Tracking every former Guardians player who has signed elsewhere after 2025 season

While it may take a bit for MLB’s Hot Stove season to heat up, the time before, during and after the annual Winter Meetings always features a dizzying number of transactions and rumors around baseball. 

This year’s offseason is no expectation, as there have been countless moves involving players of varying skills, résumés and track records. And even if the Guardians have been a bit quiet this offseason, there have been a variety of former players who have signed new contracts this winter. 

These former Guardians have signed deals in free agency  

Carlos Carrasco (Signed minor league deal with Braves on Nov. 8) 

Carrasco had a great 12-year tenure with the Guardians that featured a rough beginning that was turned around thanks to a stint in the bullpen. But, after finishing that Guardians tenure with a subpar 2024 season, Carrasco has been  navigating through the baseball wilderness. 

He broke camp with the Yankees this year and ended up throwing 32 rough innings before being designated for assignment. He resurfaced with the Braves and made three starts before being DFA’d yet again.

But it doesn’t look like he’s ready to hang it up just yet, as he re-signed with the Braves once again on a minor league contract. He’ll enter camp as a depth arm for an Atlanta team looking to turn things around after a disastrous 2025 season. 

Josh Naylor (Signed five-year with Mariners on Nov. 17)

Naylor opened free agency by re-signing with the Mariners after putting together an excellent second half of the 2025 season in the Pacific Northwest. 

He finished the year with a .295 batting average with 20 home runs, 95 RBI and an eye-popping 30 steals across 147 games with the Diamondbacks and Mariners. 

He reached a new level with the Mariners, and was one of the biggest reasons why Seattle came within a game of making it to the World Series. Naylor’s contract is the only multi-year deal that a former Guardian has signed so far this offseason.

Sam Hentges (Signed one-year deal with Giants on Dec. 3)

After missing all of the 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery, the Guardians elected to non-tender Hentges ahead of the Rule 5 Draft deadline. 

Hentges didn’t linger on the market long, as he quickly inked a one-year deal with the Giants on Thanksgiving that was finalized a week later. He hasn’t thrown a pitch in an affiliated game in more than a year and a half due to that Tommy John surgery, but he served a shutdown lefty reliever prior to getting injured. 

The Giants are stuck in a literal arms race with the Dodgers and Padres, and Hentges will be a big part of that so long as he comes back healthy. 

Lane Thomas (Signed one-year deal with the Royals on Dec. 11)

Lane Thomas went from being a Guardians hero to a villain last week by signing a one-year deal with the division-rival Royals to help solve their outfield problems. 

While Thomas was a productive player early in his career with the Nationals, his time in Cleveland was highlighted by some big swings in the postseason and regular season injuries. In total, he finished last year with a .160 batting average in 35 games. 

Amed Rosario (Signed one-year deal with Yankees on Dec. 13)

At one point in time, Rosario was thought of as a future building block for the Guardians after coming to Cleveland in the Francisco Lindor trade. But he ended up being expendable after a rough showing during the 2023 and was eventually traded to the Dodgers at the deadline. 

He’s turned into a journeyman in the time since, as he’s spent time with those Dodgers (twice), Rays, Reds, Nationals and Yankees. 

The Yankees acquired him at the trade deadline and he played well in limited action (he went 10-for-33) and will be back in New York in 2026 on a one-year deal. After playing almost exclusively at shortstop in his time with the Guardians, he’s a true utility player. He won’t be an everyday player with the Yankees. 

Josh Bell (Signed one-year deal with Twins on Dec. 15) 

The latest former Guardian to sign, Bell is back in the American League Central on a one-year deal. 

Like Thomas, Bell had success with the Nationals earlier in his career prior to joining the Guardians, but he didn’t last a year with the Guardians before being traded to the Marlins at the trade deadline. 

He still has the same problems that plagued him during his time with the Guardians, but his signing makes sense for a Twins team that’s still trying to find its identity. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Twins flip Bell elsewhere at the trade deadline.