3 Things to Monitor This Offseason for the Guardians

Three major changes will affect the 2024 season for the Cleveland Guardians

1 – New Manager 

With Terry Francona finally stepping down, it is on to find the next manager.  The Guardians have clarified that they will cast a wide net, interviewing up to 40 people for the position.  Wow, that’s a lot of interviews for one position, but it also shows the Guardians brass care about making the right decision, which is good. 

My recommendation is because of the youth on the team, getting someone with experience would be wise for the club.  Also, the Guards have multiple players on the roster with playoff experience, so this is not a rebuild. Cleveland is expected to play in October, so the manager needs to be ready to win in 2024, experience helps here. 

My one name with experience is current Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly.  It helps that Mattingly is coming over from Toronto, so he has some familiarity with the organizations. He would be a good fit in Cleveland, and a good team with a lower profile in the Guardians fits the bill for Mattingly.

One wild card is Benji Gil.  Gil is the current infield coach for the Angels but has experience managing in Mexico and I like the idea of having a manager who can speak Spanish. That would be a big plus within the locker room of the Guardians. 

2 – Shane Bieber 

In a typical offseason, this would be the biggest headline in any other offseason.  What are the Guardians going to do with Shane Bieber? He’s clearly not coming back in 2025, and the rotation has a good stockpile with Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen, Gavin Williams, Cal Quantrill, Triston McKenzie, and others waiting in the minor leagues if needed.  

They have to trade Bieber at some point, right?   Bieber can help solidify this rotation as a true ace, but I did not miss him when he was out in 2023.  It feels like the Guardians are ready to move on.  Plus, trading Bieber might help with point number three.

3 – Finding Power 

Ah yes, THE GUARDIANS NEED TO FIND SOME POWER IN THE LINEUP, HELP WANTED.  Trading Bieber for a possible bat makes a lot of sense, and the outfield is a mess.  As President Chris Antonetti made clear, he knows LF Steven Kwan will be back, and the other two positions are wide-open.  Adding two bats for the outfield would be ideal, but they must add at least one.  And one who hits the ball out of the park. 

Overall 

The good news for the Guardians is that this coming offseason is pretty straightforward, but they are big decisions that impact the club.  Finding a new manager is step one, and then it moves to what to do with Bieber.  Can you flip Bieber into a bat with a trade?  Or what will the Guardians do with the lack of power in the lineup?  And what about the outfield?  Certainly can’t stand pat.   Bring the popcorn. It is a must-watch offseason for Cleveland fans.