The Cleveland Guardians Still Have One Trade to Make Before Opening Day

Cronenworth has been one of the most versatile veteran infielders in baseball over the past couple of campaigns.

Sep 24, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth (9) throws to first base but canít turn the double play as Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang (2) slides into second base during the third inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians shouldn't be done making moves prior to the start of the 2026 campaign, at least not yet.

To start the first few games of spring training, it has been obvious that the Guardians have plenty of highly talented prospects scattered throughout the farm system. From players that may be just a year away from promotion to the big leagues, to others that need a few more to fully reach their height, the one thing Cleveland's missing is veteran versatility.

Before the year begins, the Guardians' front office should be considering making at least one more move, with it being for veteran infielder Jake Cronenworth.

Jake Cronenworth hasn't played shortstop in THREE YEARS.

You'd never know it by watching this play 😳 pic.twitter.com/hCC1ENkNrm

— MLB (@MLB) September 7, 2025

Cronenworth is by far one of the most versatile veterans the league's infield has seen in recent years. Whether it's first, second or third base, and shortstop, he can lock down any spot in the infield with brick-wall level defensive abilities. While at the plate, that production remains high as well, as he slashed .246/.367/.377 for an OPS of .744.

For a 32-year-old remain effective at the plate, all while also providing really consistent defense, that's valuable to just about any team out there.

And the Cleveland Guardians should try to make a small preseason move to bring him to The Land.

What Makes Cronenworth Special

This past offseason, it was rumored that the San Diego Padres were going to be shopping Cronenworth, mainly due to the lack of improvements he's made in recent years. He's getting older, and won't return to that All-Star-level form that highlighted his career back in 2021 and 2022.

But for a team like the Guardians, he could slide right in and be a valuable veteran.

Back in 2025, he hit a career-low slugging percentage, which is expected with age, yet still tacked on 20 doubles and 11 home runs on the campaign.

Where he made up for his hitting regression, though, was with his keen eye. He drew the second-most amount of walks in his career at a clip of 69 with a career-high .367 on-base percentage across 135 games played.

Across his six-year career, he's also never had a negative bWAR, showing just how impactful he is at the plate. In 2025, he put up a bWAR mark of 2.4. He may take further steps backwards as he gets deeper into his 30's, but he's shown, at least for now, that he can be reliable at the plate.

And to be honest, he has a beautiful swing.

Jake Cronenworth puts the @Padres in front! pic.twitter.com/snliS2yHwQ

— MLB (@MLB) August 3, 2025

The best part, too, is that he's signed for $60 million over the next five campaigns, making him fairly inexpensive on the books while also being able to be a staple with the Guardians as they develop the current wave of prospects.

His Fit in Cleveland

The Guardians aren't a bad team, that part is known.

They have highly talented youngsters who are going to provide plenty of excitement to the team in the 2026 campaign. But with those types of players, you'll hit bumps in the road and kinks that will need to be worked out.

That's why Cronenworth makes sense to pick up. If Gabriel Arias or Daniel Schneemann struggles at second, Cronenworth can step in and lock down the position next to Brayan Rocchio. If Kyle Manzardo or even CJ Kayfus, who may end up a minor leaguer at first, need a day to rest or just simply cannot be an everyday guy at first, Cronenworth can settle in there as well.

The Guardians aren't currently in a place of trust with a lot of their players, especially Manzardo, Kayfus, Arias and Schneemann. Yes, Kayfus and Manzardo are still young and growing, but they aren't in a position to be fully relied upon yet without a backup plan in place.

Cronenworth would also become another over-30 addition to the roster, helping push the pendulum back into a good middle ground of experience and youth. The team would have to move on from Rhys Hoskins to make a move for Cronenworth make sense, but he certainly is a much more dynamic player.

The Guardians have the prospect depth to sway the Padres into dealing him as well.

Now, in all reality, the Guardians will more than likely head into the 2026 campaign without making any other outside moves, but it's hard to imagine a player like Cronenworth wouldn't be eye-catching to bring in.