2024 Record: 92-69
General Manager: Chris Antonetti (entering year 10)
Manager: Stephen Vogt (entering year 2)
Notable Offseason Acquisitions: SP Shane Bieber (2 years, 26 million), 1B Carlos Santana (1 year, 12 million), RP Paul Sewald (1 year, 7 million), RP Jakob Junis (1 year, 4.5 million), SP John Means (1 year, 1 million), SP Luis Ortiz (trade acquisition from PIT), RP Slade Cecconi (trade acquisition from ARI)
The Cleveland Guardians were one of the best teams in the AL in 2024, winning 92 games and making it all the way to the Championship Series. They got great production from franchise superstar third baseman Jose Ramirez, who hit .279 with 39 home runs and 118 RBIs. He ended up finishing 5th place in the AL MVP race. With other great years from outfielder Steven Kwan (4 WAR, .292 batting average, gold glove winner), closer Emmanuel Clase (4.4 WAR, 0.61 ERA 47 saves, 3rd in AL Cy Young), reliever Cade Smith (2.4 WAR, 1.91 ERA, 103 strikeouts, 9th in AL Cy Young) and starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (2.6 WAR, 3.47 ERA, 173 innings), the Guardians established themselves as an AL stronghold for years to come.
This offseason has been interesting for Cleveland. They have made some smart moves, but I wonder how many of them will impact the team right away. The Guardians and general manager Chris Antonetti signed two injured starting pitchers who are recovering from Tommy John surgery.
They brought back former ace Shane Bieber, who only made two starts in 2024 before going down for the season. They also signed former Baltimore Orioles starter John Means, who has been very effective when he has been on the field. While both of them should provide value when they return, are they really gonna help the team in 2025 specifically? I am not optimistic about that outcome.
It’s not like the entire Guardians’ winter was devoid of getting players who can help in the now. Acquiring starter Luis Ortiz from the Pittsburgh Pirates was a good pick up, who had somewhat of a breakout year last season. Long reliever Jakob Junis should help in spot start scenarios and provide length out of the pen, while 1st baseman Carlos Santana should give some pop in their lineup. But even so, these moves don’t move the needle in a humongous way.
The biggest news Cleveland made was probably their losses from the 2024 team. They traded away Josh Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks who had one year left on his contract. The Guardians also moved defensive star second baseman Andres Gimenez and much-maligned outfielder Myles Straw to the Toronto Blue Jays to clear major salary. It may look better on the spreadsheets, but the talent decline is real as Cleveland and Antonetti didn’t address those subtractions.
The Cleveland Guardians should still be viewed as the favorite to come out of the AL Central in 2025, as their core remains strong and it’s hard to discount their fabric of winning and success over the past ten years, and this group should surely please fans as a result. They will receive more competition from their rivals this year as well, which should make for some exciting ball games inside Progressive Field this summer.
