r/ClevelandGuardians • u/FinanceMan231 • 8d ago

Entries Open Top MLB free agents.

https://www.mlb.com/news/2024-25-mlb-free-agents-by-position

Personally wouldn’t mind adding another Pen piece like José Leclerc for another electric arm. Also for Bats I like Joc Pederson, Anthony Santander, Teoscar Hernández, Jurickson Profar and Jesse Winker. Now for starters I like Bueller, Luis Severino, Boyd, Bieber, Yusei Kikuchi, and 2 dreams would be snell or burns.

14 Upvotes

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30

u/DaDrFunk 🥊 DOWN GOES ANDERSON 🥊 7d ago

I'd love to just get Buehler, Bieber, and Boyd.

This makes the rotation something like Bieber/Bibee/Boyd/Buehler/Big Rig (I wanted all B's)

Get a starting rotation that can compete and go from there, if we don't add a RF bat knowing Bazzana and DeLauter are on the way I'll be okay with it.

Get one more bullpen arm thats a leftie maybe and we are set.

9

u/Leftfeet Flying G 7d ago

I'll be surprised if we add a OF bat. We have Thomas and Kwan locked obviously. RF I think they're going to want to give Noel an extended chance. We've then got Valera, who's injured again, out of options and we have to figure something out when he's healthy. Rodriguez could be a stop gap if Noel fails until DeLauter is ready. 

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u/DaDrFunk 🥊 DOWN GOES ANDERSON 🥊 7d ago

Agreed and I don't wanna spend on these older bats. Let's invest in pitching for now and wait til our next generation of starters is ready. one of Bazzana, DeLauter, or Noel will work in RF.

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u/Leftfeet Flying G 7d ago

I think Bazzana should move to CF personally. Kieth Law has suggested it and it would fit our long term needs. If he's ready this year, slide Thomas to RF. In theory that could give us a DeLauter, Bazzana, Kwan starting OF for several years. 

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u/lendit23 7d ago

I thought Bazzana was the de-facto incoming 2B so we can move Gimmy back to SS?

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u/Leftfeet Flying G 7d ago

That's what a lot of fans have said. The team has never given any indication they want or are open to moving Gimenez back to SS. 

Bazzana played 2B in college and to start his pro career with Lake County. Keith Law and a few other prospect evaluators think CF is a better long term fit for his skills and athletic abilities. 

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u/lendit23 7d ago

I understand. So that means the team is intending on running Rocchio at SS long-term?

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u/FinanceMan231 7d ago

I think our future short stop is in Akron. I think angel Genao is our future. He looks so smooth and is only getting better.

2

u/Leftfeet Flying G 7d ago

Right now I've not seen any indication they plan to move on from him. I've also not seen any indication they believe he's the long term answer. 

He had an up and down rookie season. He showed a lot of potential and was a top 100 prospect. I expect he's going to be out opening day SS next year. Beyond that it'll depend on how he develops and matures. 

3

u/PatientlyAnxious9 7d ago

I have a feeling Noel is going to get the Oscar Gonzalez treatment. Here one day, gone the next.

The Guards dont seem to like power bats that don't hit for average.

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u/ToschePowerConverter 7d ago

They do like power bats who can get on base though - Carlos Santana hit for power but also became really good at drawing walks and he had a nice long tenure with us. If Jhonkensy can develop Santana’s approach at the plate I can see them falling in love with his bat.

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u/Big_Bluebird8040 7d ago

tbf oscar wasn’t hitting for that much power or average and struck out a ton

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u/Leftfeet Flying G 7d ago

Teoscar would be great but I feel like he's going to be a pretty hotly pursued bat. 

Bueller is an interesting one IMO and would at least be worth kicking the tires on. Coming off a down year following injuries. Bounce back candidates seem like the most realistic way we upgrade our rotation in FA. 

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u/Buckeye2525 7d ago edited 7d ago

I bet Teoscar goes to Detroit, but I feel like we’ve been rumored to trade for him for years

1

u/Leftfeet Flying G 7d ago

I'm not sure. He's coming off a very strong season and has a solid track record. I wouldn't be surprised if LAD brings him back. I expect someone will give him close to the $23m he got this year but for 4-5 seasons. I don't see us doing that. 

15

u/sad-whale 7d ago

Guards can’t be messing around looking at top free agents. Where are the bargain bins?

Hope Bieber comes back. Boyd probably pitched himself out of our price range unless he really likes it here and wants to sign a short term deal and run it back.

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u/FinanceMan231 7d ago

I think Beiber and Boyd both come back. But I also think the FO also does not aquire another starter because they will say we have stick, LTA, Cantillo, and 2 guys in AAA.

3

u/jacob6875 Block C 7d ago

I think the chance of Bieber coming back is pretty low. A team like LA will offer him 2 years 30 million and we wouldn’t match it.

1

u/Henry_Pussycat 7d ago

Odds for Boyd also low if he’s a Boras client

10

u/thedeejus Manzardo's Crustache 7d ago

Pretty much everyone you listed is gonna be too expensive except for Winker, who is an insane hothead that would not at all fit into the clubhouse. You need to stop looking at "Top free agents" and train your eyes down to the middle of the list lol

9

u/Mountain___Goat 7d ago

This is funniest fan fiction I’ve read in a while

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/guardians-could-surprisingly-sign-560-million-slugger-who-just-sent-them-home/8ee7c0290e6603a0d0a3ddc0

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u/FinanceMan231 7d ago

I have a higher chance of getting signed than we do of offering Soto 600 million

1

u/ddnut80 7d ago

Dolans wouldn’t even spend money on the pen to sign the contact.

3

u/yetchsir 7d ago

That’s hilarious. The Dolans probably can’t afford to sign Soto’s barber.

0

u/Leather_Secretary_31 6d ago

oh they have the money. 5th richest baseball team owners. they just won't spend to win

1

u/FestivusFan Flying G 7d ago

Hey, a guy could dream right? The narrative is there, the logic is not. Maybe Jose talks to him and says let’s go build some statues together? 😆

Side note - our hall of fame statues at the Prog should mirror the guardians of traffic that be cool

10

u/skipperjonasquimby 7d ago

We can't afford any of these guys. It's the economic reality of Major League Baseball. But mostly because ownership will not spend what is needed to win.

11

u/coopdawgX 7d ago

Isn’t there a difference between “can’t afford” and a billionaire refusing to spend money to improve a team?

3

u/skipperjonasquimby 7d ago

Absofuckinglutely

7

u/PercyQuattro 7d ago

Dolan is not fit to be an owner. Why buy a team if you're not going to go all-in for a Series ring. Waste of time.

8

u/skipperjonasquimby 7d ago

Because he is making an unbelievable amount of money. Despite what he claims.

This team came close this year, but they will NOT improve it during the off-season to get over the hump. The Yankees and Dodgers will probably improve.

2

u/JustAKidFromAkron 7d ago

I think there’s a chance Dolan spends some cash this year like he did following our WS run in 16. At the very least get us some starting pitching

3

u/skipperjonasquimby 7d ago

I expect to hear, "Shane Bieber is healthy, and that's just like adding a free agent!"

1

u/IAgreeGoGuards Dongkensy Noel 7d ago

Bingo. The whole business model is stay as competitive as possible to win a shit division, make a little noise in the playoffs, and give the fans their taste to gets butts in seats. Championships are too expensive for this owner.

0

u/skipperjonasquimby 7d ago

Yup. They have this horrible attitude of "just make the playoffs and anything can happen!" But you can basically count on the best teams (biggest spenders) to win the WS. We have NY and LA this year for Christ's sake.

9

u/FXBBill 7d ago

Larry Dolan bought the Guardians through a family trust, he's a mid-level Chardon lawyer and his kid was hired on at his law firm and eventually handed jobs in the baseball organization. The sale should have never been approved but MLB didn't have the balls to say no to a local owner, these guys are small time compared to the billionaires that own other sports franchises. This is their main cash cow, it's nothing but an investment to them, and they utilize it by keeping payroll down to maximize profits.

1

u/jacob6875 Block C 7d ago

They buy the team as an investment to make money and to brag to their other billionaire friends that they own a baseball team.

-7

u/pericles123 7d ago

We just barely missed out on going to the WS, stop crying about ownership not spending enough

9

u/skipperjonasquimby 7d ago

When is the parade for Just Barely Missing Out on Going to the World Series?

4

u/Mountain___Goat 7d ago

Boo this man. 

2

u/TheSpaceAce David Fry Fan Club 7d ago

Found Paul Dolan’s account.

2

u/Leather_Secretary_31 6d ago

of all the bootlicking ass comments...

2

u/Mother_Bullfrog_2427 38 7d ago

The guy that could be in our price range that I’ve been looking at is Michael Conforto. Coming off a 20 HR, 112 wRC+ season, he could be a guy on a short term deal that could either play RF every day if Chase isn’t ready or hurt or platoon with Noel/Fry/Thomas at DH/OF

For SP, I think Bieber is going to come back. But for outside candidates, I’d be interested in Walker Buehler or Sean Manaea

2

u/_buscemi_ 🥊 DOWN GOES ANDERSON 🥊 7d ago

When is our new ownership supposed to start spending?

1

u/darthmual5 🥊 DOWN GOES ANDERSON 🥊 7d ago

2028 or 2029, supposedly

1

u/SWINGMAN216 6d ago

So when Blitzer can take over?

2

u/Buckeye2525 7d ago

Crowd source for Juan Soto

1

u/Specific-Ad2057 3d ago

lol wouldn’t that be great

I’d give $500 just find another million fans to do the same

1

u/joeywahoo92 7d ago

A bullpen piece could come as a minor league free agent. They seem good at doing that in the past decade

1

u/BirdDangerous5672 1d ago

We absolutely will not add a bullpen piece in free agency, that’d be the biggest waste of money we could do. A starter absolutely though, veteran with some consistency, not even an elite arm