4 difficult decisions the Cleveland Guardians will have to make this offseason

The 2024 season was a productive one for the Cleveland Guardians. Expectations across the board were not high, with most projections having the Guardians being an afterthought at best. Not only were the Guardians able to surpass the expectations of most, but they were able to make it all the way to the American League Championship Series. Their success has altered how the organization has to operate heading into this offseason, making the following internal conversations they were going to need to have a bit more difficult.

1. How much more are the Guardians going to spend in 2025?

This is easily the one area that is going to be impacted the most by their success in 2024. The Guardians have not been known to be a team that spends a lot, and the times they usually do spend outside of their comfort zone, it is carefully orchestrated in order to avoid any additional unnecessary risk. It is easier said than done, but for the most part, Cleveland has been successful with this method of operation.

The problem is that it requires a team to play absolutely perfectly if they are matched up against a star-studded squad, and as everyone saw in the ALCS, the New York Yankees had a much larger margin for error than the Guardians. And while additional spending does not always result in winning at a higher rate, more often than not, it increases the margin for error, and that could have made a huge difference against the Yankees.

It must be acknowledged by the front office and ownership that now is the time to invest in this team and spend their way to increasing their chances. They have already done the hard part, building a stable roster foundation without having to spend a ton to do it. Now, they just need to fill in the gaps on the roster by spending and turning a team once considered an afterthought into a team that is feared leaguewide.

3. To keep or trade Josh Naylor?

This has been a discussion that has been going on for quite some time, and the expectation should be that it will continue until a decision has been made. The Cleveland Guardians are in a position where they must determine if they are going to keep or even extend Josh Naylor this offseason or look to trade him in an effort to continue their organizational philosophy of trading players before they hit free agency.

The only difference between Naylor and some others who have been moved in the past is that he is not the bonafide star that those players were. The return Cleveland would get may not be close to what they have received for those stars and that should be considered in their thought process here.

Another factor to take into account here is the presence of Kyle Manzardo. Yes, Manzardo is younger and less expensive, and that could ultimately be how Naylor's future is determined. But to hand the first base job to an inexperienced option without having a capable veteran in a supporting role would not be wise.

Has Naylor been a frustrating player to watch at times? Absolutely, no one is stating otherwise. But Naylor seems like a person who has shown elite capabilities but lacks consistency, it really seems like he is a year or two away from putting it all together and that is exactly the type of player the Guardians will be better off having in their lineup rather than trading away.

4. What should be done with Brayan Rocchio?

There have been a few frustrating players to watch play for the Cleveland Guardians this past season, and Brayan Rocchio is definitely one of them. Rocchio has shown the ability to be a good defensive shortstop who offers little with a bat in his hand. Even though this type of player can be valuable in certain situations, and Cleveland has been one of them, the fact of the matter is Rocchio is on borrowed time.

This goes beyond Rocchio and his general lack of offensive abilities. The Guardians drafted Travis Bazzana first overall in the June amateur draft, and his time in the majors is coming soon. While Bazzana does play second base and does not seem like it should impact Rocchio, it does. The problem comes with Andres Gimenez occupying second. If they are determined to keep Bazzana at second base, a decision that most would agree with, it would require Gimenez to shift back to shortstop. This puts Rocchio on the outside looking in, and rightfully so.

Ideally, Cleveland could look to trade Rocchio alongside a prospect or two as a way to improve their roster. Perhaps for a starting pitcher or a power-hitting outfielder to add into the mix. Either way, taking this course of action would be a way for the Guardians to put together a more formidable lineup for next season and beyond.