Why Kyle Manzardo deserves a contract extension from the Cleveland Guardians

Kyle Manzardo deserves a contract extension this offseason.

The 25-year-old has shown blips of high-level power and consistency at the plate, two unrivaled characteristics to the rest of the Cleveland Guardians' roster. It seems like it has been forever since the Guardians have had consistent power, with the front office going through a revolving door of potential power hitters.

If Cleveland has finally found their future at designated hitter and first baseman, the front office needs to lock down Manzardo.

The test started with Franmil Reyes from 2019 through 2022. He struggled, piecing together slashing lines of .245/.308/.456.

But he fizzled out and the two sides parted ways.

Then came Josh Bell.

Inconsistent described his play. He slashed .233/.318/.383, with very little home run hitting that Cleveland needed, as he finished his time in The Land with 11 total home runs.

And through both those two experiments, first baseman and designated hitter Josh Naylor was making headlines.

His five-year career with the Guardians had such incredible moments. Walk-off home runs, clutch RBIs and electrifying picks off the dirt while at first. However, with his highs came many lows and after a career that saw slashing marks of .264/.324/.450, while in Cleveland, the front office moved on from him.

They sent Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he played for the first half of the 2025 campaign before being sent to the Seattle Mariners.

With the Mariners, he slashed the second-best line of his career, with his best batting average since 2023 at .299/.341/.490 for an OPS of .831. He also helped march the team through the playoffs up until Game 7 of the ALCS, where they ultimately lost to the Toronto Blue Jays.

But, if Naylor is and was so good, why did the front office move on from him?

The easy answer is the Guardians were tired of the inconsistencies of Naylor and believed his career was trending downward.

They also have plenty of prospects who are looking to fill that void, and one is Manzardo.

He's got the power, he's got the potential and he's got the intensity. Each characteristic is what the Guardians are looking for in a power-hitting first baseman.

Since being called up at the tail end of the 2024 campaign, Manzardo's seen 195 games of action at the major league level. He's currently hitting .234/.306/.447 for an OPS of .753. For a youngster, those numbers are great. They show power and a chance for consistency, especially if he can get more experience and comfort.

This past season he marked 19 doubles, three triples, 27 home runs and 70 RBIs in his first full campaign of major league ball.

He jumped from 2024 to 2025, with a slight decrease in strikeout rate to 24.9% compared from 26.4% in the previous year. He also had a big jump in walk rate, moving from 5.8% to 9.0% and home run rate from 3.2% to 5.1%.

These are all very promising for a power-hitter like Manzardo that can take over and change the game in a singular at-bat.

An extension for the former polarizing prospect would have to cover his arbitration-eligible years since he won't be a free agent until after the 2030 season. If Cleveland finally has a chance to develop a power hitter, they need to lock him down.

He can also play first base well, and if Cleveland is still trying to get an everyday first baseman, this would be the best avenue to do it.

In a world where the Guardians can never seem to lock down players long term, the front office has to ensure that they keep Manzardo in the red and navy.

The current World Series-contending Blue Jays team shows Cleveland that players can succeed elsewhere, but it would be way better to see them thriving while at Progressive Field instead.