Here’s a look at Guardians’ free-agent starter possibilities

This story was excerpted from Mandy Bell’s Guardians Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Matthew Boyd is off the board. Now what?

It’s the time of year when everyone puts their wish lists together, including Major League teams. At the top of the Guardians’ list sit the words “starting pitching.” In a perfect world, that would mean Jack Flaherty or Max Fried. But this isn’t a perfect world.

Cleveland won’t shell out the large contracts to reel in the big-fish free agents this winter. But still, this team has to improve its starting pitching to make sure that 2024 was a starting point for years of success to come (unlike 2022). That’s why Boyd’s name was probably at the top of their list just a few days ago.

Boyd was a perfect fit for the Guardians. They need leaders in a rotation that’s trying to get by on inexperience. He provided that for them during the most critical part of the ’24 season on top of his elite performances.

He ended up agreeing to a two-year, $29 million deal with the Cubs just a few days ago. That type of contract would’ve made Boyd the second-highest paid player on the Guardians’ 2025 roster (as of now). For a team that notoriously tries to be smart with its money, giving that kind of money to someone who has yet to pitch in a full season after Tommy John surgery just doesn’t seem plausible.

So, on to the next.

Again, we have to be realistic with possible targets. As tempting as names like Nathan Eovaldi or Corbin Burnes are, they’ll be well out of Cleveland’s price range. The biggest name still on the market who has a chance of being with the Guardians in 2025 is Shane Bieber. From there, guys like Alex Cobb, Michael Lorenzen or Trevor Williams may be more attainable. If Lance Lynn’s value dropped based on the problems he had with his knee last season, he could be another veteran arm to look at.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these options.

Bieber: It makes sense. Bieber could stay in a place he’s more than familiar with for one more season to prove that he can bounce right back from Tommy John surgery and earn the big bucks next winter that he thought he would be getting now. His reputation will be intriguing for every team out there, but will anyone be willing to spend what he knows he’s worth before seeing that he’s fully recovered? It could mean a reunion with the Guardians, but even if it does, it’s not enough for Cleveland, considering he probably won’t return to the rotation until the summer.

Cobb: As much as the Guardians raved about Boyd this year, Cobb’s name was always uttered in the same breath. The problem was that the team didn’t get as much of a look at Cobb as it did Boyd because he couldn’t stay healthy. In the glimpses the Guardians got, they loved what they saw and they’ve expressed interest in bringing him back. However, given his medical history, this wouldn’t be enough for Cleveland to feel comfortable in its starting pitching depth. More arms would have to be acquired.

Lorenzen: He has the experience, the track record and the success the Guardians are looking for. He should be quite affordable, too. But he’s never handled the type of workload this team desperately needs. Aside from Tanner Bibee, who threw 173 2/3 innings in ’24, the Guardians didn’t have another starter eclipse 155. Plus, Lorenzen was sidelined for most of last season with a neck strain and a hamstring strain.

Williams: When he was on the rubber in ’24, he looked great. The problem was that he was limited to just 13 starts because of injuries. So, like a lot of other starters on the market, there are some question marks with a signing like this; however, it should make him an affordable option for Cleveland.

Lynn: This is the type of veteran the Guardians often try to bring into the mix toward the end of their careers. It’s just a matter of whether Lynn has reached the level of being affordable after some injuries in ’24.

Maybe the Guardians are just waiting for the Winter Meetings to start up next week to really start making moves. Maybe they’ll try to fill their voids through trades rather than signing free agents. But sooner than later, Cleveland’s hot stove has to heat up.