Latest expert non-tender prediction will definitely puzzle Guardians fans

While the Guardians offense was stuck in neutral for most of the 2025 season, there are still plenty of reasons for optimism that things could be better in 2026 thanks to the presence of José Ramírez around some young and budding stars. 

But a sneaky reason for optimism around the 2026 iteration of the Guardians is that they’ll have a healthy version of David Fry in the fold. 

After breaking out as an All-Star in 2024, Fry was only able to play at designated hitter last season after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his elbow in November 2024 due to an injury to his ulnar collateral ligament. 

When Fry’s at his best, he’s shuttling around the diamond as a matchup nightmare that Stephen Vogt can deploy at any time. But instead he was limited to a platoon role, which led to him putting together a disappointing season where he hit just .171 in 146 at-bats. 

But MLB Trade Rumors threw some cold water on that optimism on Wednesday when writer Anthony Franco included Fry on a list of arbitration-eligible players who the MLBTR team believes “have a realistic shot of being let go.” 

Fry was the only player included on the list in the “designated hitter” category. 

There's no reason the Guardians should non-tender David Fry

Including Fry on the list as a designated hitter sells his abilities a bit short. Although Fry could only be a DH last season, he appeared at every position but second base, shortstop and center field in the two years prior. 

In his All-Star season in 2024, he played in 23 games at catcher, 20 games at first base, four games at third, 16 games at left field and four games at right field prior to injuring his arm at the end of the season and being unable to play the field. 

That season was Fry at the height of his powers, as he hit .263 with 14 home runs, 51 RBI and 18 doubles in the regular season before mashing two huge homers in the postseason. 

But that aforementioned arm injury held him back last season before his season ended in September when he was hit in the face by a 99 mile per hour fastball from Tarik Skubal.

Fry underwent nasal septoplasty procedure at the Cleveland Clinic to repair a deviated septum and a fractured nose, and is reportedly set to be healthy for the start of spring training. 

The biggest way that Fry can help the Guardians next season is with his presence behind the dish. Cleveland is already set to run things back with the same catching duo as last season after re-signing Austin Hedges, but having Fry back in the fold adds another weapon behind the dish. 

He won’t be back there everyday, but instead would likely get the occasional start along with being able to move behind the plate as a defensive substitute. 

All of that makes it incredibly surprising that Fry’s name was floated on a list of non-tender candidates. He’s only projected to make $1.2 million next season in his first year of arbitration, so it’s not like he’s going to break the bank either. 

It’s clear that something needs to change in the Guardians’ lineup ahead of 2026, and inserting a healthy and strong version of Fry into the lineup is a clear upgrade. Removing him from the roster right now would be a crucial misstep in an important offseason.