Guardians rumors: The part of roster Cleveland is ‘intent’ on upgrading this offseason

The Cleveland Guardians fell short in the postseason in 2026, being defeated by the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Championship Series. Although the offensive struggles are a concern, starting pitching has its own set of issues as well. According to Zack Meisel of The Athletic, the Guardians are "intent" on upgrading this offseason, with both free agency and trades as potential avenues.

While the team is unlikely to sign high-profile free agents like Tarik Skubal or Freddy Peralta, adding one or two reliable veteran pitchers to the rotation is a realistic goal. Starting pitchers Parker Messick and Gavin Williams form a strong foundation, with Messick being a runner-up for the American League Rookie of the Year award and a finalist for the AL Cy Young Trophy. Williams had a standout regular season and was dominant in the postseason, further solidifying their pitching prospects.

However, the rest of the starting rotation poses some questions. Free agent Foster Griffin is no longer a part of the team, and Tanner Bibee struggled in the postseason. Joey Cantillo showed potential, but his performance was inconsistent. The Guardians have the capacity to develop new stars in their pitching factory, but adding one or two proven veteran hurlers will be crucial for the 2027 postseason.

If they had just one more reliable starter during last year's postseason, their ALCS performance might have been significantly different.