The Winter Meetings begin on Monday down in Orlando, Florida, and the Guardians should hopefully be looking to make some moves.

‘Tis the season for wishing and gifts, so here is what the Guardians should be wishing to happen in the ‘Happiest Place on Earth.’

First things first. The Guardians need to address their offense.

This team was at or near the bottom in every offensive category last season, carried by Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan. More specifically, the Guardians need a right-handed bat that strikes fear into opposing pitchers. Only Gabriel Arias had more than 200 at-bats from the right side of the plate last season.

The outfield is littered with lefties: Steven Kwan, Chase DeLauter, Nolan Jones, George Valera, and CJ Kayfus. To potentially address this issue, the Guardians have hung Kwan on the trade block for months now, hoping a team will be willing to trade a power righty bat for the All-Star, Gold Glove-winning outfielder. 

There are three right-handed outfielders the Guardians should look at, per Tim Stebbins of MLB. Miguel Andujar is a lefty-masher who can be acquired at a reasonable price. He absolutely crushed lefties last season with a .986 OPS and a 171 wRC+, which was ranked 7th in the majors. 

Harrison Bader was the trade acquisition at the deadline last year for the Phillies. Once Bader got to Philly, he had a .305 average and an OPS of .824. All of his offensive metrics were career highs or close to it last year for Bader. Not to mention, Bader is considered one of the better center fielders in baseball, so losing Kwan and gaining Bader would not be much of a loss defensively.

The last right-handed outfielder they should look at is Austin Hays. Hays can play either corner outfield position and has proven average and power from the right side. He was a top-15 batter against lefties last year with a .949 OPS and was an All-Star in 2023.

The next goal for the Guardians is to bolster their bullpen. They did sign Connor Brogdon to a one-year deal this week. The team has six solid starters, but with the loss of Emmanuel Clase, the bullpen has a void. Cade Smith is going to be the closer most likely, but who will step up and take Smith’s role? Devin Williams and Ryan Helsley are both off the table, but there is still a litany of relievers on the market that the team could acquire. 

The team also lost Sam Hentges to the Giants this offseason. A replacement like a Seranthony Dominguez, a Kyle Finnegan, a Luke Weaver, or even an Edwin Diaz or Robert Suarez is all available on the market. The list of relievers on the market is long, but getting shorter by the day.

A lot of these arms are over the magical age of 30, but that does not mean they cannot be effective. Luke Weaver had a down year with the Yankees last year, potentially bringing down his price. He has a history of being extremely effective in late-game situations and could be a great fit for this staff.

Even a Seranthony Dominguez, who pitched deep into the postseason as a reliable arm for the Blue Jays this past season, could be someone Cleveland takes a long look at.

Edwin Diaz and Robert Suarez were two of the best relievers in all of baseball last year, so their price tag may be higher, but big shoes tend to be filled by big feet, and Clase certainly had large shoes to fill.

The needs are clear. The players are available. It is up to the front office to work its magic and cook up some deals, whether it be via trade or the free agent market.

The Winter Meetings are always hot with moves, and it would be a real shame if the Guardians idly stood by the hot stove, warming their hands, watching everyone else having fun signing and moving players around. This team needs offense and more pitching. Now is the time to mark your targets and begin negotiations.