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Contract extension candidates aplenty for the Cleveland Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians front office has a history of extending guys at the end of spring training, so who could the team potentially extend this season?

By Chris Slocombe |
/ John E. Moore III/GettyImages
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There are a number of players currently on the Guardians roster who could be in line for a payday. But not all are created equally, nor is there a rush for some. What I'm saying is, there is a presumed pecking order I imagine the Guardians' front office is working on when it come to extensions.

I've broken the likely extension targets into three categories:

1) Maybe they get extended, but I wouldn't bet on it

2) There is a world in which they get an extension, just maybe not right now

3) The top priorities

Now that I got all of that out of the way, let's dive into this.

Maybe these Guardians get extended, but don't bank on it

First up is Shane Bieber, who has turned down extension talks in the past. Could his recent string of injuries make him rethink this stance? Possibly. But with an increase in his velocity thus far this spring and a clean bill of health, Bieber may be starting his final Opening Day for the franchise. One thing to consider next offseason is the sure abundance of top-tier pitching hitting the market. Some won't make it to free agency, but the list of potential top-end pitchers is juicy.

Anytime you are represented by Scott Boras, there's a near-zero percent chance you "give up" some years of free agency, and that's exactly the position Gavin Williams finds himself in. Boras has let his clients sit around even while spring training has gotten underway. Williams won't become a free agent until after the 2029 season - his age 29 season. Could the club back up the Brinks truck for Williams and buy one season of free agency? I suppose, but I wouldn't bank on it.

Sure, these Guardians could get an extension, just probably not right now

Sticking with my pitching theme, let's talk about Triston "Sticks" McKenzie. The guy simply needs to stay healthy for the team to consider him a possible extension candidate. When he's available, Triston has proven to be a very capable starter. The good news in all of this is that McKenzie's injuries only seem to appear in odd years (2021 and 2023). Here's to hoping he rebounds this season!

Kyle Manzardo looks the part. Very soon he and Josh Naylor will be sharing 1B/DH duties for the Guardians; we just have to wait a month or two for that to occur. First base is a tricky position to project, as there have been many youngsters who just don't pan out. However, I'm fairly confident Manzardo has the tools in place to succeed and ultimately join the conversation of extension candidates.

Based on how he performed the second half of last season, Bo Naylor deserves a lifetime contract. But do you know how fiscally irresponsible that would be? For a catcher!?! Bo clearly looks like the solution behind the dish, but he too needs to establish himself just a bit more before I could envision the front office handing him an eight-to-ten-year deal worth $12M+ annually. But again, I cannot emphasize it enough - he's close.

Top extension priorities for the Cleveland Guardians

Josh Naylor is a very popular extension choice amongst fans, and for good reason. An extension should also be relatively inexpensive for Naylor due to his injury history and, to a lesser extent, keeping him around so he can play with his brother. Something in the five or six-year range at $10M to $12M yearly seems reasonable based on other first base comps.

Two seasons ago, the Guardians locked up Myles Straw based on his second half with the club and his defensive prowess. If the club is going to fork over $25M over five years for Straw, then locking up Steven Kwan for at the very least the next six years is a no-brainer. In his first two seasons Kwan has two Gold Gloves to his name and a .282/.356/.384 slash line with a 111 OPS+. His lack of power will actually benefit the front office, as his yearly average shouldn't exceed the $9-12M range.

There was a collective sigh last November among Guardians fans when Tanner Bibee finished second in ROY voting, as he will lose a year of team control (for those unfamiliar, it's part of the new CBA). But with that it gives the organization an opportunity to lock up a young pitcher and buy a year or two of free agency. With question marks surrounding the rotation's future, locking up an arm or three would surely be wise, and Bibee is at the top of that list.

Bonus round: Other guys who could join the conversation soon

Spring training phenom Chase DeLauter won't be in the minors too long, as his service time is simply being manipulated. But know what could solve that issue? An eight-year deal! Even if that's not in the cards this offseason, DeLauter is on a short list of minor leaguers in the system who will vault to the top of extension talks in the future.

Our final extension candidate is a player not even in the Guardians system. But whomever the club ends up selecting first overall (Charlie Condon, Travis Bazzana, Chase Burns, etc), assuming they are a college player, should rocket through the system and be looking at breaking the big-league roster by 2026. Furthermore, if that player does pan out as expected, they'll likely be in consideration for an extension of their own.

This is by no means an exhaustive list; Logan Allen wasn't even mentioned. And it's highly conceivable that other pitchers prove themselves this season either in the rotation or pen, thus entering the extension conversation. Maybe there is a free agent the Guardians go all in on and that changes their plans too (Juan Soto? Hey, we can dream). But like many things with this club, we will have to wait and see how things shake out before we can speak with any level of certainly on many prospects.

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