2026 MLB payroll projections show how far the Cleveland Guardians fall behind peers

The Cleveland Guardians made a miraculous run to win the American League Central in 2025, one year after reaching the ALCS in 2024 as division champions. Basic logic may indicate the team would try to add elite talent to end a World Series drought that has lasted since 1948 as soon as possible.

Conversely, team leadership may say there's no point to overspend if the team is consistently competing in postseason play.

This has become an annual realization for fans. That realization is driven home even harder when seeing how the Guardians compare to their peers. A recent tweet from SleeperGuardians highlights the problem.

Following back-to-back divisional titles, the Guardians are projected to have the second lowest payroll in 2026 😬 #GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/pCRy3AYqZC
— SleeperGuardians (@SleeperGuards) December 23, 2025

The above tweet grabs its information from Spotrac, which ends up revealing some tough findings for Guardians fans.

In terms of projected cash payroll, the Guardians currently sit at 28th with a projected amount of roughly $84 million. If we factor in luxury tax and assorted charges, the Guardians have a projected total tax-included payroll of roughly $93 million, which ranks 29th in MLB. This has the Guardians consistently sitting alongside the likes of the Miami Marlins, Pittsburgh Pirates, and the nameless Athletics. Those teams are nowhere near as talented as the Guardians are right now and are certainly not lined up for success in October.

Spending a fortune is not going to automatically win the Guardians a World Series. But it would boost fan excitement and potentially provide a real spark that could galvanize the entire team for the length of the season.

There is one internal move that could achieve a similar goal. That is handing out a long-term extension to Steven Kwan before he enters his final year of team control in 2027. But given recent roster trends, what would be an easy choice for most teams may be a more complicated decision for the frugal front office in Cleveland. They are also in no rush and may gauge his trade value throughout the year.

It is fair for fans to be frustrated given the current state of MLB. The Guardians may not hit $100 million in payroll, while the Los Angeles Dodgers are well over $300 million annually. That is also why the league may be headed for a shutdown once the current CBA is up next year.

Getting angry about the payroll is not going to change anything. That leaves fans in a frustrating spot once again in what always feels like a long and boring MLB offseason in Cleveland.