5 free agents the Cleveland Guardians should consider

2. Jesse Winker

Should the Guardians look to take on a low-risk, high-reward reclamation project, Jesse Winker could prove to be a risk worth taking.

There was a time not too long ago when Winker appeared to be on the trajectory of a budding star, with a .305/.394/.556 slash line to go with 32 doubles, 24 home runs, and 148 weighted runs created plus during the 2021 season with the Cincinnati Reds. Unfortunately, Winker's offense has tanked since then, totaling just 20 doubles and 15 home runs while slashing .214/.337/.318 over two seasons with Seattle and Milwaukee. A step back offensively was somewhat expected upon landing with the Mariners, but there was a level of hope that he would bounce back after coming back to the National League Central last season that unfortunately did not come to fruition.

Of course, if Winker were to actually come to Cleveland, they would need to add another outfielder to the mix, as previous attempts at this approach have not played out well, and there is a very good chance that this follows that same pattern. A signing of Winker would have to be one of the multiple moves this organization makes to improve its overall roster. Settling on one move and one move only, a move that is of this variety, is simply unacceptable for the Guardians at their current juncture.

3. Andrew Chafin

Taking a slight break from potential additions to the outfield, the focus now shifts to Cleveland's bullpen. Left handed veteran reliever Andrew Chafin could be worthwhile addition to the Guardians' relief corps.

Chafin is a 10-year veteran with a career 3.40 ERA, 1.250 WHIP, and 9.7 strikeouts per nine. While last year Chafin's ERA (.473) and WHIP (1.422) were not particularly encouraging, his strikeouts per nine (11.0) was one of the better marks over a full season in his career. This would be about banking on Chafin reverting back to his previous form and being a reliable option out of the bullpen. There is enough of a track record from Chafin to indicate last season may be an outlier with him being able to pitch at a level that he has shown to be capable of previously.

There is another factor at play here. The Guardians only have one left-handed arm in the bullpen in Sam Hentges. It would be wise to consider adding another lefty into the mix should one be needed more than once in a game or be needed multiple days in a row. Having additional options to go to if needed is never a bad thing, and Cleveland would benefit from a second left-handed reliever.

4. Jorge Soler

Back to our regularly scheduled programming of trying to find a power-hitting outfielder to add to the mix.

Jorge Soler is coming off his highest home run total (36) since he clobbered 48 during the 2019 season. This is in addition to his RBI total (75), also being the highest since that same season (117). Soler was actually a pretty well-rounded hitter last season, as he was still able to slash .250/.341/.512 with 66 walks. Soler's usual high strikeout followed this past season, punching out 141 times in 580 plate appearances, but his production at the plate more than made up for it.

Of course, there is a very big risk for the Guardians if they were to sign Soler. While he was a productive bat for the Marlins in 2023, the previous three seasons were hardly encouraging. Soler did manage to finish with 48 doubles and 48 home runs from 2020-2022 but slashed .219/.312./425 while striking out 292 times in 1,082 plate appearances.

When it comes to Soler, he is truly a boom-or-bust type player. The lows are far from encouraging but still contribute enough to be around league in the weighted runs created plus department, but it is the highs that can take a lineup like Cleveland's to heights that may not be possible without a player capable of what he can do while locked in at the plate.

5. Joc Pederson

Following a similar pattern and profile of a few players on this list is Joc Pederson. Pederson is yet another player that plenty of people have been clamoring for the Guardians to acquire for some time.

The former Dodgers, Cubs, Braves, and most recently, Giants outfielder has proven to have a good amount of pop in his bat and has proven to be a solid addition to pretty much any major league lineup. With 186 home runs in his 10-year career, Pederson is more than capable of providing a much-needed influx of power in a Guardians' outfield that lacks it pretty much across the board.

While Pederson may not be the player who hit 36 home runs for the Dodgers in 2019, he should still be able to hit somewhere in the range that he has the past few seasons. Pederson hit 15 home runs in 2023 and 23 in 2022, so expecting somewhere in the range of 15-25 long balls from the veteran outfielder is not out of the question.

Considering the group of Steven Kwan (5), Will Brennan (5), Ramon Laureano (3), Oscar Gonzalez (2), and Myles Straw (1) combined to hit 16 last season, this would be a more than welcome addition to Cleveland's outfield group.