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Offseason In Review: Cleveland Guardians

By Mark Polishuk | March 13, 2024 at 8:55pm CDT

Beyond the Guardians’ search for a new manager, most of Cleveland’s offseason headlines focused on the drama surrounding the club’s broadcasting contracts, leading to an unusually quiet winter.

Major League Signings

  • Austin Hedges, C: One year, $4MM
  • Ben Lively, SP: One year, $750K

2024 spending: $4.75MM
Total spending: $4.75MM

Trades & Claims

  • Acquired RP Scott Barlow from Padres for RP Enyel De Los Santos
  • Acquired OF Estevan Florial from Yankees for SP/RP Cody Morris
  • Acquired minor league C Kody Huff from Rockies for SP Cal Quantrill
  • Selected 1B/3B Deyvison De Los Santos from Diamondbacks in the Rule 5 Draft

Notable Minor League Signings

  • Carlos Carrasco, Jaime Barria, Tyler Beede, Anthony Banda, Adam Oller, Tyler Zuber, Dom Nunez

Notable Losses

  • Quantrill, De Los Santos, Morris, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Kole Calhoun, Daniel Norris, Oscar Gonzalez, Cam Gallagher, Michael Kelly

The “future manager” tag was affixed to Stephen Vogt well before he ended his 10-year MLB playing career, and once he retired following the 2022 season, it didn’t take long for Vogt to land his first managerial job.  The Guardians’ interview process involved such names as Craig Counsell (who surprisingly became the Cubs’ new skipper) and Carlos Mendoza (now the Mets’ manager), but they opted for Vogt, who steps into the big chair after a single year of coaching as the Mariners’ bullpen/quality control coach.

Nobody expects Vogt to be Terry Francona, obviously, and it should be noted that Francona himself had losing seasons in each of his first four years as the Phillies’ manager from 1997-2000 before beginning his much more distinguished runs in Boston and Cleveland.  Those four years in Philadelphia marked Francona’s last losing seasons until an 80-82 mark with Cleveland in 2021, and then last season’s 76-86 mark.

As that record would indicate, the Guardians were a flawed team last season, largely due to a stagnant offense that finished at or near the bottom of the league in most major hitting categories.  Unfortunately for Vogt, he heads into 2024 at the helm of what will largely be the same mix of everyday players, as the front office did strangely little in the way of pursuing upgrades.

President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti and GM Mike Chernoff are no strangers to small payrolls, of course, so it wasn’t as if a big spending spree was ever in the cards.  But, as per RosterResource’s projections, the Guardians are heading into 2024 with an estimated $96.5MM payroll — just a touch below their $97.75MM payroll from 2023.  Rather than significantly increase or decrease spending, the Guards mostly stood pat from a financial standpoint, perhaps immobilized by the status of their TV deal with the Diamond Sports Group.

It was almost exactly a year ago that DSG filed for bankruptcy, throwing into question the broadcasting contracts held between the corporation’s Bally Sports regional sports networks and 14 Major League teams.  The Guardians, Twins, Rangers, Reds, and Diamondbacks stood out within the group since DSG was paying those teams reduced rights fees for the 2023 season before a bankruptcy court ordered the restoration of those fees.  For Cleveland, Minnesota, and Texas, their TV contracts for 2024 weren’t settled until just this past February, with Diamond agreeing to continue airing games for each of the three teams on one-year deals.

Reports indicated that each club would be receiving at least 85% of what it had previously earned in its contracts with DSG, so the Guards’ $55MM figure from 2023 could now be reduced to $46.75MM for the coming year.  What happens beyond 2024 is anyone’s guess, as if DSG goes out of business entirely, the Guardians’ broadcasting and streaming rights could fall under the umbrella of Major League Baseball itself.

While the Guardians were far from the only team to halt spending in the wake of this still-unsettled broadcasting future, there were naturally a lot of different approaches taken amongst the many clubs who were associated with DSG.  Some of the affected teams, like the Royals and Reds, still spent in free agency.  The Twins turned to the trade market as their primary method of roster-building.  Cleveland didn’t really do much of anything.

There is some irony to the fact that a team starved for hitting made its biggest free agent investment in Austin Hedges, whose 52 wRC+ over the last nine seasons is the lowest of any hitter in baseball.  This isn’t to diminish Hedges’ status as an elite defensive catcher, and in a vacuum, it makes a lot of sense for the Guards to reunite with Hedges (who played in Cleveland from 2020-22) as a veteran backup and mentor for starting backstop Bo Naylor.  But the $4MM price tag for a backup catcher who offers so little at the plate seems rather steep for a club that seemingly had very little payroll room this winter.  The Guardians had also seemingly addressed the catching position at a lower cost by claiming Christian Bethancourt off waivers from the Rays in early November, but then pivoted to sign Hedges and trade Bethancourt to the Marlins on the same day.

Cleveland moved some money off the books by trading Cal Quantrill and his projected $6.6MM arbitration salary to the Rockies in November.  It was widely expected that Quantrill would be moved or simply just non-tendered after a rough 2023 campaign, due to both his escalating salary and the fact that the Guardians have a number of younger arms who stand out as better rotation candidates.

Some veteran depth was added to the pitching mix in the form of a low-cost deal with Ben Lively, and the Guardians’ list of minor league signings includes a familiar and beloved Cleveland name in Carlos Carrasco.  The righty is returning to Ohio after a three-year stint with the Mets that was mostly marred by injuries and under-performance, and the idea of Carrasco entering his age-37 season and chasing a revival with his old team is a fun Spring Training story to monitor.

Perhaps the biggest surprise surrounding the Guardians’ offseason is the fact that Shane Bieber is seemingly still going to be part of the roster.  Since Bieber is earning $13.125MM in his final year of arbitration eligibility, it was widely expected that he would be dealt before he reaches free agency, like so many pricier Cleveland players before him.  However, though such teams as the Cubs, Reds, Dodgers, Yankees, and Angels were linked to Bieber’s market at various times this winter, a deal has yet to emerge.

This isn’t to say that a trade could still be arranged between now and Opening Day, since any number of things (like, say, an injury for the Yankees’ ace) could change the equation.  Still, Bieber’s market to date has been complicated by other pitchers available either via trade or free agency, as well as the more obvious red flags stemming from the former Cy Young winner’s 2023 season.  Bieber was more good than front-of-the-rotation great last year, and he also missed a large chunk of time recovering from elbow inflammation.  If the offers weren’t to Antonetti’s liking, a deadline deal might be more plausible, if Bieber re-establishes his value with a strong first half.

For now, Bieber remains the most experienced member of a rotation that includes Triston McKenzie looking to bounce back from an injury-plagued season, and the impressive sophomore trio of Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, and Logan Allen.  Any of Carrasco, Lively, non-roster invitees Jaime Barria or Tyler Beede could be in the depth mix, as could in-house options like Xzavion Curry, Hunter Gaddis, Joey Cantillo, or any other arms from Cleveland’s nonstop pipeline of young pitching.

The Guardians will also be running back mostly the same bullpen, except with the notable addition of Scott Barlow.  The former Royals reliever was acquired from the Padres in a swap of right-handers for Enyel De Los Santos, and this trade ended up as one of Cleveland’s most financially aggressive move of the offseason.  Barlow and the team avoided arbitration on a $6.7MM deal, giving him the third-highest salary of any Guards player for 2024 (after Jose Ramirez and Bieber).

In a recent piece for MLBTR Front Office subscribers, Steve Adams described the Barlow trade as “a bizarre allocation of minimal resources….In De Los Santos, the Guardians traded a reliever with better bottom-line results (albeit in lower-leverage spots), comparable K-BB rates, about 17% the salary and three times as much club control as Barlow.”  I tend to agree with Steve’s analysis, though I’ll add that the deal makes a little more sense if viewed as a possible harbinger to an Emmanuel Clase trade.  The Guards were reportedly open to offers for their closer this winter, so it could be that the team wanted to have a pitcher like Barlow with past closing experience in the fold before deciding whether or not to move Clase elsewhere.  Of course, that deal never came together, and Clase is widely expected to open the season back in his familiar closing role.

Sticking with pitching, the Guardians felt Cody Morris was expendable enough to be dealt to the Yankees for an intriguing flier on a post-hype prospect.  Estevan Florial has only a .609 OPS over 134 Major League plate appearances, though those at-bats were spread out in sporadic fashion over the last four seasons.  New York never felt compelled to give Florial a longer look at the big league level, despite some past top-100 prospect pedigree, multiple injuries in the Yankees’ outfield, and Florial’s big numbers at Triple-A in 2022-23.

Needless to say, the Guardians could badly use an offensive boost in their outfield.  If Florial can have even a modest breakout to prove he belongs in the Show, he could immediately supplant either Myles Straw or Ramon Laureano for regular work on the grass.  As it stands, Florial’s left-handed bat makes him a natural platoon partner with Straw or Laureano, and Straw’s combination of superb defense and lackluster hitting makes him a better fit for fourth outfielder duty anyway.  Florial essentially replaces Oscar Gonzalez, who went from being the starting right fielder as a rookie in 2022 to being put on waivers (and claimed by the Yankees) this winter.

Corner infielder Deyvison De Los Santos could get a look as a bench piece due to his Rule 5 status, and the Guardians will otherwise determine their backup mix from a collection of in-house names.  The loser of the Brayan Rocchio/Gabriel Arias shortstop competition could start the season in the minors to amass more regular playing time, Tyler Freeman might stick in a super-utility role, and any of Will Brennan, Jhonkensy Noel, or Johnathan Rodriguez could be considered for backup outfield roles.

It can’t be ignored that Tommy Pham, Adam Duvall, Robbie Grossman, or even an old friend like Kole Calhoun could beef up this outfield picture, but even modestly-priced signings seem to be beyond Cleveland’s price range.  In terms of longer-term outfield promise, top prospect Chase DeLauter is making noise in Spring Training and could be part of the big league roster at some point in 2024, if probably not too early in the season.

Likewise with the DH position, the Guardians seem unwilling to splurge on a big bat like J.D. Martinez, as the position looks to be ticketed for rookie Kyle Manzardo.  Acquired from the Rays last season in the Aaron Civale trade, Manzardo is a top-100 prospect with loads of hitting potential, even if he brings little in the way of speed or first base defense.  Manzardo will pair with Josh Naylor in the first base/DH mix, and if Manzardo can show that he can play even passable defense, it might increase the chances of Naylor being dealt.  Naylor is a free agent after the 2025 season and drew some trade buzz this offseason as teams were checking on when or if the Guardians might move another increasingly expensive player.

It’s hard to ever rule out the Guardians given their ability to generate pitching, and between the young hitting talent on the rise, Ramirez’s superstar production, and some of the other interesting bats on hand, the lineup could also be better than it looks on paper.  In an AL Central division that lacks a powerhouse contender, this mix might be enough to get the Guards back into contention if a few things break right.  (And hey, maybe their surprise win in the draft lottery is a sign that Lady Luck is on their side.)  Even accounting for the apparent payroll freeze, however, Cleveland’s lack of major tinkering was curious, and might be viewed in hindsight as a missed opportunity depending on how 2024 plays out.

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2023-24 Offseason In Review Cleveland Guardians MLBTR Originals

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View Comments (26)
Post a Comment

26 Comments

  1. In nurse follars

    1 year ago

    Next year. Next year looks a lot more hopeful than this year.

    Reply
  2. ChipotleFlavoredChrist

    1 year ago

    Question for Cleveland fans, what’s the deal with taking De Los Santos in the Rule 5?
    I assume it’s because he still really young with power and room to grow. Can they possibly carry this guy on the roster the whole year? Or do they hope/assume AZ won’t buy him back when offered? Which would be insane if they didn’t.

    1
    Reply
    • solaris602

      1 year ago

      They went into the 2nd straight winter with the primary need being a righty corner OF/DH run producer. I think they look at De Los Santos as the solution. He’d have to tank pretty bad for them to offer him back to AZ. That’s the only effort they’ve made to address that need, so he’ll get a lot of rope because there aren’t many other RH options in the system.

      1
      Reply
    • BarryBongs

      1 year ago

      They are desperate after giving away one of the top prospects in baseball—Junior Camanero—for nothing. Also cannot develop/recognize hitting talent as whole and need to “roll the dice”

      Reply
    • oscar gamble

      1 year ago

      @Chipotle: He was a lottery ticket for some power. I would be really surprised if he made the opening day roster. He is certainly not one of their best 13 hitters.

      Reply
  3. For Love of the Game

    1 year ago

    Who gave the In(Guar)dians an A or B? They took steps backwards. Even the Royals stepped up!

    Reply
  4. SweetBabyRayKingsThickThighs

    1 year ago

    Solid 75 win team

    Reply
  5. Canuckleball

    1 year ago

    Jesus H. Christmas!

    I get that they don’t have a big budget, but is there any chance the management team collectively went on a cruise early in the offseason and all dropped their phones in the pool and were all unable to get new ones?

    6
    Reply
    • solaris602

      1 year ago

      It’s like they’re punting on 2nd down. It would seem money is a big problem. I find that a hard sell because if they are genuinely as cheap/destitute as they appear, why are they prepared to carry Bieber’s $13M into the season? They could trade from their overcrowded list of middle infielders, but that clearly doesn’t seem to be an option. Would be interesting to know what the big picture plan is here.

      1
      Reply
      • User 4014041831

        1 year ago

        I realize his SS defense wasn’t exactly Ozzie Smith but I don’t understand why Amed Rosario wasn’t more appreciated

        1
        Reply
        • JRamHOF

          1 year ago

          He was the opposite of Ozzie Smith at SS, he didn’t hit, and was inexplicably started nearly every game there and bat 2nd before being traded. It was critical that the young guys (Arias, Rocchio, Freeman) get regular playing time and Tito started Rosario instead. Obviously the lineup wasn’t in his control though.

          2
          Reply
  6. HEHEHATE

    1 year ago

    My big watch on this Cleveland Club is if they hold on to De Los Santos or not. Really interesting projectable play. Shocked the diamond backs didn’t put him on the 40 considering how he finished the season. I think Arizona will regret this one, but he’s gotta stay the whole year or eat the time on the IL at a very young age. My bet is he stays on the roster though, but for my own sake I’m hoping he goes back.

    Reply
  7. MPrck

    1 year ago

    Number one pick ! They have to be loving this new system, they”d never have picked number one under the old ever. They are going to have a great fun filled season no matter where they finish.

    Reply
  8. User 4014041831

    1 year ago

    Only 9 comments. Hmm.
    CLE should include a free admission to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame with each ticket purchase C’mon help yourself trade or sign for 1 more hitter.
    Here’s hoping the new 1B from TB and Florial have a good year

    1
    Reply
    • Ignorant Son-of-a-b

      1 year ago

      @Ya Gotta and two free fish straight from the Cuyahoga River !!!

      1
      Reply
  9. Buzzz Killington

    1 year ago

    Could very well win the central. They really didn’t make any big roster reinforcements. Barlow is probably a better pitcher than Santos but they gave up more controllable years. I feel like they could’ve made a run at say Montas or Severino and added a decent bullpen arm or two. I understand not wanting to trade prospects but the central is really weak right now it’d be a good time to trade some lower tier prospects for some decent bullpen help. I’d give it a D but still I still don’t think they’re a bad team.

    1
    Reply
  10. Ignorant Son-of-a-b

    1 year ago

    Why is this team so destitute? Is it the same ownership group that had those Cleveland teams with Lofton and Manny?? I do understand the dynamic duo of Shapiro/Atkins more recently darkened the doors of that front office, so that goes to explain some of the lacklustre exuberance over the last few years.

    Reply
    • ClevelandSpidersFromMars

      1 year ago

      They also serve who only stand and wait.

      Reply
    • oscar gamble

      1 year ago

      Different ownership group

      Reply
    • JRamHOF

      1 year ago

      They let Manny walk and then he proceeded to demolish Cleveland pitching in the playoffs en route to a Red Sox WS win

      Reply
  11. CATS44

    1 year ago

    In 2022 Cleveland had the youngest team in MLB, a top three minor league system, eight prospects in various top 100s, and won 90+ games…and have done nothing since to upgrade the roster long term.

    The have waited so long to make decisions on many of their better prospects that they’ve been forced to give many of them away, because they have run out of options and lost almost all trade value.

    At the moment they have four MIF prospects (for one MIF position) that will be out of options if they are sent down, along with two corner OFs who have already been sent down. One other OF is already out of options, and another is a Rule Five that has no chance of helping the team this year. They currently have seven MIFs on the 40 man.

    The two best looking prospects that look like they could play almost immediately are not on the 40 man, meaning some decent talent is gonna have to be given away in order to make room.

    This will be the third straight year of holding tryouts at the MLB level.

    While the TV deal is a legitimate financial concern, the org also brought in a deep pocketed minority owner that supposedly would offer financial relief, but even before that there was plenty of prospect capital with which to make significant long term improvements to the MLB club.

    2
    Reply
    • JRamHOF

      1 year ago

      Surely all those MI prospects got plenty of reps at SS

      Reply
  12. JRamHOF

    1 year ago

    > Strong rotation of young, controllable pitchers
    > Top 3 closer
    > Weakest division in baseball
    > Refuses to sign any hitters

    1
    Reply
  13. stymeedone

    1 year ago

    “Refuses” puts everything on the Guardians and is likely not accurate. Hasn’t signed any hitters may be more appropriate. I’m sure they would have liked to, but teams that stick to budgets sometimes can’t compete on offers.

    Reply
  14. MLBTR needs to hire editors

    1 year ago

    If “but” is being used to start the sentence, it shouldn’t have a comma after it. Also, “obviously” needs to start the sentence, it can’t be in the middle and separated by commas.

    1
    Reply
  15. DarkSide830

    1 year ago

    easy F

    Reply

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