CLEVELAND, Ohio — The MLB non-tender deadline has arrived, and the Cleveland Guardians face some difficult decisions regarding which arbitration-eligible players will receive contract offers for 2026. In the latest Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, cleveland.com beat reporters Joe Noga and Paul Hoynes broke down the organization’s toughest calls.
While established players like Steven Kwan and David Fry appear safe, others face uncertain futures. Hoynes identified the clearest candidates at risk:
“I think the two guys that have a question mark by their name have to be Sam Hentges and Will Brennan,” Hoynes said. “Henches missed the whole season with shoulder surgery and then he hurt his knee… Brennan needed Tommy John surgery… So there are two guys kind of on the bubble for sure.”
The financial implications are significant. Henches is projected to make $1.3 million in arbitration, while Brennan would cost around $900,000 – substantial investments for players coming off lost seasons due to injuries.
Perhaps the most intriguing case involves Nolan Jones, projected at $2 million in arbitration after a disappointing 2025 campaign. Jones hit just .211 with five home runs, 34 RBIs, and an OPS+ of just 68 – well below league average.
“From the outside looking in, there’s no way you tender this guy a contract,” Hoynes said of Jones. “But they kept running him out there time and time again.”
Noga recalled the perplexing situation: “There were times last season when we’d come to the ballpark and we’d see his name in the lineup and we’d just kind of be scratching our heads. They continued to give him opportunities to hit his way out of whatever funk he was in and it just never materialized.”
Hoynes suggested that only the organization’s history with Jones – a second round draft pick they traded for specifically – might save him. “If they tender him a contract it’s only because of the background they have on him, that they drafted him, they know him better than they believe… and that last year was a mirage. That’s the only way I think, that they would bring him back.”
The podcast also examined the case for retaining reliever Matt Festa, who emerged as a valuable bullpen piece in 2025 with 63 appearances after being acquired from Texas on a minor league deal in April. Despite his $1 million projected salary, Hoynes advocated keeping him: “You’re going to need some kind of depth. A guy that can make 50 to 60 appearances in the bullpen and Festa showed he could do that.”
By the time you’re reading this, the Guardians will have made their decisions. Check out the full podcast to hear the complete breakdown of all arbitration-eligible players and to understand the financial and roster considerations that shaped the front office’s moves.
Podcast transcript
Joe Noga: Welcome back to the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast. I’m Joe Noga, joined by Paul Hoynes. Hoynsie, the MLB non tender deadline is approaching. It’s today, Friday. As we’re recording this, getting ready, anticipating hearing from the guardians which players who are arbitration eligible that they intend to tender contracts to and those that they do not will become free agents. Talking about guys like Sam Henches, Nolan Jones, Will Brennan, Matt Festa. Also on that list are guys like Stephen Kwan and David Fry. So you know, those guys, Quan and Fry I think are guys that can feel pretty assured and pretty confident that they will be receiving contract offers. But guys like Henches and Jones and Brennan. Henches and Brennan, we’ve talked about having dealt with injuries and recovering from those, but there’s, there’s a guy like, you know, Matt Festa who’s, well, he’s projected to make a million dollars in arbitration and if the guardians wanted to save a little bit of that salary, they could not tender him. What do you think the chances are of all those guys? None of those guys, some of those guys getting tender contracts at some point this afternoon?
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, Joe, I think the three guy, I guess the two guys that have a question mark by their name has, have to be Sam Henches and Will Brennan. They both missed, well, Henches missed the whole season with what? Shoulder surgery and then he hurt his knee, then his knee had. He required knee surgery and Brennan needed Tommy John surgery. Only played a handful of games with the big league club. So you know, you’ve got to, I think, you know, those are non tender candidates. Henches is scheduled to or you know, projected to make 1.3 million. Brennan 900. 900 grand. So, you know, two, two guys kind of on the bubble for sure. You know, I don’t think, I think I’d keep Festa if I was the Guardians. You let, you let Allard go, you let Junas go. This Festa, you know, really kind of was a diamond in the rough for you. A good find, made 63 appearances. What they made a trade. I think they got him in April from Texas, a minor league deal and he really panned out for them. So, you know, you’re going to need some kind of depth. A guy that can make 50 to 60 appearances in the bullpen and Festa showed he could do that. Yet last year, last season, Major league.
Joe Noga: Major League Baseball trade rumors projects Quon at 8.8 million in his arbitration and David Fry at 1.2 million. They also project Nolan Jones at 2 million and that’s the one that sort of could be, you know, a little sticky if you think about it from Jones perspective. He didn’t have the kind of season that he was hoping or that he wanted to have really. You know, he hit what tubman with only five home runs, 34 RBIs, an OPS plus, well below league average, only 68. So there’s a, a way to save a little bit of, of cash on that side is by non tendering Nolan Jones, making him a free agent. But if you, for the amount of, you know, at bats they gave him, the amount of chances they gave him last season, you know, if they saw something that they thought that was there, is there a chance that they, they offer him a contract?
Paul Hoynes: You know, Joe, that’ I guess if from the outside looking in, there’s no way you, you tender this guy a contract. But how many. They kept running him out there time and time again they made the deal with Tyler Freeman, sending him to Colorado to bring Jones back. You know, he was what, a high round draft pick by Cleveland? I believe a second or third round pick, a high school kid. But you know, as you said, Joe, these struggled last season. I mean he, he ended the season hurt. Remember, he pulled a oblique on just the last week of the season. I believe so. I don’t know, Joe. I mean if he’s back, if they tender him a contract, you know, I think it’s only because of the background they have on him, you know, that they drafted him, they know him better than they believe. They know him better than anybody else. And that last year was a mirage. That’s the only way I think, that they would bring him back.
Joe Noga: Yeah, I mean there were times last season when we come to the ballpark and we’d see his name in the lineup and, and we just kind of be scratching our heads. You know, they, they continued to, to, they continued to give him opportunities to, to sort of hit his way out of whatever funk he was in and it just never materialized. And then like you said last week of the season, he mysteriously has this, this injury and it’s leads to the eventual chance for Chase, Chase Delauda to actually join the club, join the roster for the postseason and make his debut in the, in the last two games of the season. So yeah, I wonder how, how much confidence, how much faith they had in Nolan Jones by the end of the season. That’s something that’s, we could sort of speculate on, but pretty good chance that, that they don’t tender him, especially at $2 million projected at least, or if you do, you try and, you know, maybe lowball that offer to him and see what you can get. As far as, you know, trade candidates throughout the league. You know, we’ve talked about guys who are right now rumored to be trying to be moved before the, the line. Guys like Adoles Garcia and Jonah Heim in Texas. They’re trying to find trade partners for them. If not, those two could become free agents. You know, if you’re a team like Cleveland looking to maybe attract a guy like Garcia, he becomes a free agent after today, you might consider, you know, trying to wait and not try not having to give up a prospect there to, to bring Garcia over, or if you want to make sure that he has to come over, you make that trade and avoid him being out on the free free agent market there and able to sign with any team. Now, the, the Guardians have sort of, they’re working two sides of things. They’re, they’re trying to, you know, figure out who they’re going to keep on their roster, but they’re also working through and identifying their roster needs for the, the 2026 season and, and how to make, how to fill those holes. We, we saw at this time last year and when we talked to Chris Antennadi and Mike Chernoff and they said, knew that starting pitching was their, their big deficit and they went out and they, they made trades to, to address that, that need, that’s how you got Luis Ortiz on the roster in the first place was by trading away a guy like Andres Jimenez. Are we going to see them do that, work a trade rather than maybe go in and try to spend money and throw money at this, this issue? Because that’s, that doesn’t really seem like the pattern that this front office has followed.
Paul Hoynes: I think they’ll, they’ll look at both ways. Joe. We saw them do both things last winter. They, they resigned Shane Bieber as a free agent. They, they signed Carlos Santana as a free agent and they also made a trade. They sent Josh Naylor to, to Arizona for Slade Saccony and they made the Andres Jimenez deal with Toronto, which turned into Luis Ortiz and a couple of minor league pitchers. So, you know, as you said, they’re working both sides of the street. But you know, Joe, I think you, you have to identify what these guys need. And I think, you know, whatever, as you said, they were looking for starting pitching last year, they found it in Ortiz and Saccony. This year they have to be looking for offense. Joe, they, they cannot go through another season like this with a 226 batting average and at the bottom of, you know, the MLB rankings in runs and ops, you know, they are not going to come back from a 15 game deficit again. That’s not going to happen. That was a once in a lifetime season last year. If, if they, if they do not improve this offense, 2026 is going to be a long season.
Joe Noga: Yeah. And, and the areas that you can improve that offense right now, center field, right field and designated hitter. Can they find a bat that can fit in, you know, one or more of those different spots that that sort of produces and, and can produce consistently as a major league hitter? We’re not talking about an unproven prospect or a guy with a lot of upside. We’re talking about a guy who’s been there, done that, and has put up 20 home runs, 80 plus RBIs in a season and somebody you can rely on to hit in the middle of the lineup and, and sort of give protection to Jose Ramirez and sort of be a, be a mentor to a guy like Kyle Manzardo. That’s, that’s the ideal candidate description. It’s how do they go about doing that? In the past we’ve seen them as they did with the Spencer Horowitz, Andres Jimenez trade. They went and identified a player that another team liked that they could work a three way trade almost to sort of bring in what they need to satisfy their need if they, if they didn’t have what somebody else needed on their roster. So let’s take a look right now at just who on their 40 man roster, on the Guardians 40 man roster would be a trade candidate attractive to another team. Somebody that you know, has a possibility of being sent away in order to bring back who has, who has the value that to bring back a major league type hitter. Let’s start with on the pitching side of things, anybody on the 40 man roster that, that sort of jumps out as a guy that the guardians would be willing to part with?
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, I think, you know, they, they’ve got some good obviously would they be willing to part with a Joey Cantillo, a guy that you know, has had some success as a starter, has shown he can also work out of the bullpen, I think. But you know, he, he also showed he was a valuable part of that rotation in September when they went to the six man rotation. But that’s a guy that kind of interests me Joe, that if I’m on the outside looking in, if I’m another team, you know, that that might be a guy I’d ask For my question.
Joe Noga: Does Joey Cantillo’s situation remind you maybe of what Slade Sacconi was at this time last year when he was traded from Arizona to Cleveland? Sacconi had been asked to be in the bullpen, had bounced back and forth between the rotation in Arizona and by his own admission he was unhappy with the, with the organization and the way he was being handled there. And that’s why coming over to Cleveland sort of kickstarted him and he went on this incredible hot streak of consistency for the Guardians when he got here. Is Joey Cantillo in a similar position to what Slade Saccone was in last year?
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, I think every, every pitcher wants to know, know what their role is, Joe. I mean, you know, when you’re a younger pitcher, you’re going to do anything you can to get to the big leagues and stay in the big leagues. You’ll do, fill any role that the manager and the coaching staff asked you. But, you know, deep down I’m sure Cantillo considers himself a starter and would like to stay, you know, have, have win a spot in that starting rotation. So maybe another team could give him a chance to do that.
Joe Noga: Really on the 40 man roster as far as guys that they would be, you know, willing to part with right now, I, I gotta believe Cantilla would be up there. I look at a guy in terms of like a prospect sort of feel a Franco Aliman who’s been on the 40 man roster for a couple years now, but he’s dealt with so many injuries, his upside is tremendous. Yeah, he struggled a little bit last year after dealing with some injuries for a while, has a reliever, 6 foot 6, 230 pounds. But this is a guy who, you know, maybe you see if a team, you shop him, you see if a team would be interested in what he’s able to do. In terms of infielders, your highest prospect who’s on the 40 man roster is Angela. Now, he was just added this week, but a guy like Daniel Schneemann, does he draw interest? Because I had heard that there were rumors of his name being out there in trade talks. Is he a guy because of his versatility and because, you know, we’ve seen the power, potential that he brings to the plate. And like Stephen Vogt says, he’s a guy who puts together a good professional at bat every time he steps into the box. Is Daniel Schneemann a guy that you could, you know, package to somebody, not necessarily as the headliner for a trade, but as a guy who bolsters a trade offer?
Paul Hoynes: I think so Joe. I think that’s. He’s turned himself into an asset. At the trade deadline last year, I know the Yankees were kicking the tires on him. I mean I know that may sound strange, but every team needs versatility. They need guys that can bounce around the diamond and Schneemann has certainly shown that. You know we saw that in the World Series, we saw that in the playoffs. How valuable players that could play multiple positions were. You know, I think like you said, he could be part of a deal but he’s not going to be the headliner. I mean if you, if they need to get the kind of hitter they want or they need, it’s, it’s going to take more than that and you know that’s, that’s obvious. Making any revelations there.
Joe Noga: They just recently added Khalil Watson to the 40 man roster and Watson who has experience as an infielder primarily just started playing outfield within the last couple of years. So maybe you, you roll with a Khalil Watson. If you, if you make a Daniel Schneemann trade, you’ve got options in that, you know, regard as well. Angel Martinez, how does he strike you?
Paul Hoynes: Does.
Joe Noga: Is he a guy who might interest another team just because of his athleticism?
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, you know he’s the kind of guy that can, you could, you, you could put add as part of a deal switch hitter. He plays the infield, he can play the outfield. He’s got a little bit of power. We saw that and the guardians roster is full of guys like that. To me, Joe Martinez, Heman, you know, we’ve seen, you know, Kaifus, you know, Rodriguez, Watson, Jones, you know we’ve seen a lot, a lot of guys that can, you know, move around the outfield or the infield. So you know, that’s the attractive part of the 40 man roster. But you’ve got to have, you know, you’ve got to have the headliner is Quan a guy I know. You know there’s, there’s been, there were rumors that the deadline. There’s been rumors since the off season that an enter. Is that something they would entertain and if you’re going to trade Quan, you’re going to have to, you’re going to, I mean do you trade a hitter for a hitter or does this guy, you know, what do you get for Quan? Do you get a pitcher? You know, do you get like a prospect, starter and a bullpen guy or what? You know, so you know, the sky’s the limit. If if you’re going to, if you’re going to trade Quan.
Joe Noga: Yeah, the, the return on a Steven Kwan trade would have to be a minimum of a top 100 prospect, major league ready pitcher, probably in the bullpen, and a top pitching prospect as well. I think there’s a, there’s a minimum of a three player get. Right now the ask for a Stephen Kwan has got to be sky high. And if a team’s willing to come up to Cleveland’s asking level for Stephen Kwan right now, you’ve got to consider it. But I don’t think that the Guardians are going to be swayed by much between now and the end of the winter meetings. In terms of Quan, I think, I think opens the season with the club and that, that they, they talk more about him being traded. If he doesn’t sign an extension during spring training, then they, there, there’s your cue that he’s going to be on the club until about July and that’s about it.
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, that’s a good point. And as we’ve said before, if they don’t get the extension done now or at some point between now and opening day, I, I don’t think they get it done.
Joe Noga: All right, so that takes care of the trade possibilities. Trade candidates, you know, you know, where, where we’re seeing things in terms of the 40 man, in terms of the top 30 prospects there, there are a bunch of names on here who would be interesting and attractive to teams. The names at the top of the list, probably more likely that the Guardians are going to want to get a look at them on their own first. But, you know, Untouchables I would think would be guys like Travis Bazzana and Angel Hanau. Those are, you know, the number one and number three prospects listed on MLB Pipeline. Chase Delaude are obviously a guy who’s, you know, got a spot right now and they’ve waited so for him to have a chance here, I think he’s at least going to come to spring training and try to win a job. But a guy like Cooper Engel, do they trade away their number four prospect who’s by all accounts, you know, got all the tools offensively to make an impact. He had, he had been up to, he made it up to AAA this year and, and he’s your catching depth. If something goes wrong with Austin Hedges or Bo Naylor this year, I gotta believe Cooper Ingles, a guy who’s gonna get a chance to, to come up and, you know, work in the catcher’s room there in Cleveland.
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, that would be, that would be a tough trade to make. As you said, Naylor and you know, Austin Hedges both offensively challenged at this point of their careers. Engle, you know, at least gives you an offensive. The hope of offense from the catching position. So yeah, I think you got to hang on to him, Joe. I mean, you can find backup catchers, you can find, you know, veteran type catchers, but if you’re. If you’re developing a young catcher that can swing the bat and you know, I don’t know much about Engels defense, but you know, I saw him in spring training and looked like he swung the bat pretty well. You gotta, you’ve gotta nurture that guy. You’ve gotta keep him.
Joe Noga: Number five prospect, Jason Churio, guy that they. They really like. He made it to hi a last year with the Lake county captains. I don’t see him going anywhere, but that might be a player that, that teams ask on a lot. Obviously the, the younger brother of Jackson Cheerio, who’s so effective and you know, on. On his way to superstardom in Milwaukee. Yeah. With the brewers, he might be one that they could consider just based on where he is in his progression. But the upside on Jason Cheerio is, is probably what. What would keep him in the, in the organization.
Paul Hoynes: Yeah. You know, and they usually, you know, from a prospect standpoint. Do they Joe does seem like historically they hold on to their prospects. That’s their future. And when they trade, they trade for more prospects. It’s so. But yeah, but you know, if you, if you’re going to get a hitter, if you’re going to improve this offense the way you need to improve that they need to improve this offense, you got to give up something. You are usually painful on both sides.
Joe Noga: Well, and that’s the case. You look at the number six prospect on the. On the list, Cal Stefan, the guy that they acquired from Toronto in the Shane Bieber trade. And really it’s almost as if they had drafted him themselves because he was a guy who was on their radar during the. The Travis Bazzana draft and that they had wanted. They hadn’t gotten Cal Stephan in that draft and they stayed on him. They followed him through his progression there and, and when the opportunity came to trade for him, they got him. So it was almost like they, they drafted him for the. Whatever, you know, salary they paid Shane Bieber last year. So I don’t think he’s going anywhere. Jace Laviolette, number seven prospect, is last year’s number one pick. I can’t imagine he hasn’t even stepped foot on a field as a professional yet because of the wrist surgery that sidelined him at the end of the, the playoffs last year. Then you get to Braylon Doty, who’s a right hander, a young guy he’s, you know, only advanced to, to a, A ball. I believe he’s a 20, 24 draft pick. You know, there’s, there’s a possibility there, but this team is like you said, unwilling to, to part with their pitching depth, especially at the upper levels of the, the minor leagues. And this is a guy who I think they, they think very highly of. Rounding out the top 10, you’ve got Ralphie Velasquez, a former number one first round pick for Cleveland who’s shown a lot of promise. He just made it to double A last year. This is a guy who, who’s, you know, got a lot of pop in his bat. He plays first base. So I don’t know what his path to the major leagues could be there, but he is trying the outfield as well. And then Dean Curley, they just drafted him. He’s the number 10 prospect. I think the likelihood of the, any of these guys in the top 10 being included in a, in a trade with the, with a few exceptions, probably pretty low.
Paul Hoynes: I think so, Joe. And there’s so many guys here that they really haven’t got to look at regarding how they, how they play, how they’ll play and as professionals. So it’s kind of like throwing darts if you’re going to make a trade with one of these guys. But you know, they certainly have background on them leading up to the draft, so they have some, they have information on them. But I’m sure they’d like to see how they, how these guys develop. But when you’re in a situation like they are right now where you need offense, sometimes you got to do, you just got to make a deal and, and get, you know, try to try to improve the ball club so it has a chance to, to win again. And as they’ve done the last two years and get to the postseason and have a chance to win a World Series.
Joe Noga: One name to keep an eye on. I think right now maybe number 12 prospect, Alphonse and Rosario, outfielder that they acquired from the Cubs in exchange for Eli Morgan. This is a guy, 6 foot 2, 222 pounds, right handed hitter, outfielder. He made it up to double A last year and really had a strong season at Lake county, was highly regarded in that way. But you know, this is a guy who Maybe. Maybe they look to flip as a prospect too. Maybe other teams. The Cubs know, I know that the Cubs were regretting the trade almost immediately after they made it, but Rosario Inane, that could be considered as well as a. As a possible trade. Chip.
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, an exciting guy, can run. He’s got power. You know, he was in the Arizona Fall League this year. A lot of swing and miss in his game, Joe, but you know, he’s. He’s an exciting hitter and you know he can drive the ball. So interesting guy, maybe potential five tool guy. So you know that those are the kind of. Those are the kind of players that teams that attract teams. So that could be, you know, a possible trade ship.
Joe Noga: As far as what the Guardians are looking to do in their bullpen this offseason, we talked, we mentioned earlier that Jacob Junas is a guy who is a free agent this year based on what he gave them last season. What do you think the chances are that there might be a reunion there between the Guardians and Junas?
Paul Hoynes: Yeah, you know, he had a great year for an unexpected year. 41 2.5978. Made 57 appearances, 66⅓ innings. Just did a nice job, you know, and they got him, you know, just at the right kind of deal. A one year deal. You know, I think 4 to 5 million. Would they be able to sign him again at that price? I doubt it. It’s probably it. It’s probably a two year deal if he comes back or one year and an option. I think that would be a big step in the right direction if they could get Yunus back. Because it’s not like that last year was a fluke, Joe. He’s had two solid years in a bunch of different roles.
Joe Noga: Yeah. It’s just a matter of the, the price point then obviously. What, what can they. Or what. What are they willing to pay him? And that’s a move that’s not going to necessarily excite a lot of Guardians fans, I think, but one that you sort of need to make to. To make your, your bullpen a little deeper. It would be to bring back Junas this year. So something to. To keep an eye on. All right, Hoinsey, that’s going to wrap up today’s edition of the Cleveland Baseball Talk podcast. We will check back in with you early next week. I know it’s a big holiday weekend. We’re going to take the poll again and talk about Thanksgiving food at some point next week. So get your stomach and your mind right so that we’re ready to have that conversation. We’ll talk to you then, Joe.
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