Guardians Hit With Rough Take For MLB Free Agency

Cleveland Guardians fans may have to temper their expectations this MLB offseason.

Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) celebrates with Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (38) at home after his two-run homer during the fifth inning of the Cleveland Guardians' home opener against the Chicago White Sox, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK

Cleveland Guardians fans are hoping that their beloved ballclub will be active in MLB free agency this offseason, but the truth of the matter is that probably won't happen.

At least not to the extent that the fan base is hoping.

The Guardians are a notoriously frugal organization and are not prone to handing out big contracts, meaning that if they do make some moves this offseason, they will likely be relatively small ones.

And would big-name free agents even want to join Cleveland?

Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer ranked all 30 MLB franchises based on their ability to land free agents, and he had the Guardians ranked 19th.

"Guardians fans know the drill. Their team has barely spent more than the Reds in free agency over the last three decades, and never more than $60 million on a single player," Rymer wrote.

While Rymer didn't entirely rule out a significant signing, history says otherwise.

He also credited Cleveland for having "one of the best front offices in the majors," but also added the caveat that the Guardians "almost certainly overachieved this season."

Really, Cleveland's stock as a free-agent destination has more to do with the fact that the organization doesn't really spend money than anything else.

Rymer notes that the city of Cleveland offers a solid quality of life and that any player who joins the Guardians would probably be playing for a team that wins games.

All things considered, it will probably be a quiet offseason for Cleveland, which just finished three wins shy of a World Series appearance.