The Guardians are risking their AL Central crown with a silent offseason

Jared Bloom

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The Guardians are risking their AL Central crown with a silent offseason image

The 2025 season was quite a wild one for the Cleveland Guardians and their fanbase. They were able to be crowned the AL Central champions for the second year in a row, but it would all come crashing down. 

They were without their All-Star closer, Emmanuel Clase, after he was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave after an investigation took place surrounding suspicious sports betting in July. He would not return, leaving them in a tough position. 

They did not last long in the postseason, either. They were taken out by the Detroit Tigers in the Wild Card, which put to rest a whacky season. 

MORE: Guardians linked to four non-elite free-agent hitters to upgrade lineup

The Guardians are risking their AL Central crown with a silent offseason

Since the season ended, there has not been much news coming out of Cleveland. The Guardians have not done much this offseason, which could come back to haunt them this upcoming season. 

Cleveland came to terms with Shawn Armstrong on a one-year deal, signed Colin Holderman to a one-year deal, and Connor Brogdon to a one-year deal as well. Austin Hedges also returned on a one-year deal. 

If you compare that to what some of the other teams have done this offseason so far, they are far off. You can even look at the Chicago White Sox, who were able to bring in Munetaka Murakami after a few seasons of disastrous baseball. 

Cleveland is behind the eight ball here. Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer believes they are at risk of losing their AL Central crown if this is all they do over the winter. 

"The Guardians project for only 34.3 WAR in 2026, which puts them in the bottom 10 of MLB and ahead of only the White Sox in the AL Central. Which means, yes, even the Minnesota Twins have more talent on paper."

It is shaping up to be a frustrating season for those in Cleveland. However, they still have time to bring in an impactful player, but with how the front office has moved so far, that seems far-fetched.

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Contributing Writer