Even though the Guardians have pretty much set their roster ahead of the start of spring training later this week, the free agent market is littered with plenty of former Guardians. 

And while there aren’t a ton of them who could help the Guardians in the short-term, two players from that list stand out as obvious buy-low candidates who could benefit from a reunion with the franchise they got their big league start with. 

With that in mind, here’s a look at some former Guardians who are still available in free agency 

Former Guardians still without a job as 2026 spring training nears (and 2 could return)

WIl Brennan (could return) 

Brennan’s fall off has been one of the more surprising developments involving a Guardians player over the past couple seasons.

After starring for the Guardians at the end of 2022 and having some success as an everyday player in 2023, Brennan struggled in 2024 and only ended up playing in six games for the Guardians last season before undergoing season-ending surgery. 

Those struggles have clearly hampered his free agent market, as there’s been no rumors about him signing anywhere since. 

That said, it wouldn’t be surprising if he reunited with the Guardians on a minor league deal considering how fruitful their marriage was at the start of his career. Brennan’s an above-average defender and contact hitter (when healthy), so he clearly fits into the Guardians’ organization ethos. 

Aaron Civale

It wasn’t that long ago that the Guardians’ trade of Civale caused a mutiny in the team’s clubhouse. Now he’s clearly becoming an MLB afterthought after posting a 4.85 ERA in 102 innings last year across stints with the Cubs, White Sox and Brewers,

Civale had some success last season as a multi-inning relief weapon with the Cubs so he could have a future as a swingman, but the fact that he’s’s lasted this deep into free agency speaks volumes about what he’s thought of across the league. 

Alex Cobb 

Boy, did the Guardians dodge a bullet with Cobb. While they made a mistake by trading for him in 2024, they cut their losses last offseason and decided to let him walk in free agency. He ended up inking a free agent contract with the Tigers but never appeared in a game for them due to a hip injury. 

The 38-year-old is currently a free agent and hasn’t been linked to any team. 

Xzavion Curry (could return)

While Curry was never ranked as one of the best prospects in the Guardians’ system, he quietly rose the team’s minor league ranks and ended up making his big league debut in 2022. 

He was also one of the team’s biggest bright spots in 2023, as he pitched in nearly every role asked of him on a team that desperately needed someone to eat innings. 

His tenure with the Guardians came to an end during 2024, and he ended up pitching well for the Marlins in the second half of that season. Miami ended up cutting him loose after a disastrous start to 2025.

He signed a minor league deal with the Rockies last August but ended up posting a 7.97 ERA in 35 innings for their Triple-A affiliate. 

Still, a Guardians reunion with Curry could be a fruitful partnership for both sides. While his recent track record has left a lot to be desired, he’s had big league success with the Guardians in the past and would be able to sign as a minor league free agent. 

Curry shouldn’t be anywhere near the Guardians big league roster, but they’d be able to stash him in the minors which could hopefully him re-find his form from 2023.

Paul Sewald 

At this time last year, Sewald stood out as the Guardians’ marquee free agent signing. Now his MLB career is on life support. 

Sewald’s time with the Guardians ended up being an abject disaster, as he posted a 4.70 ERA in 15 1/3 innings while dealing a variety of injuries. The Guardians decided to cut their losses at the trade deadline by dealing him to the Tigers, and he appeared in four games for them before being shut down. 

While we’re not that far removed from Sewald serving as the closer for a Diamondbacks team that made it all the way to the World Series, he’ll likely have to settle for a minor league contract somewhere.