Cleveland Sports Forum

I think the only FAs will be pitchers if any. I do not see an acquisition of a hitter unless they trade Josh Naylor. If healthy they made try to trade Stephan but may not be able to until he shows he is healthy.

Looking at the roster, they certainly need to add starting pitchers,

On the 40 man roster now, starters are
Bibee
Williams
Lively
Allen
McKenzie
Cantillo
Nikhazy
Espino

the only 2 of those who were in the major league rotation all year in 24 were Bibee and Lively. Williams should be better. McKenzie may be finished? Cantillo looked good some of the time. What happened to Allen? Nikhazy has only a part of a season in AAA and is only a marginal prospect,. Espino has been injured for the last two seasons.
That is not a big league rotation.
I can see why some folks have asked if Gaddis might be reconverted to a starter

The bullpen is deep
Clase
Smith
Gaddis
Herrin
Walters
Sabrowski
Avila
Sandlin
Stephan [out part or all of 25?]
Hentgest [out all or most of 25]
Aleman
Enright

A roster currently built for bullpen games.

Cleveland #Guardians RHP Ben Lively avoids arbitration for the 2025 season signing for $2.25MM. Lively was predicted to receive $3.2MM.

Guardians Prospective
@CleGuardPro
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Cleveland #Guardians have traded RHP Peter Strzelecki to the Pittsburgh #Pirates for cash.

Legend Rico Carty dies at 85

He was taken to an Atlanta hospital for intestinal problems by his children, where he has remained since being admitted.

Lidom Editorial

By Lidom Editorial Team

11/24/2024 · 01:52 PM

SANTO DOMINGO. – Major League Baseball and Lidom legend Rico Carty passed away at the age of 85 after spending two weeks in the hospital due to intestinal problems.

He was taken to an Atlanta hospital by his children, where he has remained since being admitted.

Carty's death comes two months after the death of Osvaldo Virgil, the first Dominican player to be part of an MLB roster.

“With a broken heart, the Carty family regrets to inform all of our relatives, friends and acquaintances that our father, Mr. Ricardo Adolfo Jacobo Carty (Rico Carty), lost his battle last night. He was a warrior until his last breath,” his family announced in a statement.

Carty played in the MLB for most of the 1960s and 1970s and is best known for his time with the Braves. In the Dominican League with Estrellas (7 years), Licey (5), Escogido (2), Águilas (1) from 1959-60 to 1979-80.

In Lidom in 547 games he scored 263 runs, 562 hits, 401 singles, 92 doubles, ten triples, 59 home runs, 292 RBIs, 330 walks, 214 strikeouts and 13 steals.

“Few players in franchise history have connected with Braves fans like Rico Carty,” the team said in a statement.

His number 20 was retired by Estrellas Orientales. Inducted into the Dominican Hall of Fame in 1989; Most Valuable Player in 1966-67, 1967-68 and 1973-74; Batting Champion in 1967-68

He went to three Caribbean Series with Licey (70,77) and Águilas (78), in 20 games he hit 25-for-74 (.338), with 13 runs scored, 15 singles, three doubles, seven home runs, 18 RBIs.

“A fan favorite almost instantly after the club arrived in Atlanta from Milwaukee in 1966, Rico left an indelible mark on the Braves organization.”

He was the Most Valuable Player of the 1977 Caribbean Series held in Venezuela when he hit five home runs, reaching 28 bases and achieving a slugging percentage of 1.333, setting records in those three categories that have not been surpassed.

Leader in RBIs with ten, doubles with three and co-leader in runs scored with six, thus completing the best offensive harvest for a series in history. The Dominican team, Tigres del Licey, was crowned undefeated champion. It has been immortal in the CBPC since 1996.

In 34 games with the Aragua Tigers in the LVBP, he exhausted 125 turns, 26 runs scored, 49 hits, 6 doubles, one triple, 13 home runs, 32 RBIs, 18 walks, 13 strikeouts and an average of .392.

Carty's highest home run production in the Dominican League was (9) twice, in 1966-67 with the Estrellas Orientales and in 1973-74 with Águilas Cibaeñas.

He played for Cafeteros de Córdoba in the Mexican League in 122 games batting .354 (401-142), with 61 runs, 33 doubles, eleven doubles, 72 RBIs, 92 walks and 30 strikeouts in 1974.Carty won the 1967-68 Dominican League batting title (.350) and led the Estrellas to the regular season title and playoff championship.

Three weeks into spring training in 1968, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Although the illness “was not as serious as first suspected,” Rico sat out the Braves for the season.

When he reported to spring training in 1969, a rejuvenated Carty tied for the team lead in batting (.333) during the spring, but a dislocated shoulder put him on the disabled list on Opening Day.Rico Carty remained a hero in his homeland, where during his playing days, he returned to the Dominican Republic almost every year to play winter baseball.

“I owe a lot to my country.” He retired as the Dominican League’s all-time home run leader (59). That record was eclipsed, but Carty’s legend lived on.

He did not make it to Cooperstown, but he is enshrined in three Halls of Fame, those honoring the heroes of Caribbean baseball (inaugural class of 1996), Latin baseball (2011) and the Atlanta Braves (2024).

He was an honorary general in the Dominican Army, and once thought he had been elected mayor of his hometown until a recount proved otherwise.

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One free agent who could make sense for every team

It’s time for our annual exercise in which we try to match up free agents with new teams. This list isn’t meant to serve as a prediction of what’s to come this winter, but rather a chance to try reading some tea leaves and connecting some dots. We call it “30 free agents for 30 teams.”

We have only two rules:
1. Every player has to be from another team (no incumbents).
2. Each player can only be on the list once.

It would be nice if the Guardians decided to spend the extra income they earned this year from increased attendance and playoff games. I would be OK with this deal

Guardians: Michael Lorenzen, RHP
The potential loss of Shane Bieber and Matthew Boyd will leave Cleveland not only with holes to fill in the rotation, but also a veteran presence on the staff. Lorenzen pitched well for the Rangers (3.81 ERA in 101 2/3 innings) and even better for the Royals (1.57 ERA in 28 2/3 innings) following a midseason trade, though a hamstring injury kept him out for most of September.

Why Guardians Bullpen Could Be Even Better During 2025 Season

The Cleveland Guardians dominant bullpen may get even better next year.

Tommy Wild | 13 Hours Ago

The Cleveland Guardians were one of the best team's in baseball throughout the entire 2024 season.

There were multiple reasons for this, but the dominant bullpen was the biggest. The reliever group had a 2.57 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP and carried the team when the offense struggled toward the end of the year.

Looking at who's returning for the Guardians and who could have a larger role, Cleveland could have an even better bullpen in 2025.

Guardians Bullpen Core

Let's start with this: the core of the Guardians bullpen is all under team control for the foreseeable future.

Emmanuel Clase, Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, and Tim Herrin should all be back with the Guardians in 2025 unless one of them is involved in a trade, which seems unlikely.

Yes, Clase struggled in the playoffs, but his regular season run was still one for the record book. Plus, Stephen Vogt believes that Clase's struggles could fuel his offseason work.

With Smith being a rookie and Gaddis' first season in a reliever role, they still have room to develop and be even better after a full offseason of training for their specific job in the bullpen.

Then there are the additions the Guardians could add to an already dominant bullpen.

Trevor Stephan

Trevor Stephan missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery during spring training. Let's not forget just how good the right-hander and his splitter were before the injury.

Stephan made his debut with Cleveland during the 2021 season. In his three big league seasons, Stephan has a 3.73 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.56 FIP, and 111 ERA+.

Considering a typical rehab schedule for pitchers who've undergone Tommy John surgery, the 29-year-old may not be ready for Opening Day. However, he could boost the bullpen in June or July and the rest of the season.

Andrew Walters

Andrew Walters was a late-season addition for the Guardians after being called up on September 12. The 2022 draft pick absolutely overpowered minor-league pitching, and a full season with him on Cleveland's roster could take them to another level of dominance.

Walters appeared in nine games for the Guardians and only allowed one hit and no earned runs. He posted a WHIP of just 0.69 and had an opponent batting average of .038.






The Guardians already have a closer and two set-up men on their roster. This depth means Walters's ideal spot in an in-game situation would be somewhere in the fifth or sixth inning, depending on the game and matchup.

An opposing lineup having to go through Walters, then Gaddis, then Smith, then Clase to close out a game is a near-impossible task.

Of course, all of this is contingent on the bullpen being healthy, and injury stints always happen over a 162-game season. However, it does appear that the Guardians will have one of the best bullpens, if not even better, once again in 2025.

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Guardians Season in Review: Angel Martinez

An interesting debut season for the Guardians’ ... outfielder... ???

By Brian Hemminger@BrianHemminger Dec 1, 2024, 12:09am EST

In a season of continued youth influx on the Guardians, no player was younger than Angel Martinez. What should we expect from the 22 year old for the future?

The most interesting development for Martinez in the offseason was a switch to taking reps in the outfield from his previous installment in infield-only roles. Angel ended up with 33 major league innings at second base and third base, combined, and almost 300 innings in the outfield, mostly in left and center field. In the outfield, he was slightly below average with -2 Outs Above Average and 0 Defensive Runs Saved. In the infield, the same size is quite small but has him at 0 Outs Above Average and -1 Defensive Runs saved. His arm looked solid in the outfield... it's his range and jump that need improvement. One can reasonably assume an additional offseason to work on the new role can only help.

In looking at Martinez's plate discipline numbers, he maintained mostly steady values in approach from the minors. He chased slightly more than the natural increase one might expect, so perhaps additional experience and time for growth may help there. His 1.7% barrel rate was the big issue, as he hit fly balls about 41% of the time and pulled balls about 41% of the time. His minor league numbers pulling the ball were closer to 45%, so it's possible he may be able to increase that number. He will have to chase less, pull more fly balls and catch a couple more barrels to make himself look like a future starter for the Guardians.

It's easy to get excited about Angel, as putting up an 83 wRC+ as a rookie and being projected for 94 wRC+ for next season by Steamer is very encouraging. As a person, he seems very kind and easy to root for. It seems clear the Guardians would prefer not to have him play middle infield, so I hope his entire training is focused on centerfield where he has a clear chance to earn a starting role on the Guardians at the moment.

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Baseball’s Winter Meetings are just a little over a week away.

Matthew Boyd to sign free agent deal with Cubs, per report


Updated: Dec. 02, 2024, 4:39 a.m.|Published: Dec. 02, 2024, 4:15 a.m.


Matthew Boyd, who pitched in eight regular season games for the Guardians after returning from reconstructive elbow surgery in 2024, will pitch for the Cubs next season according to MLB insider John Heyman.


By Joe Noga, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Free agent lefty Matthew Boyd, whose successful return from elbow surgery helped bolster the Guardians’ starting rotation during the club’s run to the American League Championship Series, is set to sign a two-year contract with the Chicago Cubs, per a report from MLB insider Jon Heyman.

Boyd’s deal is reportedly worth $29 million over two years with an additional $1 million in performance bonuses available.

thought we had a chance with Boyd. Although 2 years for a guy with his health history is a risk.
would feel better is some starter is signed reasonably soon. It's a pretty thin rotation right now unless Gavin Williams can meet his potential

Boras seems to be changing his strategy -- Snell, Kikuchi, Boyd, and Montas are all Boras clients and signed early.

Is he reacting to Mongomery's criticism? Does he think the market will be tight later on? Interesting change of strategy.

Scott Boras, agent to Juan Soto and other stars, holds keys to MLB offseason
Andy McCullough
Nov 12, 2024
167

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Scott Boras maintains the base of his agenting empire in an office complex in Newport Beach, Calif., but in the afternoons during the baseball season the headquarters shifts location. Sometimes Boras holds court in a suite before games at Angel Stadium. When the Los Angeles Dodgers are in town, as they were throughout October, he stands behind the backstop as a procession of current and future clients, plus suitors for those players, pay him visits.

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The rules of Major League Baseball forbid Boras, or any agent, from stepping onto the field. So people come to him.

In the hours before Game 1 of the World Series, Juan Soto made the short pilgrimage into the seats to chat with his agent and several Boras Corporation lieutenants. About half an hour earlier, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman had made a similar trip. And two weeks prior, before Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen left the diamond to gab with Boras.

The tableau offered a symbol of this winter’s most prominent free-agent contest, the battle between the two New York clubs for the services of Soto, “the Mona Lisa of the museum,” as Boras described him. It also offered a symbol of a question that could define baseball’s next few months: After an offseason viewed as unsuccessful by his rivals, can Boras still make the industry come to him?

During the past four decades, no agent has been more effective at extracting money from baseball’s ownership class than Boras, even in an era where more and more teams are emphasizing austerity. His clients netted more than $1 billion in free agency after the 2019 season. He figures to easily surpass that number this winter. Boras represents eight of the top 16 free agents, according to The Athletic. Soto will command the highest price tag, with a present-day value expected to exceed Shohei Ohtani’s heavily deferred $700 million deal. But the rest of his client list includes former Cy Young Award winners (Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell), a former home run derby champ (Pete Alonso) and a crucial cog on two championship teams (Alex Bregman).

“It’s the talent that runs the sport,” Boras said last week at the General Managers meetings in San Antonio, Texas.


Scott Boras and Juan Soto spoke on the field before Game 1 of the World Series. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)
No agency has more available talent than he does this winter. He will take the group to the market facing a gale of headwinds not dissimilar to the challenges he faced last winter, according to interviews with MLB executives and rival agents, who requested anonymity to speak freely. Some teams continue to grapple with the uncertainty about television deals. Some owners are wary of spending when the expanded postseason offers easier access to a championship. And some executives are increasingly skeptical about the value of long-term contracts for pitchers.

This winter will test the ability of Boras, still spinning out linguistic gems and advocating for his clients at 72, to sell the commodity around which he has built his business — and his influence.

It is not uncommon for Boras to enter the winter as the representative for the best players available. His agency targets high-profile talents before they enter the draft. He also excels at persuading established big leaguers to dump their agents for his services, as he did in recent years with Alonso, Bregman, Burnes, and Snell. With notable exceptions, like Bregman’s Astros teammate Jose Altuve, Boras clients tend to pursue their perceived value on the open market.

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In the winter after 2019, Boras brought three former first-round picks to free agency. He had little trouble finding suitable deals for pitcher Gerrit Cole (nine years, $324 million with the New York Yankees), third baseman Anthony Rendon (seven years, $245 million with the Los Angeles Angels) and pitcher Stephen Strasburg (seven years, $245 million with the Washington Nationals). The Strasburg contract set a record for the largest sum ever awarded a pitcher — a deal smashed by Cole days later. The $814 million trio formed the core of Boras’s $1 billion winter.

Last offseason, Boras had less success. He was pursuing new contracts for four major clients: former National League MVP Cody Bellinger, third baseman Matt Chapman, pitcher Jordan Montgomery and Snell. The terrain had changed since 2019. The pandemic tempered some of the owners’ enthusiasm for spending. The expanded postseason reduced the incentive for building a truly great team. The collapse of the regional sports network model handcuffed teams like the Texas Rangers. Boras found himself trying to sell clients to owners ready with excuses and executives jaded about the value of long-term contracts for aging players.

It is not hard to find examples. Beset by injuries, Strasburg made only eight appearances during his new Nationals contract. He retired in April. Rendon rarely plays for the Angels. Even Cole, a smashing success in pinstripes, hurt his elbow this past spring, which triggered worries about his long-term health.

“There’s definitely a recognition in the industry that these type of deals don’t always work,” one executive said.

When spring training opened last February, Boras had not yet found deals for his four prominent clients. Bellinger became the first member of “the Boras Four” to sign when he returned to the Chicago Cubs on Feb. 27 with a three-year, $80 million contract that featured opt-outs after the first and second seasons. The others all took similar pillow contracts, short-term deals designed as a springboard for a brighter future. Chapman signed a three-year, $54 million deal with the San Francisco Giants; Snell became his teammate on a two-year, $62 million contract; Montgomery received a two-year, $47.5 million deal from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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Because it took so long for the players to sign, and because none received a nine-figure contract, the perception among team officials and other agents was that Boras had overplayed his hand. Several executives suggested Boras underestimated the severity of the television collapse, which affected 14 teams as Diamond Sports Group, the Bally Sports operator, went through bankruptcy restructuring. The situation has not been totally rectified a year later, but Boras remained dismissive about its effect on spending.

“I think that’s last year’s news,” Boras said at the GM Meetings. “They’ve had time. I think it’s something that they are aware of what the next generation of distribution for their product is.”

Boras has defended the quartet’s contracts by citing the elevated average annual value of each deal and the ease with which each player could return to the market. But only Snell will test free agency this winter. Montgomery left Boras after a wretched season that ended with Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick calling the acquisition a “horrible decision.” Bellinger decided to stay with the Cubs. Unlike Montgomery, he remained loyal to his representative. “What stands out to me is how much he cares,” Bellinger said. “He really does care. He cares about me, he cares about my family. And he eats, breathes and sleeps baseball.”

Giants new president of baseball operations Buster Posey, who is also a member of the Giants’ ownership group, had negotiated directly with Chapman to finalize a six-year, $151 million extension in September. The contract demonstrated that owners were still willing to pay a premium for elite players.

Yet Boras had less success with his first gambit of the 2024 offseason. Three days after the World Series concluded, Cole informed the Yankees he was opting out of the final four years and $144 million of his contract. The Yankees could void the opt-out by triggering an additional fifth season at $36 million. A 48-hour standoff ensued. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman relayed the team’s disinterest in adding another year. The team banked on Cole’s zeal to remain with the Yankees and the market’s concern about a 34-year-old pitcher with an elbow injury. Rival executives did not believe Cole could find a new club willing to beat his current deal. In the end, the two sides agreed that Cole could remain on his original contract and take a mulligan on the opt-out. “The Yankees didn’t blink,” one rival agent said.

Cashman declined to puff out his chest when asked about the unusual outcome. He framed the situation as mutually beneficial. “We wanted our player and our ace back, and he certainly didn’t want to go,” Cashman said.

Even so, the opt-out bluff prompted some chuckling last week among attendees in San Antonio, a collection of colleagues who harbor some combination of amusement at Boras’s bombast, grudging respect for his results and irritation at his methods. One executive described Boras as “a little out of touch,” and unwilling to adjust his tactics to the particulars of the market. Of course, Boras heard similar criticism in the winter after the 2018 season, when only two of his clients inked multiyear deals. He responded with the bonanza built around Cole, Rendon and Strasburg. Which is why another executive described Boras’ lack of success last winter as “a one-off shooting star.”

“He’s also got millions of people paid,” the executive said. “He’s one of the best at what he does. I mean, (Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations) Andrew Friedman doesn’t win the World Series every year, and he’s one of the best at what he does.”

Last Wednesday morning, as a crowd of reporters gathered outside conference rooms at the J.W. Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa, Boras stood on a riser. He is the only agent to schedule regular media briefings at both the GM Meetings and the Winter Meetings. The performance even includes a Boras Corporation backdrop. During events often mired by procedural tedium, these events qualify as mandatory, with Boras riffing out metaphors to groans and guffaws.

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On Snell, returning after last year’s dry winter: “There’s no doubt that the Snelling salts have created a lot of whiffs. The market has definitely awakened to Blake Snell.”

On Bregman, a veteran of seven postseason teams: “He’s provided the Astros with that infusion of championship blood. I’d say everything about him is AB-positive.”

On Alonso, nicknamed after a certain ursine mammal: “We hear a lot about the bear market for power-hitting first basemen. For Pete’s sake, it’s the polar opposite.”

And then, of course, there is Soto.

“You can really see that owners, general managers, they’re called upon to be championship magicians,” he said. “It’s what they’re asked to do. It’s hard to do, to put together that magic of a championship run. Behind every great magician, obviously, is the magic Juan.”

As Boras spoke, a meeting of executives let out, sending across the carpeted hallway a parade of men in quarter-zip pullovers and athleisure chinos. Some pointed at the scrum and chuckled. A couple snapped pictures. The majority just went about their day, able to learn about Boras’ latest attempts at whimsy on social media.


Scott Boras media sessions have become a spectacle all their own. (Daniel Clark / USA Today)
Boras does not need flights of rhetorical fancy to sell Soto, who turned 26 in October. He is already one of the most accomplished, feared and revered hitters in the game. He offers power, patience and theatrics, along with a championship pedigree. He helped the Washington Nationals win a title in 2019 and demonstrated his vitality in the Bronx this past fall as the Yankees returned to the World Series. In his only season as a Yankee, Soto posted a .989 OPS, hit 41 home runs, drove in 109 runs and led the American League with 128 runs scored.

Soto was projected by The Athletic’s Tim Britton to secure a 13-year, $611 million contract. Given Soto’s importance to the Yankees and Cohen’s endless trunks of money, that estimate may prove low. And the market may not be limited to New York. The Dodgers intend to move Mookie Betts back to the infield, which creates a convenient opening in the corner outfield. Even if the Dodgers only linger around the proceedings, their presence could drive up Soto’s price. “He’s going to get everything he wants, and more,” one executive said.

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Boras explained Soto intended to meet personally with interested owners as part of a “very thorough process.” Some bystanders pronounced themselves curious about how quickly Boras would act. “He’s got to get Soto off the board,” one rival agent said. “You can’t have Corbin Burnes and all these other guys waiting around in January.” Others indicated Soto’s perceived price tag will only tie up a handful of big-market teams. “I don’t think it matters,” one executive said. Boras was guarded when asked if Soto needed to sign ahead of the other clients. “That is a great question,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s not one that I can answer. It’s one that they can.”

The general expectation, coming out of San Antonio, was that Boras would approach a resolution when the industry reconvened in Dallas on Dec. 8 for the Winter Meetings. The Soto sweepstakes will be the most ravenously followed storyline of the offseason. But the results for the other clients may be a better gauge of Boras’s effectiveness.

Bregman, 30, saw his on-base percentage dip more than 50 points below his career average of .366 this past season. He just underwent surgery to remove a bone chip from his elbow. He has not made an All-Star team since 2019. Alonso, who turns 30 in December, also experienced a significant power outage in 2024, with his slugging percentage falling to a career-worst .469. Despite Boras’s pithy line, the market tends to be cautious about first basemen whose production shows evidence of decline.

The pitchers — a group that for Boras also includes Yusei Kikuchi and Sean Manaea — may also need to practice patience. Only two starting pitchers in last year’s class, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Aaron Nola, signed contracts longer than five seasons. The shorter-term deal with a higher average annual salary has become closer to the norm. Snell experienced that fate last winter despite winning a Cy Young Award in 2023.

Burnes, though, may be good enough to buck that trend. He has surpassed 190 innings in each of the past three seasons and thrived in 2024 while transitioning to the American League East after the Baltimore Orioles acquired him from Milwaukee. He continues to generate outs despite a declining strikeout rate. “These are talents that don’t exist,” Boras said. “We haven’t had anyone on the market like him since Gerrit Cole.”

In the world of Boras’s remarks, his clients often only exist in the context of his other clients. He can create his own reality. Then again, he can often make it manifest.

On the final day in San Antonio, as executives scattered across the country, the New York Post reported that Boras and Soto would soon host a visitor in Newport Beach: Steve Cohen. Hal Steinbrenner, the Yankees owner, was scheduled to pay his own visit soon after. The baseball world is still willing to come to Boras. The rest of the winter will determine the strength of his gravitational pull.

What these 2 deals tell us about the free-agent pitching market


Two more starting pitchers came off the free-agent board in recent days as teams continue to fill the middle and back end of their rotations.

Frankie Montas agreed to a two-year, $34 million deal with the Mets that includes an opt-out after 2025, while Matthew Boyd landed $29 million over two years from the Cubs.

“It takes two solid starters off the board,” a National League executive said. “It signals teams are starting to move.”

Just how impactful these two signings will be in terms of the market remains to be seen, but they serve as a reminder pitching remains at a premium around the Majors.

“I don’t view either signing as having any wide-scale ripple effect,” a National League executive said. “Both signings simply reinforce that starting pitching remains expensive on the free-agent market.”

Matthew Boyd reportedly signs two-year deal with Cubs
Just how expensive? Consider that Boyd -- who posted a 2.72 ERA in eight starts (39 2/3 innings) last season after returning from Tommy John surgery -- has thrown 202 2/3 innings over the past four seasons, topping out at 78 2/3 in 2021 during that time.

“It’s certainly fair to question the wisdom in providing that level of dollars to a starting pitcher who has failed to reach even 80 innings in any of the past four seasons,” the executive added.

Hi! I’m Mandy Bell. My sixth season on the beat has officially come to a close, but these newsletters will continue to be delivered to your inbox each week throughout the offseason. Let’s get into the good stuff.

Matthew Boyd is off the board. Now what?

It’s the time of year when everyone puts their wish lists together, including Major League teams. At the top of the Guardians’ list sit the words “starting pitching.” In a perfect world, that would mean Jack Flaherty or Max Fried. But this isn’t a perfect world.

Cleveland won’t shell out the large contracts to reel in the big-fish free agents this winter. But still, this team has to improve its starting pitching to make sure that 2024 was a starting point for years of success to come (unlike 2022). That’s why Boyd’s name was probably at the top of their list just a few days ago.

Boyd was a perfect fit for the Guardians. They need leaders in a rotation that’s trying to get by on inexperience. He provided that for them during the most critical part of the ’24 season on top of his elite performances.

He ended up agreeing to a two-year, $29 million deal with the Cubs just a few days ago. That type of contract would’ve made Boyd the second-highest paid player on the Guardians’ 2025 roster (as of now). For a team that notoriously tries to be smart with its money, giving that kind of money to someone who has yet to pitch in a full season after Tommy John surgery just doesn’t seem plausible.






So, on to the next.

Again, we have to be realistic with possible targets. As tempting as names like Nathan Eovaldi or Corbin Burnes are, they’ll be well out of Cleveland’s price range. The biggest name still on the market who has a chance of being with the Guardians in 2025 is Shane Bieber. From there, guys like Alex Cobb, Michael Lorenzen or Trevor Williams may be more attainable. If Lance Lynn’s value dropped based on the problems he had with his knee last season, he could be another veteran arm to look at.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these options.

Bieber: It makes sense. Bieber could stay in a place he’s more than familiar with for one more season to prove that he can bounce right back from Tommy John surgery and earn the big bucks next winter that he thought he would be getting now. His reputation will be intriguing for every team out there, but will anyone be willing to spend what he knows he’s worth before seeing that he’s fully recovered? It could mean a reunion with the Guardians, but even if it does, it’s not enough for Cleveland, considering he probably won’t return to the rotation until the summer.






Cobb: As much as the Guardians raved about Boyd this year, Cobb’s name was always uttered in the same breath. The problem was that the team didn’t get as much of a look at Cobb as it did Boyd because he couldn’t stay healthy. In the glimpses the Guardians got, they loved what they saw and they’ve expressed interest in bringing him back. However, given his medical history, this wouldn’t be enough for Cleveland to feel comfortable in its starting pitching depth. More arms would have to be acquired.

Lorenzen: He has the experience, the track record and the success the Guardians are looking for. He should be quite affordable, too. But he’s never handled the type of workload this team desperately needs. Aside from Tanner Bibee, who threw 173 2/3 innings in ’24, the Guardians didn’t have another starter eclipse 155. Plus, Lorenzen was sidelined for most of last season with a neck strain and a hamstring strain.

Williams: When he was on the rubber in ’24, he looked great. The problem was that he was limited to just 13 starts because of injuries. So, like a lot of other starters on the market, there are some question marks with a signing like this; however, it should make him an affordable option for Cleveland.






Lynn: This is the type of veteran the Guardians often try to bring into the mix toward the end of their careers. It’s just a matter of whether Lynn has reached the level of being affordable after some injuries in ’24.

Maybe the Guardians are just waiting for the Winter Meetings to start up next week to really start making moves. Maybe they’ll try to fill their voids through trades rather than signing free agents. But sooner than later, Cleveland’s hot stove has to heat up.






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“He’s a dream as a manager. I didn’t know what to expect in your first year, but when you have an MVP-caliber player that also plays the game the right way, that also makes his teammates better, that has his teammates play the game the right way, you don’t have to have little conversations about effort. You don’t have to have little conversations about hustle because when your best player does those things, you can’t help but do them yourself. What José Ramírez did for us this year was the most fun thing to watch that I’ve ever experienced in 162 games. He’s a special, elite talent and the whole league knows it. Everybody just cherishes what José Ramírez brings to Cleveland and the game of baseball as a whole.”

– Guardians manager Stephen Vogt on the impact of All-Star third baseman José Ramírez

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