Cleveland Guardians: 4 burning questions entering the offseason

How will the Cleveland Guardians use the “extra money” promised by ownership?

The ownership group of the Cleveland Guardians has pledged to do what is necessary to make the inaugural season of the new name a success, but the question is how? The initial reaction should be spending money. But even then, the same question of “how” comes up. How does ownership spend money to make the season a success?

There’s a few options that the team could explore. One, ownership could use an approach similar to that of the 2017 offseason and bring in big name free agents to create intrigue around the upcoming season. Two, the organization decides to invest in the future by signing current players to long-term deals before their price tags skyrocket.

Both options have worked in the past and are routes that are intriguing. Jose Ramirez was a deal that came at a time before he burst out and now he’s one of the best bargains in baseball. On the flip side, Edwin Encarnacion was an exciting signing that created hype and also produced for the club.

In terms of past success, the Ramirez route seemed to work a bit better. Looking forward, that’s how the money could be spent, but does that really create a splash heading into the 2022 season?