Cleveland Guardians Focusing on Upgrading This One Position in 2026-27 Offseason

After putting together a strong 2026 campaign that saw the Cleveland Guardians make the American League Championship Series, the front office is focused on upgrading this area more than the others.

Oct 19, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Erik Sabrowski (62) pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 2026-27 MLB Offseason is here.

Following a season where the Cleveland Guardians defied many odds placed upon them, finishing first in the American League Central and making it all the way to the Championship Series, the team now enters the offseason window with new expectations.

Instead of sitting around and attempting to run things back with a small market squad, the Guardians' front office is going to be forced to spend some money. The ongoing discussions between MLB and the MLBPA are expected to see major changes to the amount that teams spend, especially on the lower end.

On Sunday, Nov. 15, ESPN's Jesse Rogers reported that the Guardians are expected to prioritize the pitching staff and strengthen that area of the roster, more than anything else.

“The end of the Guardians’ 2026 season, which featured a strong final regular-season stretch and a playoff run that brought them two wins from the World Series, was informative," he wrote. "And because of it -- for once -- they’re not as desperate to add hitting as they normally are.

"The team will focus on deepening a pitching staff that nearly helped carry the club to the Fall Classic. The Guardians like their immediate future."

This past season, countless youngsters such as Travis Bazzana and Chase DeLauter emerged from the minor league system to bring more productivity to the Guardians' offense. As long as they continue to develop and grow this offseason, along with others, that side of Cleveland's roster should continue to be efficient.

Rogers' Report Shouldn't Be Too Surprising

Oct 27, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Dustin May (21) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning in game four of the 2026 World Series at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Over the last few days, rumors have floated around that the Guardians were in the market to add to the pitching staff, not just Rogers'

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported that the Guardians were battling the New York Yankees for left-hander Tim Hill, and CBS Sports Jim Bowden said that the Guardians were one of nine teams interested in right-handed starter Dustin May.

Those two reports, combined with Rogers', really amplify the belief that the Guardians are going to be active in the pitching market this offseason.

While there are certainly going to be some righties on Cleveland's target list, with May being a perfect example, 2026 exposed how badly the team needs a few reliable left-handed additions to the staff. They tried to go out and add Foster Griffin at the trade deadline, but he didn't quite pan out the way many expected him to.

Here are a few lefties the Guardians could target as the free agency window continues:

Top left-handed relief pitchers on the market:

LHP Adrian Morejón — San Diego Padres
LHP Alex Vesia — Los Angeles Dodgers
LHP Sean Newcomb — Chicago White Sox
LHP JoJo Romero — St. Louis Cardinals
LHP Gregory Soto — Baltimore Orioles

Each of these lefties is a reliever, and with plenty of experience under their belts, they would be valuable additions to the Guardians' bullpen staff in 2027. However, unlike Hill who they missed out on, Morejon, Vesia, Newcomb, Romero and Soto will all command much bigger contracts.

With Erik Sabrowski and Tim Herrin struggling for much of the 2026 season, and no clear left-hander in the minors to make the jump to the big leagues, the front office should feel comfortable breaking the bank a bit to land a reliable lefty.

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The Guardians may only land one or two free-agent arms this offseason, but that may be all they need. After all, the last thing the organization wants to do is make too many changes and go backwards.

As the offseason continues to chug along, all eyes will be on how small-market teams like the Guardians adapt and adjust to the changes that could be coming to the salary cap and economic structure of the league.