CLEVELAND, Ohio — In the spirit of the holiday season, Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast hosts Joe Noga and Paul Hoynes unveiled their festive “gift list” for Guardians players heading into the 2026 season, highlighting both serious performance goals and lighthearted personal touches for the defending American League Central champions.

The wish list, framed as presents the players might find “under the tree,” provides insight into what team insiders believe could help the Guardians build on last season’s success.

For starting pitcher Logan Allen, Noga hopes to see 25 starts in the upcoming season. “He had 24 as a rookie, 20 in his second year. And last year he started 29 games,” Noga noted, emphasizing the importance of Allen securing and maintaining a rotation spot despite crowded competition.

Offensive improvement features prominently on the list. Hoynes wishes for infielder Gabriel Arias to “find a bat that can match his powerful right arm,” while hoping outfielder Angel Martinez might receive “a manual on how to hit right-handers” to complement his success against lefties.

Perhaps the most crucial team need identified was additional protection for star third baseman José Ramírez in the batting order. “I hope José finds a bodyguard in the form of a number four hitter to protect him a little bit,” said Hoynes, pointing to a persistent gap in Cleveland’s lineup.

For pitcher Joey Cantillo, clarity seems to be the priority gift. “Under the tree for Joey… a clearly defined role for him this year. Is he a starter? Is he a reliever?” Noga questioned, referencing Cantillo’s performance as both American League rookie of the month in September after joining the rotation and his earlier bullpen work.

The hosts didn’t shy away from humorous gifts reflecting player personalities and clubhouse dynamics. For pitcher Gavin Williams, Noga suggested “a pair of squeaky shoes” to prevent his clubhouse pranks.

“I want Gavin Williams wearing the squeakiest and loudest shoes that he can possibly find so that when we’re in the clubhouse pregame he can’t sneak up on me and tap me on the shoulder and then run in the other direction,” Noga explained, with Hoynes adding, “My God, he got me every time. I was like a patsy for him every time. I never caught on.”

Utility player Daniel Schneemann, known for his defensive versatility, would receive “a compass that shows him wherever the direction he has to go, what position he’s playing because he plays all over the field every day,” according to Hoynes.

Other notable wishes included a Platinum Glove for four-time Gold Glove-winning left fielder Steven Kwan, 20 pounds of muscle for first baseman Kyle Manzardo, and for catcher Bo Naylor, “a calendar under the Christmas tree that every month says it is September because that’s when Bo seems to swing the bat the best.”

For manager Stephen Vogt, entering his third season at the helm, the hosts offered different perspectives on what would help most in 2026. Noga suggested “a lifetime contract for Carl Willis with a big red bow on it,” securing the pitching coach’s services beyond 2026, while Hoynes hoped Vogt would find “a package that contains the comeback magic” for a team likely to play many close, low-scoring games.

The detailed gift list reflects both practical team needs and the personalities that defined last year’s division-winning squad, offering fans a glimpse into what team insiders believe could make the difference in the Guardians’ 2026 campaign.

Read the automated transcript of today’s podcast below. Because it’s an AI-generated transcript, it may contain errors and misspellings.

Podcast transcript

Joe Noga: Welcome back to the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast. I’m Joe Noga, joined by Paul Hoynes. Hoynsie, in keeping with the theme of the holiday season and all the, the great, you know, aspects of Christmas and all the, the gift exchanges that everybody has and I thought it would be appropriate for us to, you know, run off a list of what we think the gifts and the, the, the presence that we would like to see some of the guardians players on, on their, their active roster have in, in 2025 here to celebrate the, the year. We’re going to go back and forth with, with some of these players and, and what we’d like to see them wake up on Christmas morning and, and, and unwrap and, and what they, they deserve in their stockings this year. Kick it off right off the top. I’m going alphabetically with some of the pitchers. I’m going to start with Logan Allen. Logan Allen. I’d like to see 25 starts under the tree for Logan Allen this year. He had 24 as a rookie, 20 in his second year. And last year he started 29 games for this ball club. I think it would be a big step, but I know the rotation is crowded, but this year, if Logan Allen comes in and, and really grabs a spot in that rotation and keeps it all year long, I think that’d be.

Paul Hoynes: Huge for going with the position players. Joe, I’m going with Gabriel Arias. He’s hitting lead off for me. I’m thinking Gabriel, hopefully he’ll find a bat that can match his powerful right arm under the tree at Christmas.

Joe Noga: Yeah, it’s that. That’s a heck of an arm. You know, a big thing for him in 2025. If he could step up and do that. I’ve got Sean, Sean Armstrong recently signed to a $5.5 million contract for 2026. So he doesn’t need much under the tree. But my, my present under the tree for Sean Armstrong this year is his 2025 sweeper. I think if, if he wakes up on Christmas morning, unwraps his 2025 sweeper, that would be a great thing to have in the next season. He threw it 23% of the time and it was one of the most effective pitches according to Baseball Savant. The run value, it was a six. It was the 13th most, you know, highest run value among sweepers thrown in the major leagues. The guys at the top of the list are guys like Garrett Crochet, Jesus Lozardo, Zach Wheeler and Paul Skeens. They had run values north of 9, 10, 11 with their sweepers. Sean Armstrong had a run value of 6 and it was one of the best sweepers in all of baseball last year.

Paul Hoynes: I am going with Petey Halpin, you know, who made his major league debut late last season in center field. He only played six games, but hit.333. And what I hope Petey finds under the tree of the Christmas tree is a chance, Joe, a chance sometime next season to get back to the big leagues and show what he can do.

Joe Noga: Yeah, maybe once he, once he gets up there, if he gets a chance, maybe a couple opportunities to run. Certainly something we didn’t see him have a lot of opportunities to do when Halpin played in those six games in September. But that’s a big part of his game as well. I’ve got Tanner Bybey and you know, obviously it’s a guy who’s, it’s a, it’s an important season for Bobby to sort of bounce back after an up and down year. Last year, My what I’d like to see under the Christmas tree in Tanner Bybey’s stocking this year, an opening day start. So let’s, let, let’s see if we can get Tanner Bybey in position and, and ready to go. Last year, obviously he, he missed the opening day start in Kansas City because he was not feeling well. You know, the, the rumors of food poisoning or whatever the issues were. So Tanner Bybey, an opening day start, being on the mound, being the guy, being the number one for this guardians roster. And maybe we’ll throw a Chipotle gift card in there for him as well.

Paul Hoynes: Right? My guy is, the next guy is Austin Hedges. Now Hedge, he doesn’t need much. He’s an upbeat guy. But what I want, wanting, I hope he finds under the Christmas tree is a hot streak. Joe, we saw him come around a little bit with the bat late season. I just like to see him stay hot for two, three weeks at a time.

Joe Noga: And the way he was talking after he signed his contract at the end of the year, he says he, he might have figured some things out after, after his long career in the big leagues. He said he’s, he’s finally figured something out at the plate and he’s, he’s excited to get back into, into games and, and see if that, that works. And you know, maybe, who knows, it could be a completely different, it could be a game changer. If Austin Hedges can hit, that’d be a big thing for this club. All right. Two guys recently acquired for the bullpen, Connor Brogden and Colin Holderman. I’m going to give them the same gift. I’m going to give them a map of downtown and all the restaurants downtown and to pick out the. The best places to. To get a burger and a. And a beer in downtown Cleveland. And I hope that they’re around from the start of the season until the end of the year. I think they would appreciate that.

Paul Hoynes: All right, I’m going now. The next guy is CJ Kaifus. Joe. I’m. I’m. Hopefully he. He finds out, finds a new set of wrenches and socket. Socket wrenches underneath the tree so he can work. Him and his dad can work on their cars.

Joe Noga: Yeah. Isn’t he like a big time off road or a dirt bike racer or. What was his. His deal?

Paul Hoynes: Sure, I know.

Joe Noga: Yeah, they work in the garage, so. Yeah, that’s. There you go. Nothing like bringing families together. Hoins, that’s. That’s great. Uh, Joey Cantillo is next on my list. Under the tree for Joey in a, you know, unwrap a defi. A clearly defined role for him this year. Is he a starter? Is he a reliever? I know that he provides a lot of value, maybe in that swing role position, but we saw him when he got inserted into the rotation late in the year. Last year he was the American League rookie of the month for September. He pitched really well as a starter after he got stretched back out, you know, one way or another. Is he a reliever or is he a guy who. You think that can hold down a spot in your rotation? I think that would be very beneficial, and it’s something that Joey Cantillo definitely wants.

Paul Hoynes: That makes a lot of sense, Joe. The next guy on my list is Steven Kwan. Kwan has won four straight Gold Gloves in left field. I hope he finds a platinum glove under the tree for Christmas so he can, you know, to kind of give him some incentive to. To win that platinum glove in 2026 for the Guardian.

Joe Noga: My question to that is, what more does Stephen Kwan have to do to get a platinum glove? I mean, he led what led all the baseball and outfield assists last year. His arm value, his, you know, his range, everything is. You would think that just by looking at it is. Is as elite as it gets. What’s keeping him from getting a platinum glove already?

Paul Hoynes: Yeah, Joe, it’s just, you know, I mean, that’s just the way that, I don’t know, it’s of the dice, I think, a lot of times, because there’s. I, I can’t think of a better defender than Quan has been over the last four years. Even last season he, he was very, very good. I, I’m, I’m not sure what, what he has to do to win one.

Joe Noga: Next up I’ve got Slade Saccony. And obviously this is a guy who once he was healthy at the start of the year, you know, made a, made a major impact on that guardians rotation in 2025. So obviously a full healthy season for Slade Sacconi would be great also. I, I, I think I would like to see him unwrap maybe, maybe one of those Zen gardens, you know, the ones with the sand and the, the little rake. This is a guy who is just so chill and even after an intense game, you know, when, when the media comes in and is talking to him in front of his locker and he’s, he’s very, very calm, looks you in the eyes, low, low speech patterns. He almost relaxes you as a writer as you’re sitting there talking to him because, because he is just so chill. I think, you know, a nice little Zen garden to put in his, his locker there for, for Slade Sacconi.

Paul Hoynes: I like that, Joe. I like that a lot. Angel Martinez, the next guy on my list and he is going to find, hopefully he finds a manual of how to hit right handers under the tree. He is a 197 hitter against right handers, Joe, but he kills lefties. So you know, if angel can, can find a little more luck against righties, I think he could be the everyday center fielder.

Joe Noga: Speaking of every day, I think the next guy on my list, Matt Festa, they’re, they’re bringing him back and, and you nicknamed him every day. Matt Festa last year pitched in 63 games for the Guardians. I think another 65 appearances this year would be, you know, something that not only Matt Festa would appreciate, but the Guardians would certainly like to see that out of him. A guy who posts up, takes the ball whenever, in, in whatever role he was needed last year and was pretty effective. Matt Festa a big piece of that bullpen, especially in the, you know, the fifth, sixth, seventh innings as opposed to the, the back end where the guys get the, the heavy usage.

Paul Hoynes: My next guy is Kyle. Man, I’m hoping Kyle can add like 20 pounds of muscle. I don’t know how you find that under the tree, but I guess you have to need a big box. I guess big, big present. But hopefully he gets a little stronger and comes into camp, you know, ready to play the full season.

Joe Noga: I mean, wearing the flannel and the beanie and chopping the wood out in, in in Coeur d’, Alene, Idaho. I think it won’t take him long to, to add a little bit of that muscle. So we’ll see. He’s already country strong. I’ve got Eric Zabrowski on the list right now. For Eric Zabrowski, I’m going to wear a name tag that’s going to be my Christmas present to Eric Zabrowski. At, at one point at the end of the year, I believe we were in Detroit, we were talking to Eric Zabrowski and he looked at me and he said, after we had finished the interview, he looked at me and said, do I know you? Have we met before? And now this is Canadian Eric Zabrowski, one of the nicest guys on the roster. He’s super nice guy and he genuinely didn’t recognize me and I looked at him as like, Eric, I was there. I interviewed you after your major league debut in Kansas City. I’ve covered the team for nine years and I’ve been around every day that you’ve been on this club. So I’m gonna wear a name tag just so Eric remembers me and we avoid the awkward confusion there. Yeah, that was a great moment late in the season where he sort of looked at me. We were in Chicago, that’s where we were. We finished the interview and he shook my hand as if he had never met me before. And it was. I just don’t know, maybe that was the moment for him.

Paul Hoynes: You’ve got one of those faces, Joe.

Joe Noga: Yeah, it must be.

Paul Hoynes: My next guy is Bo Naylor. And Joe, I hope Beau finds a a calendar under the Christmas tree that every month says it is September because that’s when Bo seems to swing the bat the best.

Joe Noga: Yeah, that’s if they. I think the guardians would take the.290 batting average that he put up in September last year, even regardless of the power numbers. That would be outstanding for Bo Nailer. I’ve got Cade Smith next. For Cade Smith, he of the the newly fashioned bearded look. I guess he’s grown some facial hair as posted on social media. I’ve got a box of Just for Men hair coloring for the beard because I know that at some point over this season it’s going to turn gray with all of the stress and the usage that they’re going to get out of him. Expect another 70 plus appearances out of Cade Smith this year. So a box of Just for Men to color the gray out of his beard, which will inevitably Be there by the end of the year. Coinsey, you ever use just for men on your beard?

Paul Hoynes: God, no, Joe. It turned white and it stayed white, man.

Joe Noga: There you go.

Paul Hoynes: My next guy is Jose Ramirez, Joe. And I hope Jose finds a bodyguard in the form of a number five hitter under the tree to protect him a little bit. Or number four hitter, I should say.

Joe Noga: Yeah, number four hitter, number five. I think he would need that bodyguard, especially when they play Toronto because Toronto seems to want to make sure that Jose feels it every time they, that he plays them. He’s been, been hit and knocked around a little more against the defending American League champions. More than I think we would care to. But yeah, some body armor to get Jose through the, the season as well. As long as that guy is, is upright and on two feet, I think the Guardians have a, a really good chance. All right, my gift for Gavin Williams under the tree this year, a pair of squeaky shoes. I want, I want Gavin Williams wearing the squeakiest and loudest shoes that he can possibly find so that when we’re in the clubhouse pregame he can’t sneak up on me and tap me on the shoulder and then run in the other direction. That’s a favorite tool of Gavin Williams when he’s not pitching and totally locked in on that day. The other days of the week, he’s one of the most fun guys to hang around in the club clubhouse and just have a conversation with. And really, you know, just the next step that he took this past season to, to sort of lock in and become an elite starter in the American League was just great to see. And part of that was, you know, keeping himself loose on the off days. And he certainly got you a number of times, Hoynsy.

Paul Hoynes: My God, he got me every time, Joe. I was like, I was like a patsy for him every time. I never caught on.

Joe Noga: And you could see it coming from a mile away. You would just be standing there and Gavin would, would pop up out of the dugout or wherever and he’d be walking by and it’s like he got Hoynsy again. So, yes, squeaky shoes, that’ll take care of that. That’s exactly.

Paul Hoynes: Brian Rocchio is the next guy on my list, Joe. I want to see him. You know, hopefully he finds a, one of those championship belts, those wee championship belts with, with the name Rocktober on it so he can wear it whenever the Guardians get near October or get into postseason.

Joe Noga: Author of one of the best moments of the season, the the walk off home run on the the final day of the regular season to. To clinch the American League Central championship for the Guardians. Brian Rocchio Rooktober. And you want him to have the belt. That’d be great. Do you have any more position players on your list? Poisey or.

Paul Hoynes: Yeah, got a. I’ve got a Jonathan Rodriguez and hopefully he finds under his tree. Jonathan does. He is going to DH only that he can put his glove away and he can just concentrate on swinging the bat.

Joe Noga: There you go. All right, We’ve got, I guess, one more guy under the tree who, who needs a present or two. That’s manager Stephen Devote. I’m going to have. I. I think the. The vision here would be for Stephen Vogt to not only have Carl Willis, you know, on staff through 2026, but 2026 and beyond 2027. A lifetime contract for Carl Willis with a big red bow on it for Stephen Vogt. I think that would be the. The number one present for. For vote for this year and years to come. Yeah.

Paul Hoynes: Under my tree. Under the tree for Stephen Vogt. I hope he finds a package that can. That contains the comeback magic that the season because I think they’re going to need it. Joe.

Joe Noga: Yeah, this is going to be another year of close, late, late, late and close games, low scoring games and an offense that’s going to have a lot of questions, certainly more questions than answers at the beginning of the year. Steve. Mo, go ahead.

Paul Hoynes: I got one more.

Joe Noga: Who’s that?

Paul Hoynes: Daniel Schneman.

Joe Noga: There you go.

Paul Hoynes: That’s it. Hopefully Daniel Schneeman finds under his Christmas tree a present that contains a compass that shows him wherever the direction he has to go, what position he’s playing because he plays all over the field every day. You know, he could be at a different position.

Joe Noga: That’s going to wrap up our our Christmas edition gifts under the tree for the Guardians players, coaches and managers. Lindsey. That’s going to take care of the Cleveland Baseball Talk podcast in 2025. We’ll be back on the other side of the new year for more shows and a lot more this summer. It’s a big year for. For all of us and for you, Hoynsey. So be there. Hoyns. He’s already got the best gift of the year, I think, out of any of us. A trip to the hall of Fame in July. So we’re looking forward to it.

Paul Hoynes: It’s been a blast, Joe. It’s been a good year. Thanks, buddy.