Three questions facing the Cleveland Guardians this offseason

The Cleveland Guardians did it again in 2026.

The Guardians had a 61-66 record on August 19, sitting in third place in the AL Central, 5.5 games out of first. As has been the case in recent years, the Guardians went on a run in the final few weeks, finishing the year with an 85-77 record to overtake the White Sox and win the AL Central. Cleveland then dispatched the White Sox in the ALDS before falling to the Rays in the ALCS.

The Guardians head into the offseason with the same concerns — a lineup that failed to produce enough for their solid pitching staff. And once again, the Guardians will need to figure out how to improve the roster on a budget.

Three questions facing the Cleveland Guardians

1. Is third baseman Jose Ramirez entering the backside of his career?

For years, Ramirez has been the one given in the Guardians lineup, quietly posting superstar caliber numbers in relative anonymity. That was not the case this year as Ramirez slumped to a .235/.320/.368 batting line with 12 homers and 27 doubles in his 544 plate appearances; his 95 OPS+ (league average is 100) being his lowest mark since 2015.

There may be mitigating circumstances to his disappointing performance. Ramirez missed approximately six weeks with a fractured left hamate bone and struggled once he returned, producing a .229/.296/.302 batting line with two homers and nine doubles in his 230 plate appearances. However, Ramirez also turned 34 years old during the season and could be winding down. A healthy Ramirez would make a tremendous difference to the Guardians lineup in 2027 but Father Time may be catching up.

2. What to do with outfielder Steven Kwan?

Kwan's performance was skewed by a brutal first half of the season as he posted a .225/.332/.282 batting line with one homer and 10 doubles in his 354 plate appearances before the All-Star break. He was much better in the second half, posting a stellar .353/.443/.432 batting line with two homers and 11 doubles in his 283 plate appearances. Kwan still ranked second on the Guardians with 3.8 bWAR as his ability to get on base and excellent defense made him a valuable part of the lineup.

Kwan's value also puts the Guardians in a tough spot. He is set to go through arbitration for the final time before reaching free agency after the 2027 season. The Guardians have to decide whether or not to extend Kwan, keeping a sparkplug for their lineup and one of the better defensive outfielders in the game or trying to maximize his trade value during the offseason.

3. Can the Guardians trust pitcher Tanner Bibee?

Bibee had an excellent rookie season in 2023, posting a 2.98 ERA and a 1.176 WHiP over his 142 innings, striking out 141 batters with 45 walks. He finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year balloting that year and appeared set to become a key part of the Guardians rotation.

Instead, his performance has steadily declined. He had his worst season in the majors in 2026 despite pitching a career-high 188 innings as he posted a 4.36 ERA and a 1.223 WHiP while leading the majors with 15 losses. The Guardians appeared to have lost faith in Bibee during the postseason as he made only one appearance out of the bullpen. They have a solid duo in Parker Messick and Gavin Williams atop the rotation but need Bibee to be a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter at minimum.