3 Guardians players playing their way out of team's 2027 plans

Although the Guardians have done enough in the past two months to hang around the fringes of the American League’s postseason picture thanks to strong performances from players up and down their roster, this season hasn’t been a total victory. 

In fact, there have been plenty of Guardians players who may have played their way out of the team’s future.

With that in mind, here are three Guardians who may not be on the team’s roster at the start  of next season (whenever it is). 

The Guardians roster could look a lot different in 2027

David Fry

Although Fry holds a ton of value as a utility option, his struggles at the plate this year are getting harder to ignore. He entered play on Wednesday with a .191/.311/.352 slashline with seven home runs and 15 RBI in 85 games in a season that has included a demotion to Triple-A Columbus. 

He’s recorded just 21 at-bats since getting recalled on Aug. 29, and likely wouldn’t be on the roster if not for Rhys Hoskins’ injury and the extra roster spot the Guardians get in September. 

Not only does Fry rank in the bottom percentile in pretty much every advanced statistic outside of walk rate, but he also has a .162 average against left-handed pitching, which could ultimately be the reason the platoon-heavy Guardians cut bait with him. 

The Guardians’ trade for Fry has been one of the team’s best moves in recent history, but the team’s youth movement may end up costing him his roster spot in the offseason. 

Foster Griffin

Griffin’s in a bit of an interesting spot since he technically isn’t a part of the Guardians’ roster plans due to the fact he’s an impending free agent. But the early returns of his time in Cleveland has shown that some other team should be on the hook for his next contract. 

Although Griffin had a great 3.06 ERA in 129 1/3 innings with the Nationals, he has a 5.79 ERA in 37 1/3 innings with the Guardians and just got pulled in the fifth inning in Cleveland’s do-or-die game against the White Sox on Tuesday. 

Griffin had a solid five-start span for the Guardians at the end of August and start of September, but his past two starts have put Cleveland behind the eight-ball. 

Some team is going to pay Griffin in the offseason, but that team shouldn’t be the Guardians. 

Kyle Manzardo 

Manzardo’s been toiling away in Triple-A since the Guardians demoted him at the start of August, and it’s hard to imagine a pathway for him to return to Cleveland’s roster given the presence of prospect Ralphy Velazquez, another left-handed hitting first baseman. 

The Guardians also acquired Manzardo via a trade fleece (thanks, Aaron Civale), but it seems like his time in Cleveland has reached an end. 

Although Manzardo showed some flashes last year when he recorded 27 home runs, he only had 13 homers this year before getting demoted while also having a strikeout rate of 32%. 

A year ago Manzardo seemed like a clear piece in the Guardians’ future, but that’s no longer the case. 

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