Cleveland’s 2027 spring training slate is already on the books, and it begins with a familiar face.
The Guardians will open camp on Feb. 19 against the Reds at Goodyear Ballpark, the first game of a schedule released Friday. That matchup also brings former Guardians manager Terry Francona back into the picture right away.
Cleveland’s spring home base will stay busy. The club is set to play 17 games at Goodyear Ballpark, including 15 as the home team. In the other two, the Guardians will still be in Goodyear, just on the road against Cincinnati since both teams share the ballpark.
There’s a little more to watch beyond the exhibition schedule, too. MLB’s Spring Breakout returns in a new form starting March 8, and the Guardians will face the Reds in that single-elimination showcase for top prospects. Teams from the Cactus League and Grapefruit League will move through bracket play from March 8 through March 19.
The spring calendar also leads straight into the real thing. Cleveland opens the 2027 regular season on March 25 at Wrigley Field, the first stop on a six-game trip. The home opener comes April 1 against the Yankees.
The Guardians’ schedule includes a mix of familiar spring stops across Arizona, with games in Tempe, Surprise, Peoria, Scottsdale, Glendale, Phoenix, Mesa, Hohokam and Talking Stick. They’ll also have three off days built in: March 2, March 9 and March 18.
Their spring finale is set for March 22 against the Athletics at Hohokam.
In Other News...
Former Guardians First Base Flier Is A Fresh Reminder Of Cleveland's Problem
Deyvison De Los Santos barely spent any time in Cleveland last spring, but his name still lingers as a reminder of the kind of upside the Guardians have been forced to chase at first base. He came through camp in 2024 as a Rule 5 flier, then went back to the Arizona Diamondbacks after the brief stint ended, a move that fit the clubs broader habit of looking for answers where there is some power, some potential and a fair amount of uncertainty.
Now De Los Santos is back in the conversation after the Miami Marlins called him up to replace infielder Leo Jimnez, with an opportunity to compete for an everyday roster spot. He already made his MLB debut earlier in 2024 and has flashed promise even while working through some rough stretches in Triple-A, which is exactly why his path stands out to Cleveland fans who know how thin the margin can be when a team is still searching for stability at the position. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Wasted A Promising Parker Messick Start For One Frustrating Reason
Parker Messick gave Cleveland plenty to build on in his latest outing, bringing swing-and-miss stuff from the start and working deep enough to hand the Guardians a chance against Detroit. The rookie left-hander was piling up strikeouts and had a career night in that department, but the line still turned frustrating quickly as the Tigers kept finding just enough damage to make the outing look far less clean than it felt at times.
Riley Greene, back from the injured list, was the difference. He saw Messick well all afternoon, finishing 3 for 3 and driving two balls out of the park, while Detroit got seven scoreless innings from Framber Valdez in a 6-0 shutout. For Cleveland, it was the kind of loss that leaves a young starter's best work buried under the one matchup the Guardians could not solve. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Future Still Feels Unsettled Despite Everything This Team Keeps Doing
Even as the Guardians keep finding ways to compete with a payroll that never matches the big spenders, the larger question around the franchise is still hanging over the organization. Bleacher Report recently ranked MLB ownership groups that could benefit from selling, putting the Dolan family at No. 3 and pointing to Cleveland as a small-market club that has done plenty on the field while operating within tight financial limits.
There is at least some faint long-term structure already in place, with private equity investor David Blitzer buying a minority stake in 2022 and a potential path to majority ownership as early as 2027. But the possibility of a change remains unsettled, and for now the Guardians keep doing the hard part anyway by staying relevant and competitive while the investment questions linger in the background. [Read more 🡒]