Cleveland Guardians receive generous offseason grade

This offseason has not been one to remember for the Cleveland Guardians. Gone are two players who were essential to their success in 2024, and in their place are players who might be contributors someday but are not guaranteed to even match what those who are now gone once provided. Even though most would think their offseason wheelings and dealings would result in a less-than-complimentary grade, that was not the case, according to one outlet.

Apparently, the roster maneuvers of the Cleveland Guardians were music to the ears of The Athletic's Jim Bowden, as he has given them a "B" grade for their offseason transactions. Granted, Cleveland's B is better than three others in the American League Central and is tied with the Kansas City Royals for the top grade in the division, but it is still surprising considering that the Guardians' major league roster has taken a notable step back in terms of competitiveness.

Trading away the likes of Josh Naylor and Andres Gimenez while signing Shane Bieber, Carlos Santana, and Austin Hedges as free agents and still receiving a grade this high is incredibly generous. It would be different if the trades of Naylor and Gimenez resulted in receiving proven MLB talent, but that is not the case. Someday, Slade Cecconi might be worthy of a spot on the major league roster, and Luis Ortiz has plenty of red flags in his pitching profile that suggest a complete and total regression from the numbers he posted in 2024 (3.32 ERA, 1.113 WHIP).

Even though it is acknowledged that it was highly unlikely that the Guardians would extend Naylor, the light return they received is incredibly disappointing. This only makes the salary dump of Gimenez even more frustrating, as they could have taken the money that would have been allocated to him and applied it to Naylor in 2025 and beyond. Sure, bringing back Bieber and fan favorite Santana may be enough to placate the casual fan base, but this team is not even close to being as talented right now as they were when the season ended.

Unless the Guardians find a way to bring in a bat to truly replace the offensive production lost by Naylor or bring in a genuine starting-caliber arm to their rotation, this offseason was a complete failure, and receiving a grade that does not reflect that is baffling, to say the least.