Cleveland Guardians inactivity at Winter Meetings proves inability to contend

When the Cleveland Guardians were eliminated from the MLB Playoffs, their offseason wishlist was already complete.

The team proved that they could be on the doorstep of contention when they erased a 15.5-game deficit to the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central division.

Unfortunately, it was the Tigers that wiped out the Guardians in three games during the Wild Card series.

But it was clear that the Guardians just needed a little bit more offensive support in order to contend. That theory was proven out to be true throughout the rest of the MLB postseason as well. The Toronto Blue Jays forced the Los Angeles Dodgers to a deciding Game 7 based on playing Guards Ball – smart base running, timely hitting and dominant starting pitching.

But the Blue Jays have two players that can mash paired with other contributors that are capable of coming up in big moments – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer.

The Guardians have Jose Ramirez, but have struggled to add a legitimate bat that compliments their perennial MVP-candidate third baseman.

When Josh Naylor inked his five-year deal worth over $92 million to remain with the Seattle Mariners, it became obvious that the Guardians were not going to be able to reunite with him. Naylor’s extension also magnified that the Guardians would be priced out of this year’s elite free agent hitters including Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber.

While the Guardians likely had minimal interest in even contending to land one of those big ticket free agents, they have not been able to land a single hitter. The club has not been completely inactive, as they have added a few pitchers. But hitting is what plagued this team during their last two postseason exits.

Outfielder Lane Thomas landed a one-year deal with the Kansas City Royals, which eliminated another free agent bat.

How the Guardians can still improve

It feels like the path forward to improving this lineup would be through a trade.

The Guardians have plenty of starting pitching and they’ve already done work in free agency to bolster their bullpen. They’ll certainly need top-end bullpen pitchers like Cade Smith since Emmanuel Clase’s gambling investigation has shown no promising signs.

Left fielder Steven Kwan will continue to be a centerpiece in MLB trade conversations, but the Guardians should try to build around his consistent batting average and Ramirez.

Because of their elite starting pitching and ability to develop arms, the Guardians seem so close to contention. But their inability to spend on hitters and improve this offense continues to harm them.