5 Biggest Guardians Offseason Priorities That Must Be Addressed
By Tyler Maher
2. Add More Power to the Lineup
Once the front office figures out the manager situation, the next order of business needs to be bolstering the lineup.
If there was one thing we didn't have enough of in 2023, it was firepower. Cleveland ranked last in the American League in home runs and second-to-last in slugging percentage, which was a major reason why we finished 12th out of 15 teams in scoring.
Looking at the starting lineup this year, there was a glaring lack of pop around the diamond. Jose Ramirez was the only major power threat, but he's more of an all-around hitter than a pure slugger based on his team-leading 24 homers and .475 slugging percentage.
We don't have to go out and trade for Aaron Judge or sign Shohei Ohtani, but adding a couple of 20-homer bats would go a long way towards making the lineup more formidable.
In that regard, veteran sluggers like Adam Duvall, Joc Pederson and others would be perfect for this lineup. Cheap sources of power who don't break the bank are 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 rectified immediately, especially when there are plenty of outfielders who can hit 16 homers by themselves.