3 budget hitters who should be on the Guardians' radar during Winter Meetings 

The Winter Meetings are here and… there hasn’t been a ton. Sure, Mike Sorkoa signed with the Diamondbacks on Monday Cedric Mullins and Emilio Pagán inked deals ahead of the meetings, but we’ve yet to have a nozzle-busting free agent like Kyle Schwarber reach a deal. 

And even if it seems like the Guardians aren’t going to make a ton of noise at the Winter Meetings, there are still a variety of budget free agents who could end up on the Guardians’ radar. 

With the Winter Meetings still heating up, here’s a look at three of those budget free agents who should be on the Guardians radar. 

These three budget free agents would be a fit for the Guardians 

OF Austin Hays 

We’ve written about Hays before, and for good reason. The 30-year-old has killed left-handed pitching throughout his career, though it’s worth noting that he hasn’t played a ton in center field, which stands out as a clear need for the Guardians. 

He slashed .319/.400/.539 last year against right-handed pitching, and would be an affordable option who could help bring some much-needed reinforcement to right field. 

It would be a lot easier to imagine Hays fitting into the right field picture if it was just Nolan Jones (since he’d be a solid platoon option next to the left-handed Jones), but Geroge Valera and Chase DeLauter should also fit into that right field picture. 

But Hays still stands out as the top budget outfield option. 

1B Rhys Hoskins

It wasn't that long ago when Hoskins was the bat-spiking, power hitting heartbeat of a Phillies team that made it to the World Series. 

But then he tore his ACL during spring training in 2023 and ended up being sent off the Phillies roster after the season due in large part to Bryce Harper shifting to first base. 

He’s spent the past two seasons with the Brewers, where he hit .240 with 38 home runs in 221 games. He missed a good portion of the second half with a thumb injury and ended up being left off Milwaukee’s postseason roster in both the Wild Card Series and NLDS. 

While adding him to the lineup would probably put Kyle Manzardo in yet another time share, he’s mashed lefties in his career (.882 OPS), which is a skill-set the Guardians desperately need. 

He could even work as a full-time designated hitter, which the Guardians had last season in the form of David Fry. 

Hoskins had an $18 million mutual option for 2026 that was declined, and it’s unclear how much that will impact how much he’s going to ask for in free agency. 

Hoskins has his warts (like all the players on this list), but he could be a valuable bat in the middle of the Guardians’ lineup. 

OF Lane Thomas 

A familiar face! 

While Thomas provided the Guardians with some crucial postseason home runs during his time with the Guardians, it doesn’t take away from the fact that he hit just .198 in 92 games in Cleveland while dealing with a variety of injuries. 

Those struggles mean that he’s likely going to have to settle for a one-year prove-it deal, and a reunion with the Guardians could end up being in the cards. 

Thomas brings a unique blend of power and speed to the table (when he’s healthy), but those aforementioned struggles are tough to ignore.  

Thomas falls purely into the category of a budget signing, but he’s coming off a season with a hard-hit rate of just 31% along with an expected batting average of just .170.

The Guardians bringing back Thomas would be a case of separating the arti from the artist thanks to his postseason heroics, but it would still be a bit of an underwhelming signing.