Guardians Predicted to Sign Future Hall of Fame Pitcher

The Cleveland Guardians are being projected to land this star pitcher in MLB free agency.

Jul 25, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Max Scherzer (31) strikes out Chicago White Sox designated hitter Eloy Jimenez (not pictured) to become 10th on the all-time strike out list in the second inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

If there is one thing the Cleveland Guardians badly need this offseason, it's starting pitching.

Of course, the chances of the Guardians landing Corbin Burnes in free agency are rather slim, so they may have to go bargain hunting or swing a shrewd trade.

One potential route is pursuing an aging veteran on a one-year deal, and that is why Nick Villano of FanSided is predicting Cleveland to sign free-agent right-hander Max Scherzer.

"The Cleveland Guardians made it all the way to the American League Championship Series, but their starters could not go for very long," Villano wrote. "Scherzer doesn't fix that overnight, but his expertise would give the Guardians a real veteran in the locker room. The Guardians could say no to Shane Bieber, which would give them the money to make this work."

Of course, Scherzer comes with some caveats.

He is 40 years old, and he accumulated just 43.1 innings with the Texas Rangers last season due to injuries. As a matter of fact, Scherzer has had some health issues for three years in a row now, as he made 23 and 27 starts in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

That being said, Scherzer is a future Hall-of-Famer, and he is still effective when healthy, as evidenced by the fact that he logged a 3.95 ERA this past season.

All things considered, Scherzer cannot be the Guardians' only answer, but if they are able to land him as well as acquire another starting pitcher, they could be in business heading into 2025.