USA Today Grades The Guardians Offseason
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While we're technically still in the offseason, all of the major moves we expected to see before Opening Day have happened. Perhaps one or two trades will occur, but for the most part, the rosters we see will be the ones teams enter the season with.
With that being said, Bob Nightengale and Gabe Lacques of USA Today went through and graded each of the team's offseasons.
The Guardians made some big moves over the winter in order to fill some of the glaring holes on their roster.
Their first was to go out and sign Josh Bell and bring him in to man the middle of the lineup. Cleveland was in need of some pop in their lineup and they went on to get someone who won a Silver Slugger last season.
Their other move was to bring in Mike Zunino to handle the pitching staff while also providing some offense at the plate. The Guardians virtually had no offensive production from their two catchers last year, so Zunino will be an upgrade even if he doesn't return to his 2021 form.
With both of these moves in mind, USA Today gave the Guardians a "B" for their off-season grade. This was their reasoning:
Josh Bell will be a very nice switch-hitting addition. Yet many doubts remain about whether the club will ever commit to a significant free agent or retain a star like Shane Bieber, beyond Jose Ramirez’s team-friendly extension.
I understand the perspective they're coming from. However, I think it's a little unfair to grade the Guardians based on them not signing Shane Bieber to an extension even when he has multiple years of team control left.
This should be about the moves Cleveland made, not the ones they didn't.
This is nothing new though. The national media counted out the Guardians last season and it appears it's more of the same in 2023.
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Read More:
This Is Where The Athletcs Ranks The Guardians Farm System
How And Where To Watch The Guardians Spring Traning Games
The Bright Lights Will Be On The Guardians In 2023
The Guardians 2023 Schedule Will Look Different Than Past Years
Cleveland Baseball Insider's 2023 Guardians Top 50 Prospects, NO. 49 OF Jorge Burgos
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