Guardians still have a lot of work to do if they want to avoid a letdown in 2025

It has been a surprising offseason for the Cleveland Guardians. Fresh off an American League Central division winning season and making an appearance in the ALCS, the Guardians would be looking to add to what was clearly a competitive roster. Instead, they decided to trade away the right side of their infield and spend the money that would have been allocated to them on risky signings. Cleveland still has plenty of work to do if they are going to carry over last season's success into 2025.

Cleveland's pitching problem

The starting rotation is far from settled, and that is a major problem for the Guardians. Tanner Bibee is the only arm in the bunch that can truly be counted on. Re-signing Shane Bieber might help later in the season, but before he is ready to return to action following last season's Tommy John surgery, Cleveland's starting rotation is very much an incomplete unit.

Gavin Williams has the stuff to be a top-of-the-rotation starter, the only problem is that he has yet to put it all together and actually do it over an extended period. Hopefully, he can make that happen next season, but that is far from guaranteed.

The rest of the starting pitching options are when things get really shaky. Who knows what Ben Lively's contributions in 2025 will look like? Lively's performance on the mound evened out closer to his career averages later in the season, and that is most likely a more accurate indicator of who he is as a pitcher. Triston McKenzie and Logan Allen seem to be on their last chances with the organization, considering they spent a considerable amount of time in the minors last season. And as far as the new additions go, neither Luis Ortiz nor Slade Cecconi are really that intriguing. The lack of reliable arms past Bibee could end up being a big-time problem for the Guardians rather quickly.

Questions in the infield

Josh Naylor and Andres Gimenez are both gone, as the Guardians have decided to go in a different direction at first and second base for 2025 and beyond. Cleveland signed Carlos Santana as a placeholder for the upcoming season, and that could end up working. However, there is a chance that his advanced age catches up to him, preventing him from providing the offense the Guardians need.

Meanwhile, jettisoning the remainder of Gimenez's contract and creating a hole at second without a clear-cut answer as to who will take over is a much larger issue than people realize. When it comes to the big picture, yes, having a clear path for Travis Bazzana when he is ready is ideal, but having someone capable of being an everyday second baseman until that time comes would be preferred. Having to cycle through subpar/replacement level options could very well end up costing this team wins, and that may result in being an also-ran in the AL Central rather than being a contender.

Cleveland's outfield is still incomplete

Of the position groups listed here, the outfield is the least dire situation at the moment. With that being said, it is still kind of a mess. Steven Kwan is the only full-time outfielder in the group, with the rest being best suited for part-time or platoon roles. There is a way to make this work as currently constructed, it would just be a little more comforting if two-thirds of Cleveland's outfield was not in a time-share situation.

Outlook for 2025

In a perfect world, everything works in Cleveland's favor, and they can replicate their success from 2024 if not outright exceed it. The problem here is that they were a few players away before their offseason dealings began, and now they are further away from being the caliber of team necessary to advance past where their season ended in 2024. Perhaps if they actually make the additions required, they can improve upon last season, but it is difficult to envision that happening with the way the team is currently constructed.

Expectations for the Guardians in 2025 should be to contend for the division but do not be surprised if they fall short. Cleveland's front office is attempting to thread the needle between playing competitive baseball and keeping their financial commitments in check. More often than not, this leads to a bland, boring product that is not able to keep up with the top teams in the sport. If a different team wins the AL Central in 2025, it should come as a shock with how the Guardians have operated this winter. This truly is a shame, considering Jose Ramirez only has so many prime years left in him, and he, among others, deserves to win a World Series before they call it a career.