Three Free Agents the Guardians Should Sign

The Cleveland Guardians (still feels weird) have some serious holes that they need to fill before the start of the 2022 MLB season. A name change isn’t going to do much to improve the product on the field, but there are some players out there that can help. 

Outfield seems to be the biggest area of need for the Guardians, but some more starting pitching wouldn’t hurt either. Cleveland saw its season fall apart after injuries to some starters and more depth in the rotation is never a bad thing. 

There is a long list of free agents available, but not all of them make sense for the Guardians. Here are three potential free agent targets that the Guardians should go after to improve their team. 

Pitcher Jon Gray

Pitching is always coveted by teams throughout baseball in free agency, and it’s not always the biggest names on the list. Cleveland isn’t going to be a team that will pay big money to land an ace, but Jon Gray is a player that makes a ton of sense. 

You are going to hear Gray’s name mentioned a lot this offseason as he is on the shortlist for many teams. The former Colorado Rockies ace became a free agent after the team decided to not offer an option. 

Gray has been extremely successful in his career, even managing to pitch well at Coors Field. His career ERA of 4.59 might look bad on paper, but there is plenty to like in the middle of the rotation. 

Cleveland can’t afford to get into a bidding war for Gray, but he would be a great player to add if the right deal presents itself. 

Outfielder Kyle Schwarber

This might be hard for Guardians fans to read, but Kyle Schwarber would be a tremendous pickup. Schwarber already has shown that he loves hitting at Progressive Field, but unfortunately, that was done in the 2016 World Series.

The biggest knock on Schwarber is that he doesn’t really have a position, but it’s hard to ignore his bat. Few players in baseball have as much raw power as Schwarber, and he would provide plenty of thunder in the lineup. 

Cleveland could use the former Cubs star as DH next season, but Schwarber can also play left field and first base. Scoring runs were an issue for the Indians/Guardians in 2021 and the addition of Schwarber would change that. 

Outfielder Nick Castellanos

If the Guardians want to swing big this offseason then Nick Castellanos is the player that they should go for. Guardians fans might remember Castellanos for his time in Detroit, but he was also solid with the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds as well.

Castellanos is not a good defender, but he is able to make up for it with what he does at the plate. He was awarded a Silver Slugger Award this season, and he would provide some serious pop in the middle of the lineup. 

Castellanos is likely going to get a multi-year deal from some team, but the Guardians should at least give this a serious look.