The Cleveland Guardians’ offseason has already started with a clear message: if they want to close the gap on elite teams, pitching is the area to attack. In the latest Guardians veterans free agency rumors, Andres Chavez identified two free-agent pitchers Cleveland could consider after its AL Championship Series elimination by the Tampa Bay Rays.
That fits the shape of the roster. The Guardians have a logjam among the position players, so the clearer need is to add outside arms rather than chase more bats. For a club trying to stay in contention, that kind of roster balance matters.
Why pitching looks like the priority
The first name in the frame is left-hander Bubic. From 2023 to 2025, he posted a 2.71 ERA in 162.2 innings for the Kansas City Royals, and he has shown he can be a useful part of a major league staff over a meaningful sample. He also finished the 2026 regular season with a 4.11 ERA in nine starts and 50.1 innings with the Kansas City Royals before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
There is also a late-season bullpen case to be made. In October 2026, the left-hander in the Milwaukee Brewers' bullpen delivered a 1.69 ERA in 5.1 frames, allowing one walk while striking out nine batters. That sort of short-burst production is exactly the type of profile clubs often weigh when they want to reinforce a staff without making a blockbuster move.
What the Guardians can learn from the market
The bigger point is not simply the two names. It is the direction of travel. Cleveland’s path back toward the top of the AL will likely depend on adding reliable pitching depth, especially when the roster already has more clarity among the position players. The Guardians do not need to solve everything at once, but the offseason now appears to be pointing toward arms first.
At 29 years old, the market window is also reasonable for a team looking for help without overcommitting. And with the Guardians coming off an AL Championship Series exit, the pressure is on to make the next move count.
For now, the question is whether Cleveland turns that need into action. If the Guardians are serious about matching up with the best in the league, the pitching market may be where the offseason really begins.
