4 World Series participants the Cleveland Guardians should consider in free agency

The World Series is about to begin, and unfortunately, the Cleveland Guardians are sitting at home. While everyone wishes circumstances would be different, there is nothing that can be done about that at this point in time. However, there is one exercise everyone can partake in, identifying which players the Guardians should target in free agency once the World Series is over.

Before we begin, there is one thing that needs to be addressed here. Juan Soto is not going to be a part of this list. One primary factor in that would be the massive contract Soto is likely to get as a free agent, but the other is the spending habits of the Guardians. With that being said, the chance to vie for the services of one of the few genuine generational talents in the game, each and every team should be willing to go above and beyond to sign someone like Soto. Not only would Soto transform the lineup and change the competitive trajectory of any organization, but the revenue received from his addition would far surpass the cost over the lifetime of the contract.

Now, with that out of the way, let's dive into which players the Guardians should target after the conclusion of the World Series.

1. Jack Flaherty - Los Angeles Dodgers Starting Pitcher

Having reliable starting pitching is something the Cleveland Guardians struggled with in 2024, and finding a way to fix that should be their top priority. Pursuing the resurgent Jack Flaherty could be an interesting way to make their starting rotation a lot more stable is something to consider.

Flaherty landed in Detroit after experiencing plenty of adversity when compared to the early part of his career. During his time with the Tigers, Flaherty appeared to have regained his form and was able to look every bit the young pitcher he was in his first few years in St. Louis. This would carry over after landing in Los Angeles and reinforcing the Dodgers' rotation.

At just 29 years old and coming off his best season in a very long time, Flaherty will have plenty of suitors and will more than likely receive top dollar on the free agent market. This will make signing Flaherty difficult but not impossible. Cleveland will need to approach this with a degree of seriousness that has not been seen in quite some time if they are going to be a real option to sign Flaherty. It could end up being the difference between a full season of rotation stability and another year of making lottery ticket-type acquisitions, hoping everything goes just right.

2. Enrique Hernandez - Los Angeles Dodgers Infielder/Outfielder

When it comes to potential targets for the Cleveland Guardians, a 33-year-old utility player does not move the needle all that much, if at all. However, Enrique Hernandez is someone who is definitely worthy of consideration in free agency.

Now, why should the Guardians explore this option? Well, it is simple really. Anyone who watched the Guardians this past season saw them trot out multiple players who were capable of taking the field all over the diamond. While there are a couple of younger options that may prove useful as time goes on, and Daniel Schneemann was a nice story, the fact of the matter is the Guardians are in need of an established veteran to fill this role and one who is certainly more capable of being a productive offensive player.

Are Hernandez's best days behind him? Sure, but inserting him into this current version of the Guardians would raise their talent floor and allow Stephen Vogt to employ a similar strategy when it comes to how he wants to construct his lineup and the flexibility used throughout a game. The reality is this team would be a lot better off with Hernandez taking the playing time Schneemann got this past season, with the other versatile players continuing their rate of use.

3. Walker Buehler - Los Angeles Dodgers Starting Pitcher

No one should be surprised that another starting pitcher is making an appearance on this list, but Dodgers starter Walker Buehler should be someone for the Cleveland Guardians to consider in free agency.

Buehler has hit a few bumps over the past few years after being one of the game's best pitchers from 2018-2021. A down year in 2022, followed by a missed season due to Tommy John and then another down year in 2023, has resulted in Buehler being someone who may need to take a one-year prove-it deal to reestablish his value. This is exactly the type of pitcher the Guardians have targeted previously, including multiple times last season. Going down this same road again would not be surprising in the least bit, considering the way the Guardians prefer to operate.

Like most players that have undergone Tommy John, there is some risk that comes with taking a chance on them, but Buehler has a little more riskiness than the usual post-TJ arm. Buehler's 2022 procedure was his second, and for someone who was at the time under 30, that is concerning. Not helping matters were his struggles in 2024 when he finally returned to action, making the prospect of him returning to his previous form seem a little less likely. With that being said, Cleveland's previous success with pitchers who have had Tommy John could bring the best out of Buehler and see his career get back on track.