The Cleveland Guardians must improve their offense this offseason if they want to return to the playoffs in 2026, let alone be considered a World Series contender.
There are multiple routes the front office can take and players who could be traded for, but that doesn’t mean every player who ends up in trade rumors is a great match for Cleveland.
For example, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on Monday that the Tampa Bay Rays could end up moving on from Brandon Lowe this offseason. Two years ago, Lowe would have been a perfect trade target for the Guardians.
Now, because of who is on Cleveland’s 40-man roster and Lowe’s contract status, giving up multiple prospects for the 31-year-old might not be the best plan for the Guardians.
Yes, on paper, Lowe could be a nice fit in Cleveland’s lineup. In 2025, he posted a .784 OPS and hit 31 home runs, the second-most in his career. That said, defensively, it would be tricky to figure out exactly where Lowe would play. He’s been a second baseman throughout his career, with his secondary position being first base.
Acquiring Lowe could block two of the Guardians’ prospects with star potential or young hitters already on the big-league roster.
Obviously, Travis Bazzana is the top-ranked talent in Cleveland’s farm system and should be making his MLB debut sometime in 2025. Then there is Juan Brito, a second baseman who has also played a bit around the diamond and could very well be in the Guardians’ 2026 big-league plans.
Even if Cleveland wanted to leave second base open for this duo, and slide Lowe over to first base, they already have two left-handed bats on the depth chart with Kyle Manzardo and CJ Kayfus.
Lowe may be coming off a career year at the plate, but he isn’t getting any younger. Plus, Manzardo or Kayfus could have the potential to be a 30+ home run hitter are some point in their career. They just need the at-bats, and adding Lowe wouldn’t help them do that.
At one point in time, trading for Lowe could have made a ton of sense for the Guardians.
However, Cleveland has been waiting to see what the young core of Bazzna, Brito, Manzardo, and Kayfus can do at the big-league level for a long time.
Seeing that plan through, instead of trading for a player with one year left on his contract that the Guardians likely wouldn’t extend, is the better option for the front office this winter.
