The Cleveland Guardians have pretty much done nothing this offseason, to the annoyance of superstar Jose Ramirez. The Guards need to get him some offensive help, and they need to do it now.
Luckily for them, there’s an offensive upgrade they’ve been linked to in the past still waiting to sign with somebody. Fansided’s Christopher Kline predicts the Guardians will find their offensive help by signing All-Star Marcell Ozuna.
“The Cleveland Guardians have largely ignored free agency so far, undoubtedly to the chagrin of José Ramírez. Stephen Vogt understands how to muck up a game and win on technique and strategy, but the Guardians don't stand a chance in October without material improvements to the lineup. Marcell Ozuna would be a smart one-year signing. He can still deliver 25-plus homers in his sleep, assuming health. If Chase DeLauter, Travis Bazzana and other top prospects pop off, suddenly Cleveland has real juice,” Kline wrote.
This past season, Ozuna slashed.232/.355/.400/.756 with 19 doubles, 21 home runs, and 68 RBI in 145 games. He was a top MVP candidate in the year before that, so he’s not showing many signs of really slowing down.
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He’ll also only projected to cost $27 million over two years. For a mid-market team like Cleveland, this could be a match made in heaven.
Hopefully, the Guards realize this and get to work on signing him. Then, they may have a real chance of winning the division once again.
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