3 Big Moves Guardians Must Make Following Stephen Vogt Hiring
By Tyler Maher
2. Sign a Slugger
As a small-market team, Cleveland doesn't have the financial resources to sign the Shohei Ohtanis of the world. That said, the Guardians should absolutely be in the market for a free-agent slugger this offseason.
Cleveland had plenty of pitching in 2023, but one thing it sorely lacked was power. The Guardians ranked dead last in the American League in home runs and second-to-last in slugging percentage. It's hard to score runs in the modern MLB when you can't hit the ball over the fence, and Cleveland ranked 12th of 15 AL teams in scoring.
Adding a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat to pair with Jose Ramirez would go a long way toward improving the lineup. It would also help guard against more potential regression from Ramirez, who has seen his slugging percentage decline in three straight seasons.
Fortunately for the Guardians, there are several options to choose from if they want to make a splash. Adam Duvall, Joc Pederson, Teoscar Hernandez and others are all available, none of whom should be very expensive to acquire.
Cheap sources of power who don't break the bank are exactly what we should be targeting this winter, especially in the outfield. Our outfielders combined for just 16 home runs this year -- 34 fewer than any other team in the majors. That needs to be addressed immediately, especially when there are plenty of outfielders who can hit 16 homers in a season by themselves.