Guardians not expected to lower 2026 expectations amid league-altering news

League-altering moves very rarely happen, at least those that seemingly put a team well and beyond every other organization in baseball, including the Cleveland Guardians.

The Los Angeles Dodgers did just that by signing Kyle Tucker to add to their formidable lineup. For months now, they've been piecing together an even better roster following back-to-back World Series titles. The front office has added one of the league's best remaining free agents, who signed a four-year, $240 million deal that includes opt-outs after the second and third seasons.

However, even though this move solidifies the Dodgers even further as the team-to-beat, the Guardians aren't going to let the power-house in Los Angeles stray them away from the team's goals. Following the Dodgers' eye-catching decision to add Tucker to an already near-unstoppable offense, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt remained optimistic about the 2026 season.

"The calendar flips, it's baseball season," Vogt said. "If you don't show up to Spring Training expecting to win a World Series, then don't even come.

"You never know what's going to happen over the next 162 games."

"If you don't show up to Spring Training expecting to win a World Series, then don't even come"

Stephen Vogt is ready to be at Goodyear with the #Guardians #GuardsBall x @WEWS pic.twitter.com/gSbya7bQuf
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) January 15, 2026

Guardians focused on winning World Series

Throughout the 2026 offseason, the Guardians haven't done much.

The front office has gone out and signed three relievers: Shawn Armstrong, Colin Holderman and Connor Brogdon to one-year deals with the club with hopes of bolstering the bullpen.

They've also added a few minor league prospects that may end up seeing time in the majors at some point in 2026, with Carter Kieboom being one of the more interesting reserves. He's a utility piece who's bounced around between teams the past few seasons, but in the minors, knocked a .319 batting average in 2025.

Even if the Guardians' front office remains tight and doesn't add any ceiling-raising free agents, Vogt won't be changing his expectations.

"We expect to go out and win every night," Vogt said. "We are trying to win as many games as we can so we can have a chance to win a World Series. I think when that's our expectation, whatever expectations or pressure is coming in from the outside, it's not as much as the pressure we put on ourselves."

The two-time AL Coach of the Year has a mindset that not many in baseball have right now, as the recent moves by the Dodgers suggest that the competitiveness of the sport is lost. Tucker is going to slot into the lineup next to Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Will Smith, Max Muncy and some of baseball's other top players.

While the Dodgers have elite, experienced players, Cleveland has numerous talented prospects with a high-chance of playing real time on the major league roster in 2026. The only question now is if a home-grown bunch of raw, talented youngsters can find a way to deploy that so-called "Guards Ball" and compete against teams like the Dodgers.

The Guardians will kickstart spring training on Saturday, Feb. 21, with a matchup against the Cincinnati Reds slated for 3:05 p.m.

It'll be an opportunity to see the new-look 2026 Guardians, rather than the 2025 team with a few minor additions, as they look to find another AL Central title and march into the MLB Postseason to fight for a chance to upset the Dodgers.