Grading how the Guardians did during the 2026 MLB Winter Meetings 

The 2026 Winter Meetings featured plenty of bombshell moves. Kyle Schwarber returning to the Philadelphia Phillies. Pete Alsono defecting from the Mets to head to the Orioles. The Dodgers signed Edwin Díaz. 

Last year the Guardians were one of the main players at the Winter Meetings when they traded Andrés Giménez to the Blue Jays and acquired Luis Ortiz from the Pirates (two moves we didn’t love at the time.) This year they sat out most of the fanfare outside of signing reliever Connor Brogdon and picking reliever Peyton Pallatte in the Rule 5 Draft. 

While that doesn’t automatically mean that things went wrong (sometimes the best moves are the ones you don’t make), their inactivity was still a bit disappointing given how many obvious holes they have on the roster. 

The Guardians’ quiet showing at the Winter Meetings was a bit disappointing 

The one silver lining for Cleveland’s quiet showing at the Winter Meetings is that most of the players who would fit on their roster (and in their payroll) are still available. 

While it would be better if Cleveland’s front office left Orlando with Austin Hays, Harrison Bader or Rhys Hoskins on the roster, there hasn’t really been a signing yet that’s stung in the way one of them signing elsewhere would/will. 

The Guardians are already in good shape due to the fact they have José Ramírez signed to a long-term extension and have a roster filled with talented young players who are making the league minimum, but that shouldn’t stop them from taking a swing or two this offseason (or any offseason, really). 

It remains to be seen whether the best way for them to make that splash is through free agency or the trade market, however. 

While signing someone like Hays or Bader obviously wouldn’t require the Guardians to give anyone up in return, whichever player they sign likely wouldn’t have the potential and/or team control that a trade target would have. 

The top trade target still stands as the Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan, who has the kind of utility profile that the Guardians’ front office tends to salivate over. 

Donovan has played every position but center field and catcher in his career, but he’s at his best at second base and right field — two positions where the Guardians have a clear need. The Guardians would truly swing for the fences and try to acquire Lars Nootbaar alongside him, but a trade for Donovan would help make the offseason a clear win. 

The Winter Meetings seemed like a logical place to make that move, but just because it didn’t happen there doesn't mean it can't happen later in the winter. 

While the Guardians not making a move is a negative, there’s also a positive to it in the fact they haven’t given up any minor league talent (yet). 

Along with having top prospect Travis Bazzana waiting in the wings, the Guardians also have a crop of seemingly MLB-ready prospects in Khal Stephen, Angel Genao and Kahlil Watson, among others. While none of them (outside of Bazzana) are untouchable, there’s arguably a clear path for all of them to make an impact on the roster in 2026. 

Chris Antonetti opened the Winter Meetings by saying that he didn’t want to put any roadblocks in the way of the young players on the roster, and his action (or inaction) proved that. 

Even though it’s going to take some time for us to see if that ends up being the right move, it’s a positive sign in that it shows that the front office is willing to give those players a chance as opposed to years prior where they signed retreads like Hanley Ramírez, Carlos Santana or Carlos Gonzalez as stopgap options. 

Still, the front office had a clear path to upgrade the roster and they didn’t take it, and that’s a bit inexcusable. 

Guardians Winter Meetings grade: C-