How the lack of an Emmanuel Clase decision will affect the Guardians’ 2026 offseason

We’re a little more than 48 hours away from the start of the World Series and the Cleveland Guardians still don’t have some clarity on Emmanuel Clase, one of the most expensive players on their roster. 

Clase initially suspended by Major League Baseball at the end of July as a part of their gambling investigation, and the only update we’ve gotten since is when MLB announced at the end of August that he and fellow pitcher Luis Ortiz were suspended ”until further notice.”

And although the fact that neither pitcher is able to pitch in LIDOM seems to confirm that they won’t suit up for the Guardians again, we still haven’t gotten an official update about their major league future. 

Now, with the start of free agency fast approaching, the Guardians are stuck in a rough spot with both suspended players that could end up having a huge impact on how they handle their offseason. 

It’s time for Major League Baseball to make a decision about Emmanuel Clase 

The obvious problem here is that the Guardians are on the hook for Clase’s salary since he’s still getting paid while suspended. While Chris Antonetti has said that the Guardians are preparing to not have Clase on their roster for 2026, they're still in a position where they have to consider his $6.4 million salary for the 2026 offseason. 

That could impact the offseason in a variety of ways. The first decision that it’ll likely impact is the future of John Means, who has a $6 million team option for 2026. 

The Guardians’ deadline to make a decision about Means is five days after the end of World Series, so there’s a very realistic chance they’ll need to decide if Means is worth $6 million while Clase’s contract is still on the books. 

Their decision about Means was always going to be tough considering the fact that he didn’t pitch at all in MLB while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but the lack of clarity on Clase’s future just adds to it. 

For most franchises, having to make a $6 million decision while having another $6 million decision hanging over their heads would be a nuisance; for the frugal Guardians, it could be an anchor. 

Antonetti and Co. got a jump start on free agency by re-signing Austin Hedges to a one-year, $4 million contract, but he’s a known commodity who will be making the same amount he did last year. 

Even if the Guardians won’t be swimming with the big fish in free agency this year, there are plenty of cheaper options who could help fill the obvious holes on the roster. And the Guardians deserve to have some clarity on Clase’s future before it comes time to ink those players to deals. 

It’s already bad enough that Clase’s suspension impacted the Guardians ability to capitalize on his value at the trade deadline, now it’s time for Major League Baseball to make sure the suspension doesn’t impact their offseason.