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2025 MLB Season Preview: Can Cleveland Guardians Build Off ALCS?
It was a bit of a surprising run for the Cleveland Guardians and 2024 Manager of the Year Stephen Vogt.
The Guardians made a run to the ALCS last season before running into their kryptonite — the New York Yankees. Cleveland was eliminated but entered the offseason with hope once again. How will that play out?
One major difference came at first base as the Guardians sent Josh Naylor away in a trade. They replaced Naylor with the 39-year-old Carlos Santana on a one-year deal. It was an interesting move but the Guardians could potentially see a payday coming for Naylor.
Santana will be receiving throws from one of the most underrated players in the league, Jose Ramirez. He continues to be an AL MVP candidate year in and year out but does not get much attention because of where he plays.
The Guardians are led by an elite bullpen, spearheaded by Emmanuel Clase. He has turned into one of the best closers in the game and leads a group that all turned in sub-two ERAs last season despite a heavy workload. This includes Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin, and Cade Smith.
In the rotation, Shane Bieber returned as an aging star at the top. He had Tommy John surgery last year and will return in the middle of the season, for what Cleveland hopes will be a pennant run. The emergence of Triston McKenzie and Logan Allen is something that the team has been waiting for. That will go a long way in the team making big moves this year, especially during the postseason.
2025 Cleveland Guardians Season Preview
Major Additions: Carlos Santana, Paul Sewald, John Means, Jakob Junis, Luis L. Ortiz
Key Losses: Josh Naylor, Andres Gimenez, Alex Cobb, Matthew Boyd, Myles Straw,
Potential Lineup
- Steven Kwan, OF
- Kyle Manzardo, DH
- Jose Ramirez, 3B
- Carlos Santana, 1B
- Lane Thomas, OF
- Will Brennan, OF
- Bo Naylor, C
- Gabriel Arias, 2B
- Brayan Rocchio, SS
Potential Rotation
- Tanner Bibee
- Ben Lively
- Gavin Williams
- Luis L. Ortiz
- Triston McKenzie
- Shane Bieber (when back from injury)
Record Prediction
The Guardians made a run in 2024 but it is hard to imagine the same thing is coming this year. Last year, the run for Cleveland came out of nowhere and it is not crazy to say that the team has regressed this offseason. This does not bode well for postseason hopes in Cleveland.
Final Record: 82-80
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