Two Cleveland Guardians players set to test free agency

Two Guardians are entering free agency as XX(B) free agents this winter. Lane Thomas and reliever Jakob Junis saw their contracts expire and will now test the market.

An XX(B) free agent is an MLB player with six or more years of service in MLB who saw their current contract expire. Negotiations with any team cannot commence until Thursday, November 6th, unless it is the Guardians. Austin Hedges would have been on this list with Junis and Thomas had he not signed his one-year extension earlier in the fall.

Lane Thomas was acquired from the Nationals at the 2024 trade deadline in exchange for three prospects: Alex Clemmey, Rafael Ramirez Jr., and Jose Tena. Only Jose Tena has appeared regularly for the Nationals thus far.

Thomas was set for a successful 2025 after being a playoff hero in 2024, mashing a grand slam off Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal in Game Five of the ALDS. Unfortunately, his 2025 season never really got going.

He was hit by a pitch in early April, which put him on the IL for a month. When he came back in late May, he lasted a week, going back on the IL with plantar fasciitis on May 30.

Thomas was activated again on June 9, but went down again on July 6 with the same foot issue. In September, Thomas underwent foot surgery to address the plantar fasciitis and is expected to be ready for baseball activities by the time Spring Training rolls back around.

All in all, Thomas only batted .160 with four home runs, 11 RBI, and two doubles in 125 at-bats. This is after he had 15 home runs, 63 RBI, 26 doubles, and 32 stolen bases between the Nationals and Guardians in 2024.

The Guardians do need an extra outfielder, and Thomas has shown good defensive skills and is proven to absolutely mash against left-handed pitching. Is he worth the price tag? Is this the bat the Guardians really need? The answer is probably no, which is why he did not get extended the way Austin Hedges did.

Jakob Junis was a very reliable arm out of the bullpen for Cleveland this season. In 57 appearances, he went 4-1 with a 2.97 ERA. He struck out 55 batters in 66.2 innings and allowed only 28 walks. Junis has consistently been a reliable bullpen piece, no matter which team he is playing for. He has had an ERA under three with the Brewers, Reds, and now the Guardians, the past two seasons.

Unfortunately, he is 33 years old, and arms tend to slowly wear down once you get over 30. He is someone the Guardians likely looked at extending, and still very well may, but he is also an arm that can be replaced by someone younger and with better stuff.

Overall, losing both Thomas and Junis is the least of Cleveland’s worries.

They needed a better extra outfielder with a bigger and more consistent bat. They have arms in the minors ready to prove their worth. The front office is likely going to make some moves to upgrade at least the bullpen, as pitching has always been this team’s focal point, and someone needs to replace the production Clase gave to this team while his status remains unknown. 

We will see what the Guardians ultimately decide to do when it comes to the pitching staff and power bats, but these two free agents are not a big loss, and I fully expect the Guardians to sign upgrades of both of these players this winter.