CLEVELAND — The free-agent market gained dozens of new faces last week at the non-tender deadline. Could the Guardians find any matches among those who are now available?
Outfield and bullpen are among the areas Cleveland could target external additions this winter. Let’s look at five non-tendered players under those umbrellas and weigh their potential fit.
RF Adolis García
2025 with Rangers: 135 G, .227/.271/.394, 19 HR, 75 RBIs
Pros: The highest-profile non-tendered player, García hit 141 homers from 2021-25, tied for 17th most in the Majors over that span. He had a down ‘25 but would have ranked third on the Guardians in home runs, and it’s easy to envision the boost he could provide their lineup. García was also an AL Gold Glove Award finalist in right field.
Cons: García has a strong track record, but his offensive production has dipped since 2023, when he hit 39 homers and recorded an .836 OPS. He’s a potential bounce-back candidate, though there might be an addition who can better complement the young right-field options Cleveland wants to give runway to next season. Chase DeLauter, C.J. Kayfus and George Valera each hit left-handed. Garciá hits right-handed, but he has fared better against righties (.741 OPS) than lefties (.715) in his career.
Pros: Morel isn’t too far removed from his breakout 2023 season with the Cubs (26 home runs, .821 OPS in 107 games), and he had some encouraging underlying metrics in ‘25 that could make him an upside addition. That included the 26-year-old’s 76.0 mph average bat speed, which was tied for 13th among hitters with 500 competitive swings. Cleveland has a long list of outfielders on its 40-man roster, but only two hit right-handed: Jhonkensy Noel and Johnathan Rodríguez.
Cons: Morel has a powerful swing, but he struggled in parts of two seasons with the Rays, slashing .208/.277/.355 with 14 homers over 154 games. He logged a 35.7 percent strikeout rate and -5 outs above average in left field in 2025. If the Guardians add an outfielder, one with a more established track record could be the more prudent avenue.
Pros: The Guardians will need to add some bullpen help this winter after Jakob Junis, Kolby Allard and Nic Enright became free agents. Leiter has been solid the past four seasons, recording a 4.15 ERA over 223 appearances between the Cubs and Yankees. He’s unique as a right-hander who has been more effective in his career against lefties (.680 OPS) than righties (.823).
Cons: Leiter had a 2.70 ERA in 15 appearances through April this past season. He finished the first half with a 4.46 ERA in 41 appearances, then recorded a 5.79 ERA in 18 outings after the All-Star break. One potential culprit could be a lingering left leg issue he dealt with before ultimately going on the IL in early July with a fibular head stress fracture.
RHP Evan Phillips
Career with Dodgers: 201 G, 195 IP, 2.22 ERA, 0.94 WHIP
Pros: Given Emmanuel Clase’s situation, it would make sense if the Guardians explored adding high-leverage relief help alongside Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis and Erik Sabrowski. Phillips underwent Tommy John surgery in June, but he was a force in the Dodgers’ bullpen over parts of five seasons, averaging 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings while recording 45 saves.
Cons: Phillips’ Tommy John recovery could render him unavailable until at least the midway point of next season. The Guardians might need to add multiple arms to their bullpen depth this winter, and there figures to be fits who can help from Day 1.
LHP Joey Lucchesi
2025 with Giants: 38 G, 38 1/3 IP, 3.76 ERA, 1.23 WHIP
Pros: Lucchesi transitioned to the bullpen in 2025, and he was steady for San Francisco. He generated a lot of weak contact (88.0 mph average exit velocity) and recorded a career-best ground-ball rate (54.2 percent). Lefties hit just .219 with a .598 OPS against him. Given Lucchesi’s history as a starter, he could fit the Allard mold as a lefty out of the bullpen who’s capable of giving length.
Cons: If we’re being picky, Lucchesi had an 18.8 percent strikeout rate in 2025. That was in the same ballpark as Allard (15.8), and both guys showed that you don’t have to overpower hitters to be effective. But if the Guardians were to add a reliever in that mold, could it make sense to simply reunite with Allard?
