The Guardians announced this week that outfielder Kahlil Watson underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a bilateral core muscle (sports hernia) injury. The team didn’t provide an exact timetable for his recovery but noted that similar cases tend to come with a timeframe of eight to 12 weeks for returning to play.
Watson, 23, will head into the 2027 season as a depth option in Cleveland. A first-round pick by the Marlins in 2021, he initially drew top prospect fanfare but saw his production wane early in his minor league tenure. Watson went from Miami to Cleveland as part of the 2023 trade swapping out the unwanted contracts of Jean Segura and Josh Bell. He spent parts four seasons in the Guardians’ system before making his major league debut this season.
The Guardians promoted Watson in mid-June and kept him on the big league roster into late May. He totaled 91 plate appearances but managed only a tepid .239/.264/.341 with a homer and nine steals (in 10 attempts). Watson fanned a whopping 32 times in that small sample and drew just three walks. He was more productive in Triple-A, where he batted .247/.361/.455 with 19 homers, 24 steals, a 13.3% walk rate and a 26.7% strikeout rate in 442 trips to the plate. He turned in comparable numbers at the Double-A and Triple-A levels in 2025.
Watson will have a pair of minor league options remaining heading into 2027. He’s not currently favored to hold a meaningful role early next season or even to break camp with the team. Cleveland’s outfield currently lines up with Jo Adell, Steven Kwan, Chase DeLauter and Angel Martinez as the primary options. Speedster Petey Halpin is on hand as a glove-first backup. Others on the 40-man roster include catcher/left fielder Cooper Ingle, first baseman/corner outfielder CJ Kayfus and versatile Blake Perkins, who can handle all three spots.
That surely won’t be the same group the Guardians carry into 2027. Kwan and Adell are both due notable raises in arbitration ahead of their final seasons of club control. Cleveland has historically been willing to discuss trading players at this juncture of service (e.g. Josh Naylor, Francisco Lindor, Corey Kluber). That doesn’t make it a lock that either will be moved, but it’s something other teams will be calling about over the months to come. Perkins, meanwhile, could be a non-tender candidate.
It’s at least possible Cleveland brings in a free agent to join the group, but the Cleveland has signed only a total of six free agent position players to guaranteed contracts in the past five offseasons: Austin Hedges (twice), Luke Maile, Mike Zunino, Josh Bell and Carlos Santana. A notable expenditure in free agency feels unlikely.