Guardians need to avoid buy-low reunion with Nolan Jones after he hit minor league free agency

There’s no MLB team that loves a discount more than the Cleveland Guardians. Most of the time those discounts result in plenty of buy low signings that fall into the “no harm, no foul” signing. 

But that doesn’t mean they’re all the same. 

One of the potential signings that would fall into that category is that of Nolan Jones, who hit minor league free agency earlier this week after a whirlwind season that began in the Guardians’ minor league system. 

Jones clearly won’t be able to sign a major league contract this offseason, the Guardians need to avoid signing Jones to any kind of deal so that way they don’t tempt fate and sign him to another contract. 

The Guardians should stay away from reuniting with Nolan Jones in free agency

The Guardians’ decision to tender Jones a contract for 2026 was confusing when it happened, and it’s even more confusing now. 

That contract guaranteed him a $2 million salary for the season, and the only return the Guardians got for that investment were 52 games at Triple-A Columbus before he was dealt to the White Sox for international pool money. 

The White Sox dealt him to the Mariners a month later as a part of their deal for starter Luis Castillo. 

He never ended up appearing in a big league game for the Mariners, which is why he was able to get a head start on free agency as a minor leaguer. 

Although Jones’ 2025 season consisted of a .600 OPS in 136 games, he’s still just three years removed from a breakout season with the Rockies that helped him earn some Rookie of the Year buzz. 

But that next home shouldn’t come with the Guardians. Even if he’d be a clear depth option, his time with the organization has clearly reached its end. 

Plus Cleveland's outfield is in a much better spot than it was last season thanks to the continued emergence from Chase DeLauter along with Angel Martínez’s breakout. 

They also have converted outfielders Cooper Ingle and Ralphy Velazquez waiting in the minors along with pure outfielder Jaison Chourio.

The Guardians are going to need to make some kind of decision about the future of their outfield, and adding Jones would just complicate it (even if he wouldn’t be on the 40-man roster). 

The Guardians clearly liked Jones enough that they jumped through the necessary hoops to add him from the normally insular Rockies in 2025, but it never led to the kind of success either party wanted.

It was a mistake that got even worse when they signed him to another contract for 2026, and it should stay that way. 

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