3 burning questions that will decide Guardians’ offseason direction 

While the Cleveland Guardians shocked all of baseball by coming back from a 15 1/2 game deficit in the American League Central, their trip to October was a quick one thanks to their loss in the Wild Card Series at the hands of the Detroit Tigers. 

While that trip to the postseason rejuvenated a fanbase that had to endure multiple scandals and losing streaks, it also puts the Guardians in an interesting spot into how they’ll handle the offseason. 

Here are the three biggest questions that Chris Antonetti and co. will need to answer this winter. 

The Guardians need to address these issues in the offseason 

What will they do with Steven Kwan?

In the bottom of the eighth inning of the Guardians’ 6-3 loss to the Tigers on Thursday, Steven Kwan attempted to jumpstart a Cleveland rally with an eighth inning double off Tommy Khanle. 

Could that be the last time we see him in a Guardians uniform? 

Earlier this year Guardians fans were forced to think about Kwan’s Cleveland mortality when his name was included in plenty of trade rumors. And while the Guardians elected to hold onto Kwan at the trade deadline, he should be a mainstay in this offseason’s iterations of trade rumors. 

Even if he wasn’t the same player in the second half of the season (which fits into his career splits), Kwan is still one of the most productive outfielders in baseball and is the heartbeat of the Guardians’ lineup. 

But he’s also only has two years of team control left and features a rising price tag, which is usually when the Guardians seriously consider dealing away players they aren’t able to sign to an extension. 

The Guardians’ asking price for Kwan in the offseason started with one premium prospect, and it’s hard to believe their asking price will be anything different this offseason. 

Cleveland has plenty of young, budding outfielders in Chase DeLauter, George Valera and Petey Halpin, but they don’t have a ton of experience and have struggled with injuries. 

This will be the biggest story for the Guardians this offseason. 

What’s next for Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz? 

At the beginning of July, shockwaves reverberated throughout the Guardians’ clubhouse when MLB announced that Luis Ortiz had been suspended as a part of gambling investigation. Less than a month later, things got even worse when All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase was also suspended as a part of the same investigation. 

The last update we got on the suspended duo came at the end of August when MLB announced that both players' suspensions were being extended “until further notice.” While that ominous update all but confirmed that both players were going to be suspended until the end of the season, we should get some kind of update at some point in the offseason. 

Both pitchers have been training to play for the Estrellas Orientales of LIDOM, but it’s hard to imagine that either of them will pitch for the Guardians again. 

The Guardians are still paying both players as a part of their paid leave, so any kind of clarity with their situation could also help the team’s bottom line. 

What are they going to do with all of their starting pitchers? 

Champagne problems, we know, but the Guardians have a plethora of starting pitchers and may not have enough spots. 

Guardians starters posted a 3.86 ERA this season and they finished the season with a six-man rotation made up of Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Joey Cantillo, Slade Cecconi, Parker Messick and Logan Allen that had a 2.60 ERA in September.

While that six-man rotation worked great at the end of the season, it’s hard to believe they’d open next season with that arrangement. Cantillo has the greatest chance to open next season in the bullpen thanks to history of working in the ‘pen, but he also was named the American League Rookie of the Month for September thanks to his strong work out of the rotation. 

It’s true that you can never have enough pitching (especially in the spring when pitcher injuries occur in bunches), but the Guardians are likely going to have to make some kind of tough decision in regard to some young pitchers.