The Cleveland Guardians can and should make notable additions this offseason

With the conclusion of the World Series, the offseason is officially here. It will not be long before teams start to make some moves either through trades or in a few days, free agency. Some teams will be quite active while others are idle, and when it comes to the Cleveland Guardians, they can and should belong to the former and not the latter.

For the first time in a very long time, Cleveland's rotation has become a notable area of concern. Tanner Bibee is the best pitcher in the group, and that is a designation that should continue. Gavin WIlliams should be better in 2025, but that is not a guarantee, and it has become nearly impossible to count on either Triston McKenzie or Logan Allen. Cleveland could re-sign Shane Bieber, but it would be more of a midseason addition or one that would help out more in 2026, should multiple years be attached. But even then, this is clearly a group that needs some help.

There is also a need for another quality outfielder to add to the mix. Steven Kwan is easily the best outfielder on the roster, but the others in the group do not really seem to be full-time starters. Lane Thomas, Jhonkensy Noel, and Will Brennan would be best suited in platoon/part-time roles. As everyone saw last season, it is incredibly difficult to get consistent offensive production when two-thirds of the outfield is comprised of these types of players. Getting a genuine outfield regular on the roster would help reduce the amount and duration of any offensive slumps that are frequent between Thomas, Noel, and Brennan.

Besides the financial commitments to Jose Ramirez and Andres Gimenez, as well as the expected high salary through arbitration for Josh Naylor, Cleveland's roster is full of players who are not expensive. This provides an opportunity for acquisitions of note to be added to the roster and improve a team that won the American League Central and finished with the second-best team in the AL. If signing free agents proves difficult, they could always turn to the trade market, a team-building method that has been quite successful for this ballclub over the years. Either way, this team must take advantage of where they are on their current competitive timeline if they want to accomplish even more next season.