4 Early Free Agent Targets For Cleveland Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians should already be considering these four players in MLB free agency.

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 10: Nick Pivetta #37 of the Boston Red Sox reacts during the twelfth inning of game three of the 2021 American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on October 10, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) / Billie Weiss-Getty Images

The Cleveland Guardians' incredible 2024 season came to an end on Saturday night, as they were eliminated by the New York Yankees in the ALCS.

Now, the Guardians must look to the future and determine how they can bolster their roster for another playoff run in 2025.

Of course, Cleveland is not exactly known to be a spendthrift organization, so the Guardians will have to plan shrewdly this winter.

Here are four realistic free-agent targets for Cleveland heading into the offseason.

Alex Verdugo, OF

The Guardians' clearest area of need in terms of position players is in the outfield. Yes, they did add Lane Thomas at the trade deadline, and they have youngsters Jhonkensy Noel and Angel Martinez on the come up, but they should definitely add another piece here.

Enter Alex Verdugo, who should represent a very affordable option for Cleveland.

Verdugo slashed just .233/.291/.356 with 13 home runs and 61 RBI this season, but he owns a lifetime .742 OPS and is a terrific defender. Case in point, the Yankees fan favorite boasted a 7.8 UZR/150 and 6 DRS in 2024.

The 28-year-old could probably be had on a relatively cheap one-year deal.

Andrew Heaney, SP

Andrew Heaney is not going to win any Cy Young awards, but he is a dependable lefty who eats innings and has seemed to find himself the last couple of years with the Texas Rangers.

Heaney logged a 4.28 ERA and 4.04 FIP over 32 appearances (31 starts) this year, tallying a respectable 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

The 33-year-old actually really began to find his groove with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022, racking up 110 punchouts over 72.2 frames.

He hasn't exactly posted those types of strikeout numbers since, but the fact of the matter is that Heaney has developed into a solid starting pitcher who would definitely provide the Guardians' rotation with a lift that it sorely needs.

Tyler O'Neill, OF

Doubling down on the idea of outfielders, that brings us to Tyler O'Neill, who is coming off of a terrific season with the Boston Red Sox in which he slashed .241/.336/.511 with 31 homers.

So, does that mean that O'Neill will be out of Cleveland's price range? Not necessarily.

The caveat with O'Neill is that he has a very checkered injury history, having played 100 games just twice in his career since breaking into the majors with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2018.

When healthy, O'Neill rakes at the plate, as evidenced by the fact that he smashed over 30 long balls in each of his two campaigns of appearing in over 100 contests. He rattled off 34 dingers with the Cardinals in 2021.

The 29-year-old lays claim to a lifetime .792 OPS and has historically been a good fielder, although he took a bit of a step back defensively in 2024.

There is a chance that O'Neill could be available on something like a one-year deal with a second-year option.

Nick Pivetta, SP

Starting pitching represented the Guardians' biggest area of need this season, so we should expect Cleveland to be very active in the market for hurlers.

Nick Pivetta may be one of the best arms out there that could be in the Guardians' price range.

The 31-year-old righty tallied a 4.12 ERA with the Red Sox this past season, totaling an impressive 172 strikeouts across 145.2 innings.

Pivetta has particularly been solid over the last two years, averaging 11.5 and 10.6 punchouts per nine innings, respectively. He has also gotten his WHIP down around 1.1, which is a big step considering how much he struggled in that capacity earlier in his MLB tenure.

With so many big-name starting pitchers potentially available this winter, Pivetta may fly under the radar, which could give Cleveland the chance to pounce.