DeLauter, Bazzana, Genao, Velazquez, Williams and Messick give the Guardians a promising core, and names like Chourio, Ryan Cesarini and CJ Kayfus could also factor into 2027.
If Ramírez gets back to the level he had before 2026, the ceiling rises fast. Snyder’s read leaves room for that possibility, and it’s not hard to see how Cleveland could wind up with an above-average offense next year. It just isn’t one right now.
In Other News...
Gabriel Arias Just Got Another Big League Lifeline
Gabriel Arias has turned into one of those players who keeps finding a new organization with a need at just the right moment. After Cleveland designated him for assignment, he was first picked up by the Mets and then landed with the Cubs, who were looking to bolster their infield mix after Dansby Swanson hit the injured list. For a player still trying to carve out a stable major league role, that kind of movement can be unsettling, but it also shows there is still a market for his glove and versatility.
What makes this latest stop especially interesting is the roster squeeze that comes with it. Arias is out of minor league options, so Chicago cannot simply stash him away for insurance if the fit is not perfect. He has to stay on the major league roster unless the Cubs take the risk of designating him again and he gets through waivers, which leaves his immediate future tied to how aggressively they want to use him in the middle infield. [Read more 🡒]
Former Guardians Prospect Just Made Cleveland Revisit An Uncomfortable Trade
Matt Wilkinsons first big league appearance came with a little extra meaning attached, since the Giants handed him the ball against Cleveland at Progressive Field after acquiring him from the Guardians earlier this season. Working as an opener, the former Guardians prospect settled in quickly and covered two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while showing enough poise to make his debut look much bigger than the moment usually allows.
For Cleveland, it also turned into a reminder of the trade that sent Wilkinson away, especially because he lined up against a pair of familiar faces from his High-A Lake County days. Angel Genao and Travis Bazzana were among the batters he handled in that outing, a small detail that only sharpened the sense that the Guardians were watching a player they once developed begin his career somewhere else. [Read more 🡒]
Zach Plesac's Latest Baseball Chapter Is A Tough Reminder For Cleveland Fans
Zach Plesacs baseball journey has taken another turn, and for Cleveland fans it serves as a reminder of how quickly a once-promising pitching career can drift from the big leagues. The former Guardians right-hander has already been through stops with the Angels and several independent and minor league clubs, keeping his professional life alive well beyond the familiar settings where he first made his name in Cleveland.
Now in the American Association, Plesac has found himself in some unfamiliar roles as he keeps chasing another chance to stick. His latest chapter has even included time in the field, and a small offensive contribution in one of those games showed just how far his path has stretched from the mound-only profile most fans remember. [Read more 🡒]