CLEVELAND — The Guardians might have given their fan base whiplash during a roller coaster 2025 season.

A mostly disappointing, slow-going spring and summer were followed by one of the most memorable Septembers in franchise history, which in turn led to a playoff run full of positive momentum, but one that ultimately lasted all of three days.

The Guardians spent months chasing down the Detroit Tigers for a playoff division title that had never been equaled, only for their season to end at the hands of those same Tigers in a short, and hard-fought, best-of-three wild card series.

The Guardians enter their offseason with a much different outlook on both 2025 and 2026 than anyone would have thought would be the case in July. Despite not winning a playoff series this season, the Guardians have averaged 90 wins in Stephen Vogt’s two seasons as manager, and a youthful club weathered several storms that might have otherwise ended any chance of reaching the postseason.

Here are the top storylines and questions for this Guardians offseason.

Steven Kwan contract, trade potential

All-Star left fielder Steven Kwan is centered in a lot of what the Guardians do this offseason, and in multiple directions.

Kwan didn’t quite have his best season in the major leagues in 2025, but it was enough to secure his second All-Star selection, and he’s likely headed toward a fourth consecutive Gold Glove Award in left field. His wRC+ fell to a basically league average 99, though his fWAR remained solid at 3.2.

He’s under club control via arbitration for two more seasons before he can hit free agency.

On one hand, he’s one of several players who could be a candidate for a contract extension to eat up one or two of his free agent years to remain in Cleveland beyond 2027. Star third baseman Jose Ramirez is under club control through 2028. The two sides have met at the negotiation table in the past, but a deal for a contract extension has remained elusive.

Quite a bit of future payroll was freed up last winter with the trades of Andres Gimenez and Myles Straw and, to this point, virtually none of it has been spent beyond the 2025 roster — namely the Carlos Santana signing.

Then there’s the question as to whether Kwan is traded. It nearly happened at the deadline, when Cleveland was not only reeling from a lengthy losing streak to begin the month but also the loss of Emmanuel Clase because of MLB’s gambling investigation. That could have led to a fire-sale, but the Guardians chose to hold onto Kwan despite plenty of interest, and the historic run to the playoffs followed.

Kwan is, to date, the only recent success story in Cleveland when it comes to the outfield, though they’ll likely need to at least listen to offers in case a team gets desperate. Still, dealing Kwan only creates another problem to solve when it comes to the 2026 lineup.

Are Chase DeLauter, George Valera, Travis Bazzana enough to bolster Guardians 2026 lineup?

That offense is the main reason why the Guardians are sitting at home right now. The bullpen was again a top-three unit in baseball, and the rotation went on an incredible run through September that had been equaled only once in more than 100 seasons.

The lineup left much to be desired for a team with any hopes of contending in October. No team can expect to finish last in its league in runs scored and then make an easy run to the World Series.

The Guardians were given a possible preview to the 2026 lineup, as C.J. Kayfus, George Valera and then Chase DeLauter made their major league debuts, the last of the trio also becoming the sixth in the modern game to do so in the postseason.

Travis Bazzana, the 2024 No. 1 overall draft selection, should make his MLB debut in 2026 barring injuries, and it might happen on Opening Day with a strong spring. Then there’s infielder Juan Brito, catcher Cooper Ingle and others who could provide some reinforcements. As the Guardians painfully learned in 2025, trusting so many young hitters to all take major steps forward in lock step can be tricky, though, and there’s no safety net if something goes wrong.

Is that, along with the return of David Fry after what was essentially a lost season, enough?

What punishment awaits Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz?

Whether it was directly connected or not, the losses of starting pitcher Luis Ortiz and Clase seemed to only galvanize a Guardians pitching staff that got better as the season wore on, particularly when they made the switch to a six-man rotation.

Cleveland awaits the league punishment to be handed down. It remains possible, if enough of a connection is found, that Clase and Ortiz have thrown their last pitch in the major leagues. The Guardians likely have to operate as if that is the case, and if the punishment is any less than a lifetime ban, they can react accordingly at that time.

Who is the odd-man-out in the Guardians’ six-man starting rotation?

The move to a six-man rotation worked beautifully for Cleveland, but it’s not really something easily duplicated for a full regular season. The rosters expanding to 28 players on Sept. 1 helped to make that possible. For the full year, it’d leave the bullpen one reliever short.

Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee certainly have their spots in the 2026 rotation. Then there’s Joey Cantillo, Slade Cecconi, Logan Allen and Parker Messick as candidates, barring a trade. Figuring out who doesn’t make the Opening Day rotation, and what capacity they’re pitching in otherwise — major league bullpen or Triple-A rotation? — will be a storyline to follow this winter and next spring. Cantillo and Cecconi likely have the inside track for Nos. 3 and 4, but a lot can change between now and Opening Day.

The Guardians also hold a $6 million club option with no buyout on John Means, who worked his way back from another Tommy John surgery but never appeared in a major league game.

Guardians 2025 free agents

Outfielder Lane Thomas, catcher Austin Hedges and reliever Jakob Junis are the three main major league free agents on Cleveland’s roster.

Thomas had virtually a lost 2025 season while dealing with, or trying to play through, a plantar fasciitis issue. He underwent a procedure on his right foot a couple of weeks ago, and has expressed interest in being back in Cleveland.

Of any player in baseball, Hedges might bring the most value on sheer clubhouse presence alone, though it’s something that can’t be quantified with any number. Winning has simply followed him around in Cleveland and Texas, even if his batting average struggles to even approach the Mendoza Line (.200).

And even despite his offensive shortcomings, he was elite enough definitely to still garner 1.2 fWAR while playing in in only 70 games. While the concept of a clubhouse presence can sometimes be a little overblown, with Hedges it seems real.

But with Bo Naylor as the main starter, Fry potentially able to catch again in 2026 and Ingle working his way through the minor league system, the Guardians might not have a spot for Hedges on the roster, unless anything changes with other timelines.

Junis ended up being a positive addition to the 2025 bullpen, finishing with a 2.97 ERA in 66⅔ innings.

All three are pending free agents.