Guardians offseason predictions: 3 players Cleveland should already be targeting

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 22: Joc Pederson #23 of the San Francisco Giants at bat against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium on July 22, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) /

The Cleveland Guardians could make the playoffs this year, but heading into next season, they need to address some weaknesses.

Unlike some other teams in the American League, the Cleveland Guardians have never been a team that has spent a ton of money in free agency. When they have even spent moderately ($50-$100 million contract), they have been screwed most of the time.

But heading into 2023, there are still some areas that they need to address. They can easily do that by targeting these three players this offseason without breaking the bank.

Cleveland Guardians: 3 offseason targets

1) Outfielder Joc Pederson

You might not think it, but the Guardians have not had an outfield with more than one above-average, healthy outfielder since Manny Ramírez was on the team.

They are hoping that Steven Kwan will be able to continue his success into 2023 and that other prospects, like Oscar González and Will Benson, will eventually pan out. But to lessen the pressure on them, the Guardians have to get a veteran power bat in the outfield. Joc Pederson would be great.

Entering Thursday, Pederson was hitting .251/.327/.494 with 17 home runs, 45 RBI, and an OPS+ of 127. The 2022 All-Star has not been great defensively (-8 Defensive Runs Saved), but he could also be a DH.

He has been on one-year deals in free agency for each of the last two seasons (including this year), so even if he is on a multi-year deal, he won’t be getting a massive free agent deal. A one-year or two-year deal is most likely.

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