Pair of Guardians pitchers considered among best impending free agents

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There is still a month and a half to go in the regular season and a full slate of playoffs to be played, but it is never too early to look at impending free agents. The Cleveland Guardians may not have a large number of highly regarded players who could hit free agency, but they do have a couple of notable names in a recently compiled list of the best players who may be available to sign appearing in The Athletic (subscription required).

Jim Bowden put together his list of The top 50 potential MLB free agents: Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes to lead strong class. Soto and Burnes are just a few names at the top of the list here that are going to be getting ready for massive paydays. There are plenty of household names that may be available that will receive plenty of attention for how they navigate free agency. While the names in this list wearing a Guardians uniform this season may not fit this description, they will still be sought after once free agency begins.

Anyway, the Guardians have two entries into this list put together by Bowden. While they may not be considered free agent class leaders, at least one of them should be able to make an impact next season wherever they end up playing.

42. Alex Cobb

Even though Alex Cobb has exactly one start under his belt with the Cleveland Guardians, he still finds himself ending up on this list. Cobb missed all of the regular season up until this past weekend due to recovering from hip surgery that took place this past offseason. The injury and subsequent recovery were clearly no concern to the Guardians, as they were willing to take a chance on Cobb in their efforts to win the American League Central and go on a run in October.

While Cobb will probably not skyrocket up this list due to his advanced age (36), there is still plenty of room for him to move up or down, depending on his performance the rest of the way. A good performance could see him making his way into the mid-30s, while a bad one may result in him falling off of this list entirely.

Regardless of how Cobb performs the rest of the way, there is going to be some team that takes a chance on him at some point this offseason. Cobb may be on the older side, and those players have been getting squeezed in free agency for quite some time, but with a lengthy proven track record like his and his recent success (2023 All-Star selection), a team will definitely come calling to sign him to a deal.

12. Shane Bieber

Of the two players listed, Shane Bieber is the one that was alluded to previously. Bieber is yet to turn 30, has pitched well enough to win the Cy Young Award in the past, and is someone who has proven capable of being a team's number starter.

The only area of concern when it comes to Bieber is that he pitched all of 12 innings this season before having to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery. Even though the proposition of having Tommy John is a lot less daunting now than it was back in the day, it is still no guarantee that he will be back to his former self any time soon or ever, for that matter.

Signing Bieber is a risky proposition for any team that is considering that option. Bowden does name the Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers as teams that may be willing to take a gamble on Bieber, but it may not be wise to count the Guardians out so quickly. Cleveland has the upper hand regarding the specifics of his injury and how he is progressing. Additionally, the Guardians may feel a little more comfortable with the prospect of giving Bieber a little more money than other clubs due to the familiarity with who he is as a pitcher, even though they are one of the more risk-averse organizations in the sport.

42. Alex Cobb

12. Shane Bieber

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