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Make fun of the guy all you want, but I think he brings a lot of good stories and player information you wouldn't ordinarily find from any other sources. I've learned a lot from his articles that I couldn't find elsewhere.

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Happy New Year, and welcome back to the Guardians Beat newsletter! My name is Tim Stebbins, and 2025 was my first season covering Cleveland for MLB.com.

CLEVELAND -- It doesn’t seem all that long ago when we watched the Guardians celebrate at Progressive Field after they finished off a historic comeback to clinch the American League Central title.

And yet, the new year is upon us, and we’re only about one month away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training. The Guardians will then open Cactus League play on Feb. 21, and Opening Day will follow soon after on March 26.

It’s not too soon to begin looking ahead to the 2026 campaign. Here are five early intriguing storylines ahead for the Guardians.








Ramírez’s push for 300

When José Ramírez belted a solo home run in the first inning of the Guardians’ 6-0 win over the Twins on Sept. 20, he became the first Cleveland player to record three seasons with 30 homers and 30 steals. More history awaits the 33-year-old this year.

Ramírez’s homer against Minnesota was No. 285 in his decorated career. He’s on the precipice of becoming the second player to hit 300 home runs in a Cleveland uniform, following franchise home run leader Jim Thome (who hit 337). When Ramírez hits his 15th homer in 2026, he’ll become the 20th third baseman in MLB history to hit 300 long balls (minimum 50 percent of games played at the position).

It felt like Ramírez made some form of history each week in 2025, and that only figures to continue in ’26.







A longer look at DeLauter

Chase DeLauter stands as one of the Guardians’ most intriguing players heading into Spring Training. The 24-year-old (who’s ranked as Cleveland’s No. 2 prospect and No. 58 overall by MLB Pipeline) will be vying for a spot on the Opening Day roster after he made his big league debut on the postseason stage this past fall.

DeLauter has long been one of Cleveland’s top prospects; health is the only thing that has slowed his big league timeline. He provided a taste of what he can do in the AL Wild Card Series against the Tigers, and that may only be an appetizer to what he contributes in 2026.








The starting rotation composition

The Guardians’ starting rotation was their biggest question mark heading into 2025. The staff ended the season as Cleveland’s biggest strength, and it’s shaping up to be one of the club’s most intriguing positional groups to watch in Spring Training.

The Guardians have six viable starters in Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Slade Cecconi, Logan Allen, Joey Cantillo and Parker Messick. But they are set to go back to a five-man rotation this season, after ending 2025 with a six-man rotation that spurred the division title, and expect to have competition with the group this spring.

Cleveland’s rotation ranked second in the Majors with a 2.60 ERA in September. There's flexibility within the unit; Cantillo has experience pitching in relief and Messick has Minor League options remaining. But however the staff shakes out, it will look to build upon its 2025 momentum in ’26.








Closer Cade

The Guardians have to plan this winter as if they won’t have Emmanuel Clase, and they’re set to turn to Cade Smith in the ninth inning next season after he took over closing duties down the stretch in 2025. Our first extended look at Smith in that role was promising.

Clase went on non-disciplinary paid leave amid an ongoing MLB investigation on July 28. From that point through the end of the regular season, Smith logged a 2.79 ERA and a 1.76 FIP with 39 strikeouts in 29 innings over 30 appearances, while converting 13 of his 17 save opportunities.

Smith has proven to have a slow heartbeat over his first two seasons in the Majors, and we’re set to get a larger look at his steadiness at the back end of games for the Guardians in 2026.








Bazzana’s timeline

DeLauter could make his regular-season debut on Opening Day, and Travis Bazzana’s MLB debut may not be too far behind. Bazzana (the Guardians’ No. 1 prospect, No. 17 overall) finished last season with Triple-A Columbus, following his promotion to the Clippers on Aug. 10, putting the 2024 No. 1 overall Draft pick one step away from The Show.

Bazzana will all but assuredly open 2026 with Columbus, and the Guardians will not rush him to the big leagues. But it’s not far-fetched to envision the 23-year-old wearing a Cleveland uniform come summertime. His status will be an ongoing storyline this spring and come the start of the Minor League season.


QUOTABLE

“We may have to win 120 games. I don’t know. It’s pretty cool. I’m very honored and really just proud of our guys.” -- Manager Stephen Vogt, quipping to reporters at the Winter Meetings when asked what he could do to win a third straight AL Manager of the Year Award in 2026

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Cardinals Acquire Justin Bruihl, Designate Zak Kent For Assignment

By Darragh McDonald | January 6, 2026 at 2:25pm CDT

The Cardinals have acquired left-hander Justin Bruihl from the Guardians in exchange for cash considerations, according to announcements from both clubs. Bruihl had been designated for assignment by Cleveland last month. Right-hander Zak Kent has been designated for assignment by the Cards today in a corresponding 40-man roster move.

It’s the second cash deal of the winter for Bruihl, who will turn 29 in June. The lefty began the offseason with the Blue Jays but was bumped off the roster when Toronto signed right-hander Tyler Rogers last month. The Guardians sent some cash north of the order to grab Bruihl but then designated him for assignment three days later when they signed Shawn Armstrong. DFA limbo normally lasts a maximum of one week but there are different rules around the holidays, so Bruihl was hanging out there for almost three weeks.

He now finally has some resolution and it could be a good spot for him to carve out some big league playing time. Bruihl posted good numbers in 2025 but exhausted his final option season, which pushed him to the fringes of Toronto’s roster. The Jays have been busy upgrading their pitching staff for another run at competing in 2026 and bumped Bruihl off. Cleveland had one of the best bullpens in the league last year and was also going to have a tough time keeping the southpaw around for long.

But the Cardinals are rebuilding and should therefore have a bit more breathability in their relief group. JoJo Romero is currently the top lefty in their projected bullpen but he is one year away from free agency, making him likely to be traded in the coming weeks. If Romero is dealt, that would leave Bruihl and Nick Raquet as the two lefty relievers on the St. Louis 40-man roster. Raquet was called up late in the 2025 season and has just two big league innings under his belt.

Bruihl has thrown 89 2/3 innings over multiple seasons between the Dodgers, Rockies and Blue Jays. Toronto only let him throw 13 2/3 big league innings in 2025 but he fared decently, despite posting a 5.27 earned run average. His 10.8% walk rate was a bit high in that small sample but his 27.7% strikeout rate and 46.2% ground ball rate were both a few ticks better than average. He also logged 42 Triple-A innings last year with a 3.43 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate, 9.1% walk rate and 58.4% ground ball rate.

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Guardians re-sign veteran catcher to minor league deal with spring-training invitation

Updated: Jan. 07, 2026, 5:32 p.m.|Published: Jan. 07, 2026, 11:59 a.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The main reason for spring training is to get pitchers ready for the regular season. Presently, the Guardians have 24 pitchers scheduled to report to Goodyear, Arizona, on Feb. 10.

A lot of catchers are needed to take care of that number of pitchers, and the Guardians added another one Wednesday when they announced the signing of Dom Nunez to a minor league contract with an invitation to big-league camp.

The Guardians currently have three catchers on the 40-man roster in Bo Naylor, Austin Hedges and David Fry. Nunez and Cameron Barstad, another non-roster invitee, make five, but more are expected.

Nunez has spent the last two seasons in Cleveland’s organization. The Rockies’ sixth-round pick in 2013 appeared in two games with the Guardians last year, hitting .286 (2 for 7). In 76 games at Triple-A Columbus, Nunez hit .176 (42 for 238) with nine homers, 33 RBI and a .679 OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage).

The left-handed hitting Nunez played in parts of four seasons with the Rockies from 2019-22.

So far, the Guardians have invited eight players to big-league camp on minor league deals:

Pitchers: Carlos Hernandez, Steven Perez and Codi Heuer.

Catchers: Nunez and Barstad.

Infielder: Dayan Frias.

Outfielders: Wuilfredo Antunez and Stuart Fairchild.

Pitchers, catchers and injured players are scheduled to report to Goodyear on Feb. 10. Position players are scheduled to report on Feb. 15. The mandatory reporting date is Feb. 20.

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Steven Kwan, Guardians set to exchange salary figures on Friday

Updated: Jan. 07, 2026, 5:38 p.m.|Published: Jan. 07, 2026, 4:26 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — When last season ended for the Guardians, they had eight players eligible for arbitration. Now they have one — Steven Kwan.

Kwan and the Guardians, should they not reach a deal beforehand, will exchange salary figures for the 2026 season on Friday. If the two cannot reach a deal at that point, the Guardians could go to an arbitration hearing with one of their best players.

MLB Trade Rumors projected that Kwan could earn $8.8 million if he went to arbitration. Baseball Prospectus projects his 2026 salary at $9.175 million. Kwan made $4.175 million last year.

In the past, the two sides have talked about a multiyear extension, but when the 2026 season starts, Kwan will be two years removed from free agency. When a player gets that close to free agency, the chances of a team signing him to an extension become more difficult. It’s especially true when a player has performed as consistently as Kwan, a four-time Gold Glove winner and two-time All-Star in left field.

Another factor could play a role in preventing a possible extension. The basic agreement ends after the 2026 season, and there is talk of a prolonged work stoppage.

Last season, Kwan hit .272 (170 for 625) with 81 runs and 21 steals in 26 attempts. He hit 29 doubles with 11 homers and a .768 OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage).

In four years in Cleveland, Kwan is a .281 (649 for 2306) hitter with 346 runs, 36 homers and 206 RBI. He has a 3.7 WAR and a .741 OPS.

If a deal isn’t reached by Friday, the Guardians would likely follow the approach most MLB teams have taken: going to arbitration even though a deal can be negotiated at any time before a hearing starts.

Of the eight Guardians who were eligible for arbitration at the end of last season, three signed one-year deals — Nolan Jones $2 million, David Fry $1.375 million and Matt Festa $1 million. Will Brennan and Sam Hentges were non-tendered. Kolby Allard and Ben Lively were outrighted off the 40-man roster and became free agents earlier in the offseason.

Kwan, providing he’s not traded, would be the Guardians’ biggest expenditure of the winter. They certainly haven’t gone overboard in their spending.

Cleveland’s biggest expense to date has been the $5.5 million deal they gave free agent right-hander Shawn Armstrong. He’ll make $4 million in 2026 with a $1.5 buyout on an $8 million mutual option for 2027.

They currently have an estimated $56 million committed to 11 players. If they pay the remaining 15 players on the 26-man roster an estimated salary of $800,000 each — the major league minimum for the 2026 season is $780,000 — their payroll would be an estimated $78 million.

That does not include the $3.5 million they owe right-hander Trevor Stephan, who is not on the 40-man roster, but is expected to be invited to camp. They also owe $1 million to Myles Straw, who they traded to Toronto in September 2023.

Last season, when the Guardians won their second straight AL Central title, they opened the year with a payroll of an estimated $100 million.

The Guardians still have time to increase the payroll before the regular season opens March 26. They have made it clear they don’t want to add mid-tier free agents who could stunt the development of the core of players they have been developing over the last several seasons.

The last time the Guardians opened a season with a payroll less than $78 million was 2022. They went into that season opener with a $68 million payroll and won the AL Central with 92 wins.

Bad news for Big Christmas

Jhonkensy Noel, aka Big Christmas, thought he found a new home Monday when the Orioles claimed him on waivers from the Guardians. However, Noel was designated for assignment Wednesday when the Orioles claimed outfielder Marco Luciano on waivers from the Pirates.

It’s been reported that the Guardians have signed right-hander Ettore Giulianelli from the Cardinals, but the team has not confirmed it. It seems Giulianelli is still under contract to an independent team.

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3 under-the-radar Guardians prospects who could make an impact in 2026

By Henry Palattella

2 hours ago

While the Guardians’ offseason inertia has been incredibly frustrating, Cleveland’s front office seems to be operating with a clear goal in mind: Give the young guys every chance to earn everyday playing time in the spring.

And those “young guys” seem to be Chase DeLauter and George Valera, who were in the minors for 90% of the Guardians’ 2025 season before becoming mainstays on their postseason roster.

But just because that duo are clear parts of the Guardians' MLB picture doesn’t mean that they’re the only young players who could dictate whether the Guardians will be able to win a third-straight American League Central title.

Kahlil Watson, Khal Stephen and Daniel Espino could all make an impact for the Guardians in 2026

OF Kahlil Watson

While Watson doesn’t get the same kind of attention from outfield prospects like DeLauter and Valera, he still has a good chance to make a positive impact on the 2026 campaign.

Not only did the Guardians add Watson to their 40-man roster this offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, but he’s also coming off a season where he hit .250 with 16 home runs across 102 games at Double-A and Triple-A.

He’s hit .234 with 37 home runs in 221 minor league games since the Guardians acquired him from the Marlins at the trade deadline in 2023, and he’s also learned how to be an everyday outfielder after initially coming up as a shortstop.

Even though there’s no rush to call up the 22-year-old Watson, he seems like a likely candidate to earn some playing time later in the year similar to Valera.


RHP Khal Stephen

Last July, the Guardians finally pulled the plug on Shane Bieber’s time with Cleveland by trading him to the Toronto Blue Jays at the trade deadline.

While Bieber’s market was a bit stunted due to the fact that he was working his way back from Tommy John surgery, the assumption was still that the Guardians would be able to get multiple prospects back given his strong track record.

Instead the Guardians dealt Bieber in a one-for-one deal that netted them Stephen, who was ranked as Toronto’s No. 5 prospect at the time of the trade.

Stephen was dealing with right shoulder impingement at the time of the trade and only managed to throw 11 1/3 innings at Double-A Akron after being acquired, but should be entering spring training healthy and ready to compete.

While the Guardians have a plethora of starting pitchers, they (like every team) are going to need to dip into their starting pitcher depth at some point during the season.

Stephen may not be first in line since he still needs to be added to the 40-man roster, but a midseason call-up doesn’t seem out of question — especially if he starts the season strong in the minors.


RHP Daniel Espino

It’s weird to think of Espino as “under-the-radar” considering he was once ranked as the Guardians’ No. 1 prospect, but that’s just the nature of the current situation.

After peaking at the top of Cleveland’s prospect rankings at the start of the 2023 season, Espino missed all of the next two seasons due to a variety of shoulder injuries that put his career in jeopardy.

But that turned around last fall when he threw 2/3 of an inning at Triple-A before throwing 4 2/3 scoreless innings in the Arizona Fall League.

While Espino may not be the frontline starter the Guardians were expecting, it seems like he has a legit MLB future as a reliever, and he seems like a lock to make his big league debut in 2026 so long as he’s able to stay healthy.

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I agree with him this time; any of the 3 could find his way to Cleveland. If healthy Espino is very likely to. Stephan is probably our No. 7 starter and could well follow Mesick's path to the bigs this year. Watson is still very young and has more develoment needed but his prospect rating has moved back up to No. 16 at Baseball America and he has some strong skills like speed and power. Unfortunately he is yet another lefthanded bat in the outfield

None of the 3 are under the radar.