9 free agents that make sense for the Cleveland Guardians
By Chad Porto
First Basemen
Jose Abreu
The Cleveland Guardians don’t “need” a first baseman, they need a big bat. Someone like Jose Abreu could work either at first or DH, depending on his value defensively and how Josh Naylor fits in defensively. Abreu isn’t what he once was as a hitter. He’s hitting for more contact than power which fits in nicely with Cleveland’s approach to offense but he can still hurt you deep if he tries to. While ideally, you’d want a .300 average and a 30-home run hitter, Abreu is your best bet.
Eric Hosmer
Eric Hosmer is not going to fetch a big contract, as frankly, he’s a very average offensive player. That said, defensively he’d fit very well in Cleveland. With Naylor’s mobility still a concern after his horrific injury in 2021, bringing in Hosmer to play first base in a defense with four other gold glovers is huge.
Jesus Aguilar
The Cleveland Guardians need a Russell Branyan-type hitter, someone who’s got that hay-bail throwing strength, even if he has the hand-eye coordination of a lobster in a pot of water. Eventually, he’ll hit something and that’s the type of offensive addition the Guardians need in 2023. You don’t want a guy like that to be your offense, just a part of it. That’s Jesus Aguilar. Aguilar was a Guardian a long-time ago, but the team moved on from him when they thought Bobby Bradley, who was younger and seen as a better prospect, started to make waves. It’s time to bring Aguliar back home.