9 Guardians Who Won't Return in 2024
By Tyler Maher
5. Ramon Laureano
If you're getting a player from the Oakland A's these days, he's probably not very good.
Sure enough, Ramon Laureano didn't provide much of a spark after being claimed off waivers from Oakland in early August.
He improved from the .213/.280/.364 slash line he put up for the A’s to open the year, but still slashed an underwhelming .243/.342/.382 with 41 strikeouts in 41 games for Cleveland. That left him with an OPS below .700 for the second straight year.
The 29-year-old has been the definition of mediocre over the past four seasons. Since 2020, he's batted just .225/.309/.392 (99 OPS+) with 374 strikeouts in 341 games. Even if he were to turn things around, there's just not much upside there.
Laureano still has two years of team control remaining, which could make him an appealing trade chip this offseason for someone in need of outfield depth. He didn't make a strong case for staying in Cleveland based on his performance down the stretch last season, so I could see the organization moving on from him this winter, especially with his salary set to go up in arbitration.