6 Guardians players that won't be back for the 2024 season

Reynaldo Lopez

Some of what was in the Giolito section could be put here as Cleveland made a nice heads up play to bring Reynaldo in in the first place as he has a high ceiling as a reliever and cost the team little to give a go. However, that is where the similarities ended as how the two players played after joining the Guardians couldn't have been more different.

In 12 appearances with the Guardians, Lopez built on his strong work with the Angels as he did not give up an earned run and put up a 2.17 FIP which points to his strong work being more than just a function of good luck. In an ideal world, keeping Reynaldo around would make sense for a team that wants to contend in the short-term.

However, it is unclear if that is where the Guardians are right now as a team and it is hard to see them keeping pace with the better teams in the AL Central next season let alone the other playoff contenders in the American League. Given that Lopez is likely to command a premium in free agency this offseason and Cleveland's competitive future is questionable, there seems to be little chance that Cleveland will pony up to pay for a reliever.