Three Guardians Who Deserve Contract Extensions

Steven Kwan, Josh Naylor, and Kyle Manzardo should be next in line to get contract extensions from the Cleveland Guardians.

We're a little over a week away from spring training games starting. This also means it's contract extension time for the Cleveland Guardians. Over the past two seasons, they've handed out deals before Opening Day to several players including Jose Ramirez, Andres Gimenez, and Emmanuel Clase.

Let's take a look at some of the players who should be in consideration for  

Steven Kwan

When evaluating whether or not a player is worthy of a long-term commitment, it's important to look at how consistent they've been. No player has been more consistent than Steven Kwan making him a promising contender for an extension.  

Kwan has posted a .282/.356/.384 slash line, established himself as one of MLB's best contact hitters, and has won consecutive Gold Glove awards in left field all in his first two seasons.

On top of all of this, the Guardians are lacking in their outfield and Kwan is their only known heading into 2024. Locking him into a long-term deal gives Cleveland some stability at the position group for years to come.

Josh Naylor

The Guardians need to establish a long-term offensive solution in the lineup who isn't Jose Ramirez. Josh Naylor has shown flashes of potential through his first three years with Cleveland, but everything came together during the 2023 campain.

Naylor finished last year with a .308/.354/.489 slash line while leading the team with 97 RBI. He was the perfect hitter behind Ramirez which the team has been searching for for a while. 

Naylor is under team control through the 2025 season, after that, he's an unrestricted free agent. Committing to him long-term would be a win for the fan base and the organization. 

Kyle Manzardo

This one may be the most controversial out of all of them. Kyle Manzardo hasn't seen a pitch at the big league level but he makes the list of players who deserve an extension.

Manzardo has shown at every level that he has the talent to be a star in the majors. He destroyed pitching during the Arizona Fall League last season which really put his name on the map around baseball. It would be great to get the financials

Here's a more in-depth look as to why the Guardians should pursue an extension with Manzardo. 

The Milwaukee Brewers and Detroit Tigers have made similar moves this offseason and the Guardians should follow in their example.