Ranking Guardians’ replacement options for Nathaniel Lowe and Foster Griffin

While current free agents Foster Griffin and Nathaniel Lowe both spent a half-season with the 2026 Cleveland Guardians, they both left quite a mark on the team. So much so that replacing the two of them are arguably the two biggest needs on the Guardians’ offseason checklist. 

The good news for Guardians fans is that Guardians president baseball of operations Chris Antonetti went on the record this week and said Cleveland is planning on spending more this offseason, which could move them to the front of the line in talks with free agents who could fill the voids left by Lowe and Griffin. 

With that in mind, here are six players who could help the Guardians combat the loss of Lowe and Griffin. 

The Guardians have plenty of options available to replace Nathaniel Lowe and Foster Griffin

6.) Ty France (Lowe)

France is the top option in a pretty uninspiring class of free agent first baseman, but he has all the skills that would help the Guardians. He’s a solid defender, can hit for contact, and, perhaps most importantly, hits right-handed. 

Every team had a chance to get France last offseason, but he settled for a one-year, $1.35 million contract with the Padres and followed that up with a 21 homer, 72 RBI season. 

That performance has likely put him out of the Guardians’ price range, but it’s still fun to imagine him in the middle of Cleveland’s lineup. 

5.) Slade Cecconi (Griffin) 

Cecconi recorded 21 starts for the Guardians in the first half of 2026 before losing his spot in the rotation when Cleveland traded for Griffin. But he has a chance to get that spot back next season thanks to Griffin’s departure in free agency — so long as Cecconi isn’t traded first. 

Although Cecconi showed some value as an innings eater, he finished the year with a 4.78 ERA out of the rotation thanks to far too many starts where he surrendered a big inning. He’s also due for a slight raise via arbitration. 

Cecconi would be a great depth option for 2027 (the Guardians are having him build up as a starter), but he may hold even more value as a trade piece in this year’s weird offseason. 

4.) Kyle Manzardo (Lowe)

Although it was easy to forget about Manzardo last year since we never heard from him after the Guardians sent him to Triple-A in August, he quietly finished the season with a .820 ERA in 37 games with the Clippers. 

The Guardians clearly still believe in Manzardo, but his future is still murky thanks to the presence of power-hitting first base prospect Ralphy Velazquez.

But even if his path to everyday at-bats isn’t as clear as it was at this time last year, Manzardo’s still an important part of the Guardians’ roster. He should fit into their 2027 picture in some capacity. 

3.) Casey Mize (Griffin)

Earlier this summer the Tigers threw in the towel on their 2026 season when they traded Mize to the Padres along with dealing Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers. 

No one in Northeast Ohio was shedding any tears over Mize being sent out West due to his 2.41 ERA in 33 1/3 innings career innings against the Guardians, but now they have a chance to capitalize on his skillset via free agency. 

Mize’s stock took a bit of a hit after he posted a 7.46 ERA in 10 starts with the Padres, but he should still net a quality contract in free agency thanks to his strong background. 

He’d be a great fit in the back of the Guardians’ rotation. 

2.) Dustin May (Griffin)

May is another mid-level pitcher who would help fill out the Guardians’ pitching depth after an up and down 2026 season. May started the season as a solid middle-of-the-rotation arm for the Cardinals before being traded to the eventual world champion Brewers. 

Although May’s numbers took a bit of a hit during his time with the Brewers, his under-the-hood numbers looked a bit better thanks to a new arm angle. Couple May’s willingness to tinker with his above-average extension and velocity, and suddenly you’ve got a match made in pitching heaven. 

1.) Ralphy Velazquez (Lowe)

Velazquez may be last on this list, but he’s surely not least. 

He may just be 21, but he’s already one of the best power hitters in all of the minors and is coming off a season where he hit 29 homers across Double-A and Triple-A while leading the Guardians’ system in slugging percentage (.548). 

The Guardians have shown a tendency to slow-play their top prospects in the past, but they may not have a choice with Velazquez given how rough the Guardians’ first base platoon would be without him. Manzardo’s a solid option, but Velazquez doesn’t have anything left to prove in the minors.

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