Have the Cleveland Guardians done enough to repeat as AL Central champions?

The Cleveland Guardians entered the offseason with high expectations, having exceeded projections for 2022, riding a dominant bullpen and emerging crop of young talent into the divisional round of the playoffs. They had few glaring holes in their roster, and a new ownership group offering new and exciting possibilities for fans to dream of.

However, rather than wholesale changes in how they operated, the Guardians approached the offseason much as they have recent ones, being opportunistic with free agents and trades, while showing confidence in the core that they have have drafted and developed.

The result is that they return a team very much like the one that won 92 games a year ago, squeaked by the Tampa Bay Rays and looked overmatched by the Yankees in the ALDS. They will look for continued development from a number of players, and contributions from a couple key additions in order to take a step forward and advance farther into the playoffs in 2023.

Free Agency Review

The Guardians made two significant offseason additions, filling two of their biggest needs while only losing catcher Austin Hedges in free agency. It would be hard for fans to view the offseason as anything but a success given how few holes Cleveland had in their roster coming into the offseason.

The Guardians' biggest need was to add a power hitter who could protect José Ramírez and hit in the middle of the Guardians lineup. After failing to reach a deal with Jose Abreu, the Guardians quickly pivoted and signed first baseman/DH Josh Bell, who won a Silver Slugger last season after hitting .266 with 17 home runs in a season split between the Nationals and Padres. As a switch-hitting power hitter, Bell is a prime candidate to benefit from the new anti-shifting rules.

Their next biggest need was for a catcher to bridge the gap from Austin Hedges until prospect Bo Naylor is ready to catch every day at the big-league level. After rumors of a big trade for Sean Murphy failed to materialize, the Guardians signed Mike Zunino to a one-year deal. Zunino is an interesting fit, as a historically excellent defensive catcher who adds some value with the bat. However, he missed the final four months of 2022 after having shoulder surgery. If fully recovered, he could be one of the best values of the offseason and provide the Guardians with a huge offensive boost while handling their pitching staff and giving Naylor time to develop.

Zunino presents a clear upgrade from Austin Hedges, who the Guardians lost in free agency. Hedges was a popular clubhouse presence who handled the pitching staff well and played solid defense, but added little in the way of offense.

Is It Enough to Repeat as AL Central Champions?

So the question remains: Does adding Bell and Zunino, and making other minor roster tweaks, do enough for the Guardians to maintain their hold on top of the AL Central division? While a lot can happen over the course of a long MLB season, the Guardians should enter 2023 in a three-team race with the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins.

The Kansas City Royals finished last season at 65-97, and while they have some intriguing young stars, they are likely at least two years away from seriously competing. The Detroit Tigers, meanwhile, took a big shot, spending a ton of money last offseason, adding Javier Báez in a deal that seems to have blown up in their face. While the Tigers will be interesting as Miguel Cabrera makes his farewell tour, they have too many holes, and too few pitching options to seriously compete this season.

The Twins seem primed to improve significantly from their 78-84 finish from 2022. They pulled off the surprise of the offseason by bringing back Carlos Correa after trading for Pablo Lopez, who joins an already improving Twins starting rotation that also hopes to add Kenta Maeda back into their mix, after he missed all of last season due to injury. Like the Guardians, they have a young core that has shown flashes of potential. If they can put together a full season, the Twins could compete for a playoff spot in 2023.

As for the Chicago White Sox, they are an interesting team with some good young players who may present Cleveland with their biggest challenge for the division title. In order to contend, they will need starters Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito to bounce back behind ace Dylan Cease. Both Lynn and Giolito have a track record of MLB success, so it is not unreasonable to expect better performances after down 2022 seasons from both of them. The White Sox also have rotational depth in Michael Kopech and Mike Clevinger. With an above-average bullpen and solid offense, they will look to improve on their 81-81 finish from a year ago.

Overall, the Guardians should enter the season as the favorites to repeat as AL Central champions. With a young roster, more prospects on the way, and new ownership money that could allow them to make additions throughout the season, they are well-positioned for another exciting postseason run in 2023.