Complete list of Guardians free agents and forecasting their fates

Although the Guardians roster is mostly made up of young players who have yet to reach arbitration (and José Ramírez), they still have some impending free agents who they're going to need to make some kind of decision about in the offseason.

Here's our prediction for what the Guardians do in the offseason.

The Guardians have some cut and dry decisions about their impending free agents

Shawn Armstrong

Although Armstrong technically has an $8 million mutual option for 2027, those are almost never picked up, which is why we’re including him on this list. 

With that, it’s hard to believe that he’ll be back for 2027. Armstrong’s $4 million salary was the fourth-highest among players who started the season with the Guardians, yet he followed that up with a 4.58 ERA in 35 1/3 innings. 

He never got a chance to get in a groove thanks to two lower body injuries, and it’s hard to believe the 36-year-old is going to get healthier. 

The Guardians are among baseball’s best at turning unheralded prospects into shutdown relievers (see Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis), so it stands to reason that they’d be able to find a better (and cheaper) option in the minors instead. 

Predication: Guardians let him walk in free agency.

Foster Griffin 

The Guardians acquired Griffin at the trade deadline in the hopes he could be the final piece in the rotation, and his time in Cleveland has been a bit of a mixed bag. 

He went at least six innings in six of his nine starts with the guardians, though only three of those were quality starts. The Nationals signed Griffin to a $5.5 million contract in an attempt to take advantage of the growth he had pitching overseas, and that’s exactly what happened. 

Even if Griffin’s earning power may have taken a bit of a hit thanks to his middling performance with the Guardians, he’s going to enter free agency off an All-Star season. 

He may be a good fit for the Guardians (especially if they choose to trade from their starting pitching depth), but there are a ton of pitching-needy teams who would be willing to back up the Brinks truck for Griffin and outbid the Guardians. 

Prediction: Griffin leaves in free agency and signs a three-year contract with the Atlanta Braves.

Austin Hedges 

The Guardians kicked off the last two offseasons by signing Hedges to a seemingly court-mandated one-year, $4 million contract. While both of those deals were done with his leadership and defense in mind, this offseason will be a different story thanks to his offensive “breakout” in 2026. 

For most players, a .702 OPS with a 99 OPS+ in a walk year would be a bit disappointing. For Hedges, who entered the season with a .556 OPS, it’s a coup that could result in him getting even more money in free agency. 

That could put the Guardians in a tough spot since they have two MLB-ready catchers in the minors in Cooper Ingle and Kody Huff. It may be hard to believe, but that could lead to Hedges playing somewhere else in 2027. 

Prediction: Hedges signs a one-year, $7 million deal with the Rockies… but still joins Stephen Vogt’s coaching staff once he retires.

Rhys Hoskins 

Hoskins inked a one-year deal with the Guardians in spring training after a quiet free agency in the winter, and it may be even quieter next winter thanks to a rough season in Cleveland. 

He showed some power (13 homers) and generated a ton of walks (14.8% walk rate), but he didn’t do much else. He finished the year with a .682 OPS in 95 games before his season came to an end due to a back injury. 

The Guardians already have the first baseman of the future in their organization in Ralphy Velazquez, and adding Hoskins would just complicate things even further. This is a pretty easy call. 

Predication: Hoskins signs a minor league contract with his hometown Athletics.

Nathaniel Lowe 

Hoskins may have been the Guardians’ big offseason acquisition to add some thump to the Guardians’ first base situation, but Lowe was the final piece when Cleveland added him at the deadline. 

He was a pure rental who was brought in to hit, and did it (albeit in spurts). He got off to a hot start right after the trade before slowing down as the season neared its conclusion. 

The Guardians seemed to like what he brought to the clubhouse, but keeping him would muddy a first base picture that needs some clarity. 

Prediction: Lowe signs a two-year deal with the Arizona D-backs.

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