Cleveland Guardians 2024 offseason preview: What’s next for José Ramírez and Co. after ALCS loss?

Let’s take a look at the season that was for the 2024 Cleveland Guardians, the questions the team must address this winter and the early outlook for 2025.

Read more: 2024 MLB offseason previews: What’s next for the Orioles, Astros, Phillies and more?

Postseason outcome

The Guardians held serve in the postseason until Game 5 of the ALCS. They saved themselves from a potentially embarrassing end to their campaign by coming back from a 2-1 series deficit to eliminate their division rivals from Detroit in the ALDS before falling to the Yankees in the next round.

Lane Thomas had a solid postseason (.766 OPS) and delivered arguably the biggest Cleveland hit of the year when he took Tigers ace Tarik Skubal deep for a grand slam in the series-clinching victory. Steven Kwan continued to spark the lineup, hitting .381 in October, and José Ramírez (.798 OPS) remained the lineup’s centerpiece.

Jhonkensy Noel and David Fry delivered October’s other big blasts when they homered in the ninth and 10th innings, respectively, in an ALCS Game 3 win over the Yankees. On the pitching side, Matthew Boyd (0.77 ERA) and Tanner Bibee (3.45 ERA) carried the rotation. Unfortunately, Emmanuel Clase (9.00 ERA) had a forgettable postseason. While the superstar closer earned a pair of saves, he also suffered two losses and blew a lead in another game.

Things that went right

The Guardians were carried by their bullpen as much as any team in recent memory. After all, this is a club that won 92 games despite having an offense that ranked 14th in runs scored and a rotation that placed 24th in ERA. Thankfully, shortcomings from other parts of the roster were often erased by the relief corps, which produced a 2.57 ERA that was 0.61 lower than that of any other team. Emmanuel Clase was the leader of the group, as he was the third pitcher in the past 30 years to collect 47 saves and post an ERA below 1.00. The setup crew of Hunter Gaddis, Cade Smith and Tim Herrin each posted an ERA below 2.00 while making at least 74 appearances.

Offensively, the club was led by José Ramírez, who fell one homer shy of a 40-40 season (and the team’s final game was rained out) while topping the century mark in runs and RBI. His .872 OPS ranked 12th in baseball. Josh Naylor was another driving force, as he reached the 30-homer and 100-RBI plateaus for the first time.

Things that went wrong

It’s a good thing the bullpen was so effective because the rotation left plenty to be desired. Tanner Bibee and Ben Lively each threw more than 150 innings while posting an ERA below 4.00. Beyond those two, though, things were ugly. No other Cleveland hurler posted an ERA below 4.80 while making at least 10 starts. Carlos Carrasco, Logan Allen, Triston McKenzie and Gavin Williams were the primary disappointments, and Shane Bieber missed almost the entire season due to Tommy John surgery.

The lineup had a few successes, namely Ramírez and Naylor, but also several shortcomings. Andrés Giménez, Bo Naylor, Tyler Freeman and Brayan Rocchio each appeared in more than 100 games and finished the season with an OPS under .640. Only two players on the team drove in at least 65 runs. Giménez deserves credit for playing outstanding defense at second base, but the other members of the bottom of the lineup made minimal contributions offensively.

Offseason plans

Almost every key member of Cleveland’s roster is under contract for 2025, which gives the front office the flexibility to look for improvements while having fallback options everywhere.

Ramírez will continue to lead the lineup from his position at the hot corner, and though Giménez has trended downward offensively, his glovework will keep him in the lineup. The Naylor brothers will return at first base and catcher. Backstop Bo faltered offensively this year but is just 24 years old and will get more opportunities to improve. The same can be said for Rocchio, who is one year younger than Naylor but needs to make major offensive strides if he’s going to remain the starting shortstop. David Fry appeared at five defensive positions in 2024 and fits well as a utility player going forward.

The outfield is set at two of the three spots. Lane Thomas struggled after arriving at the trade deadline but hit well in September and will return as the center fielder. Steven Kwan is locked in as the left fielder and leadoff hitter, while Angel Martínez and Jhonkensy Noel both hit well enough as rookies to have a chance at a full-time role in right next year. Will Brennan is a useful reserve outfielder, and Kyle Manzardo could get an opportunity as the DH.

The rotation has some pieces in place but will need to bounce back from a disappointing year. Bibee, Lively and Williams are locked into three of the five spots. Joey Cantillo will try to earn a rotation spot after posting an unremarkable stat line late in 2024. There aren’t many options after that. Matthew Boyd fared well down the stretch but is heading to free agency. Shane Bieber is set for free agency while recovering from Tommy John, and there is a definite need for the team to acquire at least one reliable starting pitcher.

Thankfully, the relief corps returns all its key members and can continue to make up for a mediocre rotation. Additionally, if the cost-conscious Guardians would like to acquire upgrades via the trade market rather than free agency, the front office has the luxury of possibly trading one of its bullpen arms to bolster the roster elsewhere.

Overall, if team president Chris Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff want to keep Cleveland ahead of the AL Central competition, they need to add length to the lineup and at least one starting pitcher. This franchise is not known for splashy free-agent signings, which means the Guardians will likely need to get creative with second-tier free agents or trades.

Prospects on the horizon

The Guardians have always relied on the principles of player development, and their current group of prospects has oodles of potential.

Travis Bazzana instantly became the farm system’s headliner when he was chosen first overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. The 22-year-old second baseman has tremendous hit tools and plus speed, and he could reach the majors by the middle of next season. Bazzana posted a remarkable 1.479 OPS in his final NCAA season.

Chase DeLauter, the team’s first-round pick in the 2022 draft, is likely the next significant prospect who will dent the Guardians’ roster. The outfielder has dealt with injuries over the past two seasons, which resulted in his playing in just 96 minor-league games. But he rose through three levels this year and projects to hit for power and average as soon as he reaches the majors.

The team’s other top prospects, Jaison Chourio, Ralphy Velazquez and Angel Genao, should eventually make a major impact but won’t debut until 2026 at the earliest.

Goals for 2025

The Guardians are quietly one of the most consistent franchises in baseball. They have posted a winning record in 10 of the past 12 seasons and finished first or second in the AL Central in eight of the past nine campaigns. But staying ahead of the competition is getting harder, as the Royals and Tigers have seemingly turned the corner in their long rebuilds and the Twins continue to field a competitive club.

There is no doubt that Cleveland’s goal should be to repeat as division champs, but the likelihood of the Guardians doing so will depend on the organization’s aggressiveness this offseason.

Fantasy focus

Ramírez is the headliner of Cleveland’s fantasy assets, and he will be a first-round selection in every 2025 draft. Clase is the next man on the roster who will have his name called, as he’ll be the top closer in the eyes of virtually every drafter.

The next tier of Guardians — Josh Naylor, Kwan and Bibee — will be selected in the range of Rounds 6-10. In roto leagues, Thomas and Giménez will be good options in the second half of drafts, thanks to their ability to steal bases.