Guardians Continue Striking Out in MLB Free Agency

The Cleveland Guardians just watched as a perfect potential addition just signed with an American League rival.

Sep 4, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Charlie Morton (50) pitches against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians entered the MLB offseason with multiple holes, but one need was clearly the most glaring of them all: their starting rotation.

The Guardians have kind of, sort of attacked the issue this winter, re-signing Shane Bieber and swinging a trade for Luis Ortiz.

But given Bieber's checkered injury history (he is coming off of Tommy John surgery) and Ortiz's overall lack of experience, there is still considerable concern about the pitching staff.

There are a number of arms on the free-agent market who could certainly help Cleveland, and the team just watched as one of them—Charlie Morton—signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles.

That seems like a deal the Guardians absolutely could have made. A short-term pact for a reliable, veteran hurler who eats innings? Why not?

Morton pitched to the tune of a 4.19 ERA while striking out 167 batters over 165.1 innings with the Atlanta Braves last season. Phenomenal numbers? No. Better than what most of Cleveland's starters had to offer in 2024? You bet.

Yes, Morton is 41 years old, but he has been consistently solid throughout his entire big-league career and clearly has something left in the tank.

The Guardians absolutely should have attempted to land him. Doing so would have given them a rather nice-looking rotation that actually could have been pretty good assuming Bieber returns healthy from surgery (which is obviously a big question mark as is).

But instead, Cleveland stood idly by as Morton signed with an American League rival that the Guardians will certainly be competing with next season.

Little by little, the free-agent market is drying up, and it's looking more and more like Cleveland will enter 2025 as currently constructed.

I get that the Guardians are a rather frugal franchise, but when your only free-agent signing of note is 38-year-old Carlos Santana (who they only added as a replacement after trading Josh Naylor), it's frustrating, particularly when you just made it all the way to the ALCS.