The Guardians’ top 4 free agent targets

The Cleveland Guardians they didn’t add many free agents this offseason, but that doesn’t mean they can’t shop in the shopping bucket. After making the ALCS last yearthey are not far from competing in the American League again. While they added Carlos Santana to play first base, there are still holes to fill. Jorge Polanco, Kyle Gibson, John Berti and Jose Quintana should all be on the Guardian’s radar this offseason.

The Guardians have two clear needs at this point in the MLB offseason: pitching and infield. Their starting rotation was weak last season and was the main reason they lost to the Yankees in the playoffs. They resigned Shane Bieber after missing the entire season recovering from Tommy John surgery. But other than that there are no extras. And losing Josh Naylor will create a bigger hole than Carlos Santana can fit. The The Rangers also traded Andres Gimenez to the Blue Jayscreating a hole at second base.

While the Guardians aren’t known as a big-spending team, they have an organization that can make the best of forgotten players. That’s what they should be shooting for in free agency this offseason.

Jorge Polanco would be a perfect fit for the Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians won the team Gold Glove as the best defensive team in the American League. They pride themselves on their defensive prowess and Andres Gimenez was a big part of that. Now that he’s on the Blue Jays, they need a reliable glove at second base. Jorge Polanco had a poor season offensively in Seattle, but he can be the defender they need.

Seattle is the hardest place hit in the leagueaccording to Baseball Savant. Cleveland’s home park is 22nd, so it’s not much better, but it’s still an upgrade for Polanco. The Seattle effect has to be considered when signing anyone who just spent a year with the Mariners. The Guardians could benefit immensely from a high-scoring player due to his 93 OPS+ from last season. That’s 16 points below his career average.

Polanco would likely sign a one-year deal like he did in Seattle. After spending ten seasons with the Minnesota Twins, he knows the division and can come in and be a solid member of the Guard.

Kyle Gibson fills out the rotation

The guards have an obvious need in the starting rotation and Kyle Gibson could be one of the guys to fix that. He has been with four different teams in the past four years and could land in Cleveland. While he wasn’t a stellar starter, he had a 4.24 ERA and an 8-8 record in 30 starts last year. On a Guardians team that will be better than last year’s Cardinals team, he could have a great season.

The Guardians had Alex Cobb last season, who spent his career between the Rays, Orioles, Angels and Giants before that. He was a free agent in the middle of the season and needed a home. Considering the pitching injuries from last year, they should look to add depth this offseason. Gibson can be that guy on a one-year deal.

Jon Berti as a versatile bench option

Despite missing the middle of the season with a calf injury, John Berti had a solid season with the New York Yankees last year. He came off the bench and filled in at third base, second base and left field. While he hasn’t been a fantastic striker, he has the glove that the Guardians look for in every move.

Bertie is another player the Guardians can bring in on a one-year deal. They would do this because they have a solid prospect coming through the pipeline. They don’t want to block Kyle Manzard or First pick for 2024 Travis Bazzana from getting na-bats. Bertie wouldn’t stop any of these guys from playing and could put together some solid bats when needed.

Jose Quintana can be a great pitcher for the Keepers

Back to the rotation, which was a big part of the Mets’ miraculous run in 2024. Jose Quintana was the unsung reason why and is a free agent the Guardians should target. He spent six years with the White Sox and they were the best of his career. So the road to Cleveland would be somewhat familiar for the veteran pitcher.

Keepers have made a habit of developing pitchers into superstars over the past decade. They can also take a veteran pitcher and get another solid year out of them and that could be the case with Quintana. With his pitching at a solid level in the back end of their rotation, they could be back in the ALCS.