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.