Cleveland Guardians: 3 positions that need to be addressed this offseason

3 positions that the Cleveland Guardians need to addressed this offseason

The 2021 season did not go as planned for Cleveland. Injuries derailed the club’s trajectory early in the season and the absence of Terry Francona just hurt the team’s chances even more. Now, the Cleveland Guardians will head into the 2022 season with hopes of not only turning a new page in the franchise’s history, but also aiming to improve upon the troubled 2021 campaign.

There’s been rumors that ownership in Cleveland is willing to pay a bit more to put a better product on the field for the Guardians’ inaugural season. I’ll believe that when I see it, but if it is true then there’s definitely a few places where a bigger investment would make sense. That money could be put towards extensions instead, which is what I would guess, but if it does go towards the open market there’s positions that could clearly need the upgrade.

For the Cleveland Guardians, the clear strength of the team will be starting pitching. Offensively, Jose Ramirez and Franmil Reyes should slot in to their expected roles while Amed Rosario and Myles Straw, as well as Emmanuel Clase in the bullpen, will need to prove that their 2021 success wasn’t a fluke. As for the rest of the roster, there’s a chance for an upgrade.

If there really is money to be spent this offseason by the front office, there are a trio of places on the roster that make a lot of sense to fill through free agency. For these positions, there aren’t enough immediate options in-house to fill the void, so addressing the problems externally seems to be the answer.

I’ll add an honorable mention before we get started. The outfield. The outfield is still a bit of a mess beyond Myles Straw. However, there’s enough guys within the system, whether it be in Cleveland or knocking on the door, that it isn’t an immediate must-fill. If there’s money left over after these upcoming three spots, then absolutely address the outfield. But the outfield has enough options as of now that the front office can look elsewhere first.

Cleveland Guardians Need #1: Catcher

It’s slightly scary to think that Austin Hedges might be Cleveland’s best offensive option behind the plate. It’s terrifying that it very well could be true. Not disrespect to Hedges, he’s had a few flashes recently, but the Guardians need to explore an upgrade behind the plate ASAP.

As a position, Cleveland’s catchers this season have batted a combined .189/.245/.331 with just 16 doubles, 20 home runs and 177 strikeouts to only 39 walks. That also includes a rather strong offensive output, albeit brief, from Wilson Ramos.

With Ramos out for an extended period of time due to his injury and Roberto Perez with a hefty club option for 2022, Cleveland has the opportunity to wipe the slate clean behind the plate. Hedges could return on a cheap arbitration deal to keep some continuity with the pitching staff, but adding a better offensive option behind the plate would be well worth the investment.

Catchers that can hit and field are hard to come by, especially on the open market. If Cleveland can find one, it could cost a pretty penny. However, a top tier catcher can be a huge difference maker in any lineup. If there’s a position to spend a bit more on, this is definitely one of the best places to do so.

Cleveland Guardians Need #3: First Base

For a split second there this season it seemed like maybe Bobby Bradley could be the answer at first base. Then, an injury combined with major league pitchers figuring out how to pitch to him derailed that confidence and we’re back to where we started.

While catchers at the plate have been notoriously bad for Cleveland this season, first base hasn’t been much better. As a position, the combined stats from the first base slot at the plate show a slash line of .208/.277/.383 with 173 strikeouts and only 23 home runs.

As for Bobby Bradley alone, he’s hit 16 home runs, but his average is flirting with the Mendoza line. To make matters worse, the next first base prospect on the Top 30 list that is a true first baseman is Jhonkensy Noel and he doesn’t have an MLB ETA until 2024.

Now, Nolan Jones will hopefully need a spot in Cleveland soon and Jose Ramirez isn’t going anywhere – again, let’s hope. There’s a chance that first base could be Jones’ best option, but struggles in Triple-A hint that he could provide more of the same as Bradley.

For this reason, a free agent bridge could be needed to help the position while not roadblocking the future. A signing here shouldn’t break the bank, but be enough to improve the offensive output for a position that is commonly one of the better pieces of an offense while also providing a veteran presence to aid the youngsters in the transition to the big leagues.