MLB insider says Austin Hays is ‘best fit’ for Guardians in free agency

It’s no secret the Guardians need to improve their outfield for the 2026 season. While the Guardians managed to win the American League Central for the second-straight season, they got next to no production from their outfield. 

One of the quickest ways they can upgrade that unit is via a free agent class that features an abundance of veteran outfielders who could help fill their outfield black hole while not breaking the bank. 

One of the top options who fits into that profile is Austin Hays, who is coming off a productive season with the Reds and boasts a skillset that would easily fit into the Guardians’ lineup. 

We got more confirmation of that on Sunday when MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand put out a new article where he hypothetized the “perfect fit” for every team in free agency, where he listed Hays as the best fit for the Guardians. 

“Hays’ best seasons came between 2021 and ‘23 in Baltimore, but the 30-year-old had a solid year with the Reds in 2025. His 15 home runs, 64 RBIs and .768 OPS in 103 games would have made him the leader in all three categories in the Guardians’ outfield, as Cleveland ranked last in the AL in outfield OPS (.629),” Feinsand wrote.

Austin Hays tabbed as “best fit” for Guardians’ outfield 

It’s easy to see why Hays is considered one of the best fits for the Guardians since he has power (15+ home runs in four of the last five seasons) and also rakes against left-handed pitching, which has been the Guardians’ kryptonite over the past couple seasons. 

He also wouldn’t stunt the growth of some of the Guardians’ young outfielders. Chase DeLauter, George Valera and Petey Halpin all worked their way into Cleveland’s outfield picture at the end of last season, and should get every chance to make the team’s roster out of spring training. 

While adding Hays makes that a bit more complicated, there’s no way the Guardians should run things back with the same outfield picture as last year, and bringing Hays would allow for them to thread that needle. 

Feinsand’s best fits for the rest of the American League Central are a bit interesting too, as he had Harrison Bader going to the Royals, Alex Bregman going to the Tigers, Rhys Hoskins heading to the Twins and the White Sox electing to roll the dice on Adolis García. 

Bregman is the biggest name of that group, and him potentially going to the Tigers isn’t much of a surprise given he previously played for Tigers skipper AJ Hinch during their time in Houston and was persuaded by Detroit last offseason.

But Bader going to the Royals would sting the most out of that group. Bader is a better talent than Hays (who would be available at a similar cost) and would be able to play center field, which is arguably a bigger hole than right field. Seeing him end up with another team in the American League Central would hurt.