The Guardians’ estimated $100.4MM payroll is lower than the $104.2MM they spent in 2024, as per RosterResource’s calculations, and Cleveland also moved a lot of long-term money off the books by trading Andres Gimenez and Myles Straw to the Blue Jays in separate deals. Despite what might seemingly be a bit of extra money available for the Guards to spend before Opening Day, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer thinks the team won’t dip into free agency for any late additions, and is more likely to re-invest those savings towards possible extensions for current players on the roster.
Early-career extensions have long been a key plank of Cleveland’s team-building strategy, dating back to John Hart’s tenure as general manager in the 1990’s. On the current team, Jose Ramirez, Emmanuel Clase, and Trevor Stephan are all playing on multi-year extensions, and there are plenty of interesting talents the Guardians might look to lock up for the future. Steven Kwan is in his first of three years of arbitration eligibility, and Tanner Bibee stands out as the top extension candidate among the Guards’ long list of pre-arb players. It takes two to tango, of course, so there would have to be an equal desire on the part of any interested players in working out an extension that is acceptable to both sides.
More from the AL Central…
- Michael A. Taylor will undergo scans on his right elbow, White Sox manager Will Venable told reporters (including Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times) today. Taylor was scratched from the lineup due to what the Sox initially described just as elbow inflammation, but the issue is serious enough to merit more testing. An injury would be a rough start to Taylor’s stint with the White Sox, as it was less than three weeks ago that the veteran outfielder and former Gold Glover signed his one-year, $1.95MM deal.
- Walker Jenkins suffered a left ankle sprain last Sunday, and Twins GM Jeremy Zoll told The Athletic’s Dan Hayes and other reporters that Jenkins will be set back around one or two weeks. This might mean Jenkins misses the very start of the minor league season, but the injury is minor enough that the top prospect shouldn’t be sidelined for too long. The fifth overall pick of the 2023 draft, the 20-year-old Jenkins is considered one of baseball’s elite prospects, and he made it up the ladder for six games in Double-A last season. Jenkins’ big league debut is probably likelier to happen in 2026 than in 2025, yet a cup of coffee in the Show could be possible this year if Jenkins keeps performing well against minor league pitching.
any twins fans worried abt jenkins health? he’s 19, he alredy missed time with bad hamstring, now ankle injury. by the end of this season he might be the #1 prospect in all of baseball. but he’s just a bit too young to have all these ailments
@Chandlerbing…injury prone young guys will always tempt and tantalize you with their sheer talent, but at the end of the day you’ll always come up short, frustrated and disappointed.
Injury-prone young guys should be showcased(while they’re healthy & playing)and traded off to become somebody else’s disappointment and injury problem.
Another injury for the Sox. Well, at least that’s SOMETHING to write about the team, although the soon to be traded Luis Robert has had a decent start to ST games.
They had better trade Robert ASAP before he goes down with his usual months-long injury.
looks like all teams besides 3 slashed payroll for this season. Owners are expecting no baseball for the entire year of 2027, and are keeping commitments low until a long term resolution is established.
The uncertainty of the TV market is probably playing as much of a role as labor uncertainty. But you’re right, spending is down overall. Just ask Scott Boras.
That’s not what the facts state:
statista.com/statistics/236213/mean-salaray-of-pla…
The huge spending of the Dodgers, Mets, and Yankees are driving that mean salary. Blah blah blah is correct. More teams are running smaller payrolls compared to last season.
payroll as a whole. not median salary. different argument.
Look again:
legacy.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/
There will be baseball in 2027 and there will be no salary cap instituted. The luxury tax is enough. Deal with it.
It’s not enough but it is what is in place and what was bargained for.
I hope not. It’s going to be a wasted year if they do.
The Guardians dealing away Giminez, though? He put up 90% of Lindor’s and Soto’s bWAR 2022 to 2024, and he’s signed only through age 30 with a team option for 31, so they didn’t have to suffer through his decline phase the way the Mets will have to do with both those players.
Who knows what they were thinking.
I believe Guardians’ opening day payroll was under $100 MM and they added to it at trade deadline, which might be their strategy again. While they shed several high-end salaries, they also have a smaller TV deal now. It would be great to do an extension with Kwan and Bibee; however, it might be too late to meet Kwan’s price. Perhaps Bibee too.
Be very interesting to see what it takes to get Kwan to agree.
They may have to blow him away. He has rejected previous offers and likely prefers to play on the West Coast in the future.
I would love to see them lock up Kwan. I love his style of play.
We all love Kwan. But he’s a small guy with a history of leg problems who plays hard and will be 30 by the time his arb control ends with CLE. I see no reason CLE would be interested in chasing a deal with him. It’s way too risky. Play him out, make him a QO, then let him walk and give some big market team the privilege of paying him for past performance during his declining years. Kwan is a unicorn and you don’t bet on them long term. Not savvy low revenue teams anyway.
ohhh nooo. Not Taylor!!!!! NOW what the White Sox going to do?! He was the last piece that was needed for a championship run…..lol