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.

Other Offseason Moves

The other moves that the Guardians made this offseason were all minor moves for roster management or to bring in depth pieces.

They acquired pitcher Jason Bilous off of waivers from the Chicago White Sox. Bilous has impressed this spring and adds an interesting depth piece who may see time out of the bullpen or as a fill-in spot starter throughout 2023. While not moving the needle to excite fans, this was a solid move that could pay dividends over the course of a long season.

Cleveland also executed a trade acquiring infielder Juan Brito from the Colorado Rockies for highly regarded infielder Nolan Jones. Jones clearly did not fit into the Guardians' long-term plan, as he continued to struggle with strikeout issues (and has since been optioned by the Rockies). In Brito, they added a younger infielder who they hope will develop into more, but has never played above Single-A.

The Guardians also traded Owen Miller to the Brewers to open a 40-man roster spot for Zunino. This is the type of trade that Guardians GM Mike Chernoff has made opportunistically to receive something back rather than releasing players and losing them for nothing. While it will have little impact directly on the 2023 season, it is a sound strategy that has paid dividends in helping the Guardians to build minor-league depth in recent seasons.