"Cleveland went on an improbable run to its third AL Central title in four seasons in 2025, rattling off a blistering 20-7 record in September to edge out Detroit, who'd led the division for much of the summer. Strong play from the Guardians alone wouldn't have gotten the job done; they needed the Tigers to also collapse in epic fashion. Detroit obliged, going 7-17 in September to squander what been an 11-game division lead as deep into the season as Sept. 4."
"The Guardians hit .226/.296/.373 as a team last season. The resulting 87 wRC+ (indicating their offense as a whole was 13% worse than average) ranked 28th in the majors. Cleveland ranked 28th in baseball with 643 runs scored and 29th in each of batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage."
"Entering the offseason, it was easy to presume that a Cinderella run of this nature, coupled with practically no long-term commitments and one of the lightest slates of 2026 financial obligations of any team in the sport would have emboldened the Guardians to add to what was an anemic offense. Any such presumptions have been proven incorrect."
The Cleveland Guardians captured their third AL Central title in four years in 2025 through an improbable run, posting a 20-7 September record to overtake Detroit, who squandered an 11-game division lead. Despite this success and minimal long-term financial commitments, the Guardians made virtually no offseason additions and entered spring training with one of their lowest payrolls in over a decade. The team's offense ranked 28th in baseball with a .226 batting average, 87 wRC+, and 643 runs scored. Only José Ramírez and Kyle Manzardo achieved league-average offensive production, highlighting the need for offensive improvements that the organization failed to address.
#guardians-offseason-inactivity #al-central-championship #offensive-deficiencies #payroll-constraints #roster-construction
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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