CLEVELAND, Ohio — This is the time of year when baseball’s free agent spigot is free flowing. On Friday, with teams protecting their 40-man rosters because of the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 10, 66 more players hit the open market.
These players were pushed into the free-agent pool because their teams didn’t offer them contracts for 2026. The infusion of talent means there are an estimated 240 big-league free agents on the market.
The thing that makes this latest wave of free agents attractive to the Guardians, who are careful with a buck, is that some of them are within their price range.
Pete Alonso, Kyle Schwarber and Dylan Cease are not in this grouping.
With that in mind, a quick look at what the Guardians need can’t hurt. They need to hit better and score more runs. The starting rotation was impressive last year, especially in the second half, but they need more depth. Another reliable arm or two in the bullpen — how about re-signing Jakob Junis? — would help as well.
The gambling scandal that indicted closer Emmanuel Clase and starter Luis Ortiz is going to linger if only because of the perceived loss of the two pitchers.
Here are six players who were officially set free on Friday who may interest the Guardians.
OF-C MJ Melendez, 26: The Royals non-tendered their No.2 pick from 2017 following his worst year in the big leagues. He played only 23 games for the Royals last season, but hit 20 homers at Triple-A Omaha. He hit 18 homers for the Royals in 2022, 16 in 2023 and 17 in 2024. The left-handed hitter made $2.65 million last year and won’t be a free agent until after the 2028 season.1B-DH Nathaniel Lowe, 30: He hit .228 (123 for 540) with 18 homers and 84 RBI for the Nationals and the Red Sox in 2025. The former Gold Glove winner will be eligible for free agency once again after the 2026 season, so he’s a candidate for a one-year deal. The addition of Lowe would cost Kyle Manzardo time at first base, but the offense needs more production. Lowe made $10.3 million last season. Think of it as a younger version of the Carlos Santana signing last year.RHP Mark Leiter Jr. 34: He pitched in 59 games for the Yankees last season, going 6-7 with a 4.84 ERA and two saves. He struck out 54 and walked 17 in 48 1/3 innings. Right-handers hit .315 (28 for 89) and lefties hit .269 (29 for 108) against him. He made $2.05 million last season.OF Adolis Garcia, 32: If there were a bicep contest in the big leagues, Garcia would win it. He helped the Rangers win the World Series in 2023 but has faded since then. The right-handed hitting Garcia is a free agent after 2026. He hit .227 (115 for 507) with 19 homers and 75 RBI last season, but he had a 27% (135 for 507) strikeout rate. Garcia made $12 million last season. OF-3B Christopher Morel, 26: The right-handed hitter batted .219 (61 for 278) with 11 homers and 33 RBI last season for the Rays. Morel’s best year came with the Cubs in 2023 when he hit .247 (96 for 388) with 26 homers and 70 RBI. He made $771,800 last season.RHP Alek Manoah, 27: The Guardians like to take chances on pitchers coming off Tommy John surgery. Manoah, an All-Star for the Blue Jays in 2022, had Tommy John surgery in 2024 and didn’t pitch in the big leagues this year. The 6-6, 285-pound Manoah made $2.2 million this year and will be a free agent after 2027.Names to rememberBrady Anderson, who spent his final big-league season in Cleveland in 2002, is the Angels new hitting coach. He was a senior advisor for the Orioles in 2025.RHP Nick Sandlin, who pitched for the Guardians from 2021 through 2024, is a free agent after refusing Toronto’s outright assignment to the minors.RHP Trenton Denholm, the Guardians’ 14th round pick out of UC Irvine in 2021, was recently named Arizona Fall League Pitcher of the Week.In the AFL championship game, Juan Benjamin of the Guards hit the go-ahead two-run single in the eighth inning as Surprise beat Peoria, 9-4.Former Indians Shin-Soo Choo and Edwin Encarnacion made the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot for 2026. They need at least 5% of the vote to remain on the ballot.LHP Alex Clemmey, traded to the Nationals by Cleveland as part of the Lane Thomas deal in 2024, went 7-5 with a 3.47 ERA in 25 starts at High-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg.LHP Josh Hartle, acquired by the Guardians from Pittsburgh along with Ortiz, went 10-3 with a 2.54 ERA in 24 starts at High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron.RHP Eli Morgan, who played with the Guardians from 2021 through 2024, was non-tendered by the Cubs.
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