The season is over and I can’t quite let go of my beloved Guardians yet, so let’s take a super early look at the 2027 roster.
If the grief of the season being over is too near, save this article to read for a later day.
First, it’s important to remember that we are unlikely to see baseball games until about Memorial Day. The owners seem set on trying to get a salary cap, the players will never allow that, and owners won’t start to see pain from TV deal issues unless the season starts after June 1st. So, I’d predict labor strife goes until around April 25th, a deal is struck and in place by May 1st, spring training for a month, and then a 100-game season starting somewhere around May 31st. You heard it here first, so don’t stress about the lockout. I plan not to.
When the Guardians take the field, whom do I expect to see there?
Hitters:
Catcher: Patrick Bailey and Austin Hedges
Comments: If Hedges moves on, I’ll believe it when I see it. After a 100 wRC+ season, I suspect he returns for one more run, this time with Bailey taking more of a full-time role. I expect Kody Huff to see plenty of time on the roster as a third catcher and backup first baseman, also.
First Baseman: Ralphy Velazquez and [Outside Addition]
Comments: I know there are folks who will object to this, but the Guardians have another Chase DeLauter-type hitter in Ralphy. Hand him the keys to first base on opening day and don’t look back.
The number one spot where the Guardians need to upgrade offensively is in finding a right-handed hitter who can fill in at first base and DH to upgrade over David Fry. Fry is simply a C-grade option there, and we need a B to A- option. The Guardians tried to upgrade last offseason with Rhys Hoskins. Fail. This year there are three primary options… but are any of them likely to be better than Fry? Ty France (the most expensive of these options), Alec Bohm and Ryan Mountcastle are the free agent names, or they can try to shake someone like a Spencer Steer free in a trade. From August 1st to September 28th, Fry put up a 113 wRC+ vs. LHP but Vogt seemed to have almost no confidence in him to deliver in that role in the playoffs, and that’s certainly understandable. Are any of the four names above especially likely to improve from what Fry can offer? I don’t know, but I think they have to try letting Fry go and trying a different option.
Second Baseman: Travis Bazzana
Comments: Props to Bazzana who has made himself an acceptable defensive option at second base and, with an offseason of prep, should be ready to make the necessary adjustments at the plate to become a consistent threat offensively, while improving defensively as well. I wouldn’t entirely rule out moving him to the outfield with Welbyn Francisca ending the 2026 season on a huge heater.
Shortstop: Brayan Rocchio and Angel Genao
Comments: I’d like to see Genao get a genuine opportunity to win the shortstop job in Spring Training. Rocchio is a good player to have, but I’d really like to see if the Guardians can manage to get more from the position on the offensive side of things given that Rocchio is not a game-changer defensively. I know we are all ready to cut him after this playoffs, but he is a valuable player. Just not an ideal first division shortstop.
Third Baseman: Jose Ramirez
Comments: Reports of his demise were greatly exaggerated. He will be good again. Mark my words.
Left Field: Angel Martinez and Cooper Ingle
Comments: Martinez had a good 2026, but, we are seeing in the playoffs why it is unwise to plan on him being a reliable piece in a major league lineup. If Angel is going to continue to run a first percentile chase rate, he will not produce as a bat in the long term. Pitchers will simply stop throwing him meaningful strikes, just as they did with Oscar Gonzalez, Jhonkensy Noel and Franmil Reyes before him. Personally, I’d like to see the team commit to an offseason plan for Ingle to play left field full-time and let him have the position to start the season.
Center Field: Steven Kwan and Petey Halpin.
Comments: Do not trade Kwan. Try to extend him. But, if you can’t extend him, hold him for the season, let him go for a comp pick and hope Aaron Walton or Jaison Chourio is ready to take this spot in 2028. Halpin is an adequate 13th man on the roster and should not be seen as more than that.
Right Field: Jo Adell and Chase DeLauter
Comments: So, Adell, currently, would be set to rotate at right field and DH with DeLauter. And, we can all see that Adell is best used as a platoon bat against LHP. Will the Guardians for once in their life be in play for a big time free agent like Seiya Suzuki, Randy Arozarena? I HIGHLY doubt it. Do they have plans to bring Kyle Manzardo back into the fold as a DH? It doesn’t seem like it, nor is that some kind of sure thing. Can they pull off a huge blockbuster trade for Yordan Alvarez or Bryce Harper? In my wildest dreams, yes. In the real world, no. How about a more reasonable trade for an Alec Burleson (PLEASE), Bryan Reynolds, Kyle Stowers, Tyler Soderstrom, or Coby Mayo? Well… I can at least imagine that one of these deals could come together in November without laughing at myself terribly hard. It’s certain that even one of those names would make me feel 100% better about the lineup entering the 2026 season. Otherwise, it’s back to hoping Martinez finds some plate discipline, that Manzardo rediscovers his 2024 form, that Ryan Cesarini continues to tear through the minors, or maybe that George Valera’s late season surge was a meaningful event (the last possibility being, admittedly, wildly unlikely). It would be so nice to put a fairly sure thing like Burleson or Stowers where only wishful thinking currently resides.
Starting Pitchers:
Three are clear: Parker Messick, Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee. Yes, it was a bad season for Bibee. I expect Bibee to get in a pitching lab and figure his way to some more whiffs and a solid #4 starter role given that trading him now would be selling him at the nadir of his value. I will say that it was a shock not to see him pitch tonight, so I wouldn’t rule out a trade. Joey Cantillo PROBABLY gets a chance to win a starting spot again, which is also fine. The question for me is who could take the #3 spot (as I try not to lament Luis Ortiz’s stupidity).
Braylon Doughty, Justin Campbell and Franklin Gomez are the most exciting options on the farm, but it’s unclear whether Doughty or Gomez will be ready in 2027, and Campbell’s extensive injury issues leave him a question mark. With a strong offseason program and a good start in Columbus (he won’t be able to play until the major league season starts because he is Rule-5 eligible, unfortunately), Campbell could become an option in fairly short order. The usual fifth starter types are around in Austin Peterson, Ben Lively (depending on what his late-season injury was…), and Rorik Maltrud. I’d like to see them move on from Logan Allen and I want Slade Cecconi in the bullpen. I wouldn’t HATE going into the season with Peterson in the number five starter role and trying Bibee and Cantillo as #3 and #4 while looking for upgrades at the deadline. Could you see the Guardians aim for a Patrick Sandoval, Trevor Rogers, Foster Griffin or Shane Bieber-type in free agency? Could they make a large trade for like a George Kirby from Seattle? I get the strange feeling that WERE they to spend some money, this is where it would happen… but probably not until after the lockout to try to snag someone looking for a seat in a wild, last-minute game of musical chairs. For now, I’ll project a rotation of Messick, Williams, Cantillo, Bibee and Peterson, and I feel reluctantly content with that as the likes of Campbell, Doughty and Gomez (and maybe even Liam Peterson?) continue to develop.
Bullpen:
Projected: Cade Smith, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis, Colin Holderman, Daniel Espino, Shawn Armstrong and Tim Herrin. I suspect the team picks up Shawn Armstrong’s $8 million option (only costing $6.5 million because of a $1.5 million buyout he is already owed), and I like it.
Probably: I would like to see Slade Cecconi make the pen as a full-time reliever. Give him the whole offseason to think about and train for one inning at a time and he can be a high leverage option.
Other Options: Matt Festa, Craig Yoho, Franco Aleman, and Steven Perez.
Comments: I suspect we see the Guardians focus on some waiver wire/minor-league additions as usual, but I definitely wouldn’t oppose seeing them spend a little for a left-handed reliever like Sean Newcomb or Gregory Soto. I don’t find it likely, but a reliable left-handed option in the pen to make Herrin expendable would be a pretty significant upgrade.
As most Guardians fans would have told you prior to games 3-5 of the ALDS and game one of the ALCS, the biggest area the team should improve in the offseason is in hiring a hitting coach/executive from a successful hitting organization. I still strongly believe they should bring someone in to add new insights and life to the current group despite a spark in the playoffs. In fact, bring in more than one someone. This 21st ranked offense since 2019 thing needs a shakeup. The Guardians seem pretty stubborn about believing in their guys at every level, though, so I won’t hold my breath.
The White Sox are not going anywhere and will likely have money to spend. Detroit will likely only take a small step back, and the Twins and Royals are frisky. In a right and just world, the Guardians would make a trade or free agency splash in November to solidify things before the lockout, but I expect them to lean further into development where there are just enough potential pieces of value to make another run at the playoffs a good chance, currently. There are no guarantees, however, and an injury to one of their starting pitchers with the roster as it is currently would be devastating (is Gavin Williams OK?), as would Jose Ramirez not being a 120 wRC+ hitter when he has an offseason to recover.
So, let’s not ponder those possibilities. Let’s celebrate the amazing season that was, grieve what could have been, settle in for a lengthy lockout, and get ready for another year of experience and growth to give us the Guardians’ season we’ve been dreaming of all our lives. Also, I first wrote the first draft of this article after game two of the ALDS and I got to see my team play nine more games after that!