Needs for the Guardians are obvious to all. The likelihood of doing what everyone knows is necessary is very slim.

BA is beginning it's winter Top 10 projections and lenghty chats for all 30 teams, one at time. CLE's comes in early December.
Meanwhile today they rate the Nationals and one of their best is LHP Alex Clemmey, a CLE 2nd round draft pick out of high school. Traded for Lane Thomas.
Thomas was a big help getting the G's into the playoffs last season, and his absence was precisely what the Guardians were lacking this season, to hit behind Jose,
If we'd got 2 similar years from him as 2024 the deal could be a win/win. I'm afraid we may be majors losers on this one.

Clemmey is a big strong lefty; only age 20; having reached AA. Control is the question for him.

Ht: 6'6" | Wt: 205 | B-T: L-L
Age: 20
BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
Adjusted Grade: 40

Track Record: The Guardians drafted Clemmey out of a Rhode Island high school in the second round in 2023, going nearly $1 million over slot to sign him for $2.3 million. Cleveland dealt him to the Nationals at the 2024 trade deadline as part of the package for Lane Thomas. Clemmey logged 116.2 innings in 2025 and led all Nationals minor league pitchers with 136 strikeouts but also 73 walks. He reached Double-A Harrisburg in mid August and saved his best work for last, when he posted a 2.04 ERA with 15 strikeouts and five walks in his final 17.2 innings.

Scouting Report: Clemmey’s exciting stuff gives him the potential to become a top overall lefthanded pitching prospect. It will come down to control, after he walked more than 14% of batters in 2025 to rank 11th worst among minor league pitchers with at least 100 innings. The 6-foot-6, long-limbed Clemmey has worked hard to streamline and repeat his mechanics, and his zone and strike rates on his fastball continue to creep upward. Opposing hitters have a hard time seeing his 93-94 mph four-seam fastball that reaches near 98. His arm slot and low release height make his heater difficult to square up for batters of both hands. He upped his sinker usage in 2025 to introduce a new wrinkle. Scouts would like to see him improve his fastball command to his glove side. Clemmey’s mid-80s slider has plus potential but wasn’t the same type of swing-and-miss weapon as it had been at Low-A in 2024. He threw many more changeups in 2025 to develop the high-80s pitch with above-average potential and good fade.

The Future: Clemmey exudes confidence and is a strong competitor with the athleticism to continue improving his command, which will determine his future role. He has the raw talent to become a No. 3 or 4 starter or potentially a high-leverage relief weapon.

Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 40.

Shane Bieber’s shocking $16M decision: Why the ex-Guardians ace stunned baseball by staying in Toronto

Updated: Nov. 05, 2025, 3:50 p.m.|Published: Nov. 05, 2025, 11:33 a.m.

By Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — In a move that stunned the baseball world, former Guardians ace Shane Bieber opted into his $16 million player option with the Toronto Blue Jays rather than testing free agency. The decision sent shockwaves through the MLB hot stove season, with many observers expecting the former Cy Young winner to pursue a lucrative long-term contract on the open market.

On the latest Cleveland Baseball Talk podcast, hosts Paul Hoynes and Joe Noga expressed their surprise at Bieber’s unexpected choice.

“It would qualify as a shock,” Hoynes said. “All along I thought this was kind of a platform year for him. He came back, made it back to the big leagues from Tommy John surgery, made seven starts for the Blue Jays after the Guardians traded him at the deadline, then pitched very well in the postseason. He had re-established himself and was ready to go back out on the post on the free agent market.”

Bieber, who returned from Tommy John surgery in 2025, impressed during his brief stint with Toronto, posting a 3.57 ERA across seven regular-season starts while showcasing a rejuvenated fastball that averaged 92.6 mph. Even more impressively, he performed admirably during Toronto’s deep playoff run, which ended with a heartbreaking World Series Game 7 loss.

The decision appears to be about more than just money, with Noga suggesting it “really does feel like a comfort move right now.” Toronto’s front office features several executives with Cleveland roots, and the roster includes multiple former Guardians teammates, creating a familiar environment for Bieber.

“There was talk, there was a sense that he wanted to finish what the Blue Jays started and going into that, that deep postseason run, maybe there’s an emotional factor there,” Noga explained.

The podcast hosts also addressed whether Bieber’s surprising decision changes how they view the trade that sent him from Cleveland to Toronto. Hoynes wondered if Bieber would have made the same choice had he remained with the Guardians and completed his recovery in Cleveland.

Noga was definitive in his response: “In my mind, I think he wanted out of Cleveland, and I don’t think he knew what a good opportunity Toronto would be. When he found out, that’s why he decided to stay.”

The move strengthens Toronto’s rotation heading into 2026, potentially pairing Bieber with Kevin Gausman. With Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer hitting free agency, Bieber’s decision provides stability to a Blue Jays team looking to build on their World Series appearance.

“That’s still a really a talented ball club and, and Bieber only makes it better,” Hoynes noted.

As Bieber prepares to face the gauntlet of the AL East rather than test free agency, Hoynes perfectly summarized the unpredictable nature of the pitcher’s career choices: “Shane Bieber, the man of the mystery.”

“Well, there you go. When you think he’s going to zig, he zags,” Noga added.

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Ranking all 30 MLB rosters as the offseason gets going

November 7th, 2025

Where does each team start the 2025-26 offseason? It’s not necessarily the exact same place where they ended the 2025 regular season (or postseason).

Even though it’s only been a few days since the conclusion of a thrilling World Series, roster machinations are already in full swing. Players have become free agents, and decisions have been made in regards to contract options and qualifying offers.

What does all this mean? It means that, at least for the moment, Bo Bichette is not a Blue Jay, Kyle Schwarber is not a Phillie, Pete Alonso is not a Met, and so on. Since no one has really made any meaningful additions yet, we’ll kick the winter off by doing exactly what we’ve done for the last several years, which is to rank the teams 1-30 based on their rosters right now.

As usual, we’ll do that using the data from FanGraphs, which use projections based on current depth charts. The fact that some roster spots look nothing like they will on Opening Day is exactly the point. The roster you had a week ago or a month ago isn’t the roster you have now. This helps us set a good starting point to see where everyone stands right now, and what they’ll need to do in order to contend for next season.

The 30 teams, as of Friday, start with …

1. Dodgers
2. Yankees
3 [tie]. Mariners
3 [tie]. Braves
5. Mets
6. Blue Jays
7. Red Sox
8. Orioles
9. Phillies
10. Astros
11 [tie]. Brewers
11 [tie]. Royals
13. Tigers
14. Padres
15. Rays
16. Cubs
17. Rangers
18. Twins
19. Cardinals
20. D-backs
21. Athletics

22. Guardians
Top free agents: RP Jakob Junis, OF Lane Thomas

Biggest needs: Middle infield, center field, right field, first base, pitching depth

We could go on about how badly the Guardians need some thump in the lineup – outscoring only Colorado and Pittsburgh isn’t good enough – but really, we’ve been talking about this annually for about a decade now. There are, to be fair, several interesting young players who could make an impact now or in the near future, like Chase DeLauter, George Valera, Travis Bazzana, Jorge Brito, etc. There’s maybe some pitching depth questions, too, especially given the uncertainty surrounding the future of closer Emmanuel Clase.

23. Reds
24. Giants
25. Pirates
26. Marlins
27. Angels
28. Nationals
29. White Sox
30. Rockies

Mike Petriello is a stats analyst for MLB.com, focusing on Statcast and Baseball Savant, and is also a contributor to MLB Network.

https://www.mlb.com/news/where-every-ml ... -offseason

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No more "uncertainty about closer Emmanuel Clase"