Guardians Brutally Ripped for Controversial Decision

The Cleveland Guardians are being taken to task for a major decision they made this MLB offseason.

Oct 17, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez (0) throws to first for an out during the first inning against the New York Yankees in game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians made a major decision earlier in the week, trading former All-Star second baseman Andres Gimenez to the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Guardians then took part of the return they landed from the Blue Jays and flipped it to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for pitcher Luis Ortiz.

It was certainly nice that Cleveland was able to bolster its ailing starting rotation, but James Mastrucci of Away Back Gone is not a fan of the Guardians' overall strategy.

"Coming off a season with an American League Central division title and a run to the ALCS, one would think the Guardians would be adding to their roster rather than subtracting from it," Mastrucci wrote. "In what world does this series of moves make Cleveland closer to contending for a World Series title? The answer is simple. They don't."

The Guardians were definitely trying to shed Gimenez's salary, which is fairly typical for the frugal organization. But Mastrucci doesn't like the timing of it.

"Also, if the front office's goal was to dump his salary and get nothing immediately useful in return, they could have taken this approach a few years down the road when his salary eclipses $20 million per year," added Mastrucci. "Doing it now is just an insult to the fanbase and the remaining players in the clubhouse."

Now, to be fair, Gimenez has fallen off a cliff offensively the past couple of years. After registering an .837 OPS in 2022, the 26-year-old went on to post OPSes of .712 and .638, respectively, in 2023 and 2024.

Yes, Gimenez remains a stalwart defensively, but Cleveland needs offense, and he wasn't providing it.

Of course, that point will become moot if the Guardians don't go out and acquire another bat or two this offseason.