1 dream target, 1 realistic target, 1 mistake Guardians could make as they look to build on ALCS berth

Even if the body of the 2026 Cleveland Guardians is barely cold, that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start thinking about how they could attack this offseason. 

This winter is guaranteed to be weird given the impending lockout that’s going to come with an indeterminate end date, but that shouldn’t stop the Guardians from making some adjustments to their roster. There may not be some full-scale changes, but it’s clear the version of the Guardians that takes the field on Opening Day next year will look different than the one that took the field at Tropicana Field in the ALCS. 

With that in mind, here’s a look at one Guardians dream target for this offseason along with one realistic one and one mistake they could make. 

The Guardians' offseason could go in a variety of different ways

Dream Guardians target: LHP Adrian Morejon
2026 stats: 2.83 ERA, 3 saves, 107 strikeouts in 86 innings

Morejon is arguably the top player on the market aside from Tarik Skubal, and he should net an expensive contract from some team to be their closer of the future. The Guardians wouldn’t need him to be a closer, but a back-end tandem of him and Cade Smith would feed families in Cleveland for generations. 

The Guardians have one of the best bullpens in baseball, but it’s time for them to consider a shakeup after it let them down for the third postseason in a row. Even if the Guardians don’t go after Morejon, they should still prioritize adding a reliever in the offseason. 

Realistic Guardians target: LHP Jojo Romero
2026 stats: 3.36 ERA, 54 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings 

And the best way to add one of those relief arms would be to sign Romero, who had a strong season with the Cardinals and Brewers and still has a shot to win the World Series. 

Although Romero’s stats have taken a step back from 2025 when he posted a 2.07 ERA while also working as the Cardinals’ closer, he’s thrived since joining the Brewers and has been even better in the postseason. 

Adding Romero would be the best of both worlds for the Guardians since it would give them an additional high-leverage arm in the bullpen who wouldn’t break the bank (and also wouldn’t challenge Smith for the closer role). 

Replacing Gaddis with Romero would give Cleveland a balanced big four of two righties (Smith and Daniel Espino) alongside two lefties in Erik Sabrowski and Romero. 

Mistake Guardians could make: 1B Paul Goldschmidt
2026 stats: .252/.313./452, 18 HR, 52 RBI in 105 games 

Last offseason the Guardians tried to make the most of the bargain bin shopping when they signed Rhys Hoskins to a $1.5 million deal. It ended up being a disaster, as Hoskins was in the midst of the worst season of his career before he suffered a season-ending back injury. 

They’ll have a golden shot to do that again this offseason with Goldschmidt, and it’s pivotal they stay away from signing him. 

Goldschmidt played last year on a one-year, $4 million contract and has said that he wants to play again in 2027 (which will likely come at or around the same price tag). Goldschmidt would be a great fit for a team on the cusp, but the Guardians already have enough veteran leadership and already made one adjustment to their first base picture when they traded for Nathaniel Lowe. 

It’s time to finally let Kyle Manzardo sink or swim. 

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