Should the Guardians bring back Harold Ramirez?

Every once in a while, a team has a chance to rectify the mistake of letting someone go by bringing them back, and the Cleveland Guardians have a chance to do exactly that with a player who has recently become available.

The Tampa Bay Rays have made Harold Ramirez available in trade talks, according to reports, and it could be an intriguing reunion for the Guardians. Ramirez has a .306/.348/.432 slash line with a 121 OPS+ with 43 doubles, 18 home runs, and 126 RBI in 242 games with the Rays over the last two seasons. This is a level of production that could be a welcome addition to the current version of the Guardians lineup.

One potential obstacle that could prevent Cleveland from having any interest in bringing back Ramirez would be his position and defensive ability. There is a reason why the Rays opted to have Ramirez DH in 91 of his 122 appearances last season. Granted, there are better defensive options than Ramirez for Tampa Bay, but Ramirez is not exactly known to be a good defender.

While being a liability in the field is a more than valid reason why people may not be interested in seeing him return with the Guardians. Cleveland is expected to have some combination of Josh Naylor and Kyle Manzardo occupy first base and DH on most days. That leaves the outfield as the only real spot to give Ramirez enough playing time to warrant a move being made. As unappealing as that sounds, a trade-off defensively to improve the offense may be worth it for the Guardians.

This was a team that struggled in multiple categories offensively last season, and the lack of additions this offseason does not appear to have solved that issue. There is the possibility of a teamwide rebound, in addition to some help coming from prospects in the system. But counting on either as a guaranteed outcome is not something anyone should do. This team needs to find a way to improve their offense, and making a move for someone who has turned into a productive hitter with two arbitration-eligible years remaining is exactly the type of move that fits the Guardians' current mode of operation.

Would seeing Ramirez return to the Guardians solve all of their issues? Obviously not. However, it would help raise their offensive floor and hopefully allow this team to be more competitive this season.