5 players the Cleveland Guardians should avoid in free agency

5. Eloy Jimenez: Baltimore Orioles.- Designated Hitter

Back in 2019, when Eloy Jimenez burst onto the scene for the Chicago White Sox, it appeared the Cleveland Guardians were going to have a perpetual thorn in their side for the foreseeable future. And while Jimenez did manage to have some productive seasons in Chicago, his full potential was never reached due to injuries and eventually, a noticeable decline in his performance at the plate.

This past season saw Jimenez completely fall off a cliff production-wise, putting up a career-worst .238/.289/.336 slash line to go with career-lows in home runs (6), RBI (23), and OPS+ (81) in 98 games with the White Sox and Baltimore Orioles. For those who thought his lack of production was due to being in Chicago, his performance in Baltimore was actually worse, making their decision to decline his $16.5 million option.

It would be one thing if the Guardians were on the complete opposite end of the competitive spectrum, such as Jimenez's former team in Chicago, taking a chance on hoping he can put it together would be worth it. However, Cleveland needs to find a way to lengthen their lineup, and trying to do so with someone who has become ineffective with a bat in his hands is not the approach to take here.