Cleveland Guardians could let one of their veteran leaders walk in free agency

The offseason came too soon for the Cleveland Guardians, who were hoping to have a stellar postseason run that lasted just three games.

It was a successful 2025 campaign for the Guardians, who finished with an 88-74 record and first place in the AL Central. The good vibes ended fairly quickly once they went head-to-head with the Detroit Tigers, as they lost to them in the AL Wild Card series 2-1.

Now entering the offseason, the Guardians have some big decisions to make with the roster. This might end up being one of the most important few months for the franchise in a while, as making the postseason is no longer acceptable. It's all about getting to the World Series and winning it.

Having such a lofty goal requires making some tough decisions. One of those decisions is what the team should do with veteran catcher Austin Hedges.

Back in 2022, Hedges joined the Guardians in the middle of the season and stayed in Cleveland through the 2022 season. He returned to the Guardians in 2024 and has spent the last two seasons signing one-year contracts, including his return before 2025.

Hedges is a reliable catcher who has been in the majors since 2015. The big knock on his game, though, is that he's not strong at the plate.

Last year, Hedges' batting average was at .161, which was actually an improvement from his 2024 numbers. He also had five home runs and 10 RBIs during the season.

Cleveland sports personality Bruce Drennan, on his show "Bruce Drennan Show" on BIGPLAY, was asked about Hedges and whether the Guardians should bring him back. Drennan had some hesitations about Hedges returning without confidence in his ability to get it done on offense.

"Ah that's a tough one because he's such a clubhouse leader, but boy you gotta hit and improve with the offense from that position. I can see him eventually becoming a coach with that team. I really could, because he's such a mentor."

Will Austin Hedges be a member of the #Guardians next year? #GuardsBall

"He's such a clubhouse leader, but you gotta hit and improve with the offense from that position."

Presented by #mentornissan https://t.co/ouNQklEUGb pic.twitter.com/16qGKydvaI
— Bruce Drennan Show (@Bruce_Drennan) October 14, 2025

Drennan had suggested that the Guardians consider their farm system to replace Hedges.

One name to keep an eye on is Cooper Ingle, who had some success with the Columbus Clippers of AAA and Akron RubberDucks of AA with a .260 batting average, adding 10 home runs and 55 RBIs in 120 games.

If Ingle can show some improvements early in 2026, the Guardians could look at calling him up after being a former fourth-round pick of the Guardians. Cleveland might have to look in the market to see who's available, but with the lack of power at the bat, the Guardians could see themselves moving on from the 33-year-old Hedges.