Concerning question about Guardians should have fans feeling uneasy

It has been a trying offseason for fans of the Cleveland Guardians. At a time when it would have been wise to invest heavily in a roster that won 92 games and the American League Central division last season, the Guardians have instead made a series of moves that have resulted in a question being asked about their approach, and everyone should be concerned because of it.

With Spring Training activities underway, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller compiled a list of questions about every team. For Cleveland's entry in this list, Miller wondered if the Guardians have enough offense or starting pitching. This is a fair question, considering this winter has been highlighted by the departures of Josh Naylor and Andres Gimenez. Cleveland was able to add some pitching depth in these trades, acquiring Luis Ortiz and Slade Cecconi from Pittsburgh and Arizona, respectively.

Targeting pitching via trade was an obvious path for the Guardians to take. Cleveland was able to get some much-needed pitching help, in addition to providing themselves with a little more financial flexibility by getting the financial commitments to Gimenez and Naylor off the books. This would help the Guardians facilitate the returns of former Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber and a familiar face in the infield.

Longtime fan favorite Carlos Santana came back for a third stint with the team, taking over for Naylor at first base. The Guardians are banking on Santana making up for the loss of Naylor's production while also playing better defense. Even though this approach could work out in the manner they planned, it still would have been a little more encouraging to see Cleveland add another everyday position player into the mix.

When evaluating the state of the Guardians at this time, it really seems the absolute best-case scenario for them would be to match last season's win total. That would require everything going their way over the course of a 162-game season, and that's just not realistic. Adding at least one proven starter and an additional bat on top of Santana would have been preferable, as it would have increased their margin for error in 2025, but it seems like their offseason activity more than likely reduced it, resulting in questions about whether or not they have done enough to genuinely compete.