10 former Cleveland Guardians who are still without a job entering Spring Training

9. Cam Gallagher

A backstop brought in to be a secondary defense-first option behind free agent flop Mike Zunino, Cam Gallagher was a relatively unexciting member of the Cleveland Guardians this past season. Gallagher appeared in only 56 games in 2023, even though it sometimes felt like he played a whole more than that. The 31-year-old veteran was designated for assignment by the Guardians following the season and decided to elect free agency.

From an offensive standpoint, expectations were relatively low for Gallagher upon coming to Cleveland. With a career slash line of .240/.302/.355 in 161 games over six seasons with the Kansas City Royals, there was hope that he would do something not completely terrible at the plate, but that was not the case.

Gallagher struggled mightily at the plate during his lone season in a Guardians uniform. Slashing just .126/.154/.168 in 149 plate appearances, it was very rare that Gallagher was able to do anything noteworthy at the plate. While a prolific season at the plate was not expected from Gallagher, this performance was far worse than anyone could have reasonably predicted.

Even though he essentially hit at the same level as a pitcher last season, his defense is what is going to get him a job is his ability as a defender. It is not necessarily the most exciting aspect of the game, but it is still beneficial to have a backstop who is not a complete liability behind the plate.