3 Former Guardians that Cleveland Will Regret Letting Walk in 2024

It's hard to believe that the 2024 MLB season is nearly here. All eyes are on the Cleveland Guardians this year to see if they can return to the postseason after going 76-86 in 2023 and missing the playoffs for the third time in the last five years.

Much like every other MLB club, the Guardians underwent some changes over the winter. According to Spotrac, 16 different Cleveland players hit free agency this offseason, and only four of them returned to the franchise. Although the Guardians won't miss every face that isn't returning, a few departures might hurt them in the long run.

Here are three former Guardians that Cleveland will regret letting walk this offseason.

1. SP Lucas Giolito

There's no denying that Lucas Giolito's stint with the Guardians was nothing short of disappointing. Cleveland claimed the veteran hurler after the Los Angeles Angels placed him on waivers after going 1-5 with a 6.89 ERA through six starts. He went on to start in another six games for the Guardians but couldn't reverse his fortunes, pitching to a 1-4 record and 7.04 ERA.

So, why would the Guardians regret letting the struggling starter go?

Giolito's performance was abysmal, but let's not act like this is who he's always been. He's a hurler who's finished with double-digit win totals in four straight full-length seasons before the 2023 campaign. That's without mentioning how he also finished 11th or better in AL Cy Young voting from 2019 to 2021. Yes, that was a few years ago, but he also hasn't even turned 30 yet, giving him plenty of time to return to form.

Giolito was also traded to the Angels just six months after signing a new contract with the Chicago White Sox, so it wouldn't surprise me if his mental health played a role in last season's struggles. Now that he's had a good chunk of time to process things, I'm confident that he can come back better in 2024.

With the MLB projecting the Guardians to have a bottom-10 starting rotation this season, it isn't hard to see why they might end up regretting Giolito's departure.

Cleveland fans won't have to wait long to see their former pitcher, though. The Guardians have seven games against the Boston Red Sox in April with a four-game series taking place at Fenway Park from the 15th to the 18th.