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Guardians CLE

202035–25 (0.583)Made Playoffs
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President of baseball ops: Chris Antonetti · GM: Mike Chernoff

Overview

Ranks vs the 30 teams in 2020, or a custom range (defaults to every team-season since 1985, when our data starts).

to

Front Office

PoorAverageGreat
Value
Payroll $M
$87M
Surplus $M
+43
Win %
0.583
TAB
+17.6
WAB
+16.4
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
17.9
Dead money %
19%
Depth Players
2.0
Dead WAR
-2.7

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

2020 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

RRoberto Pérez32
BSandy León24
LBeau Taylor7
RAustin Hedges⇄6

1B

BCarlos Santana60
LJosh Naylor⇄5
LMike Freeman1

2B

BCésar Hernández58
LMike Freeman4
RYu Chang2

3B

BJosé Ramírez57
LMike Freeman6
RYu Chang3
RChristian Arroyo⇄1

SS

BFrancisco Lindor58
RYu Chang4
LMike Freeman3

LF

LJosh Naylor⇄22
RJordan Luplow21
RÓscar Mercado12
RDomingo Santana9
LBradley Zimmer8
LMike Freeman4
RFranmil Reyes1
LDaniel Johnson1

CF

RDelino DeShields35
RÓscar Mercado21
LBradley Zimmer7
BGreg Allen⇄4

RF

LTyler Naquin39
RDomingo Santana16
RJordan Luplow9
LBradley Zimmer7
LDaniel Johnson4

DH

RFranmil Reyes57
BFrancisco Lindor2
RDelino DeShields1
BJosé Ramírez1
LMike Freeman1
BSandy León1
RÓscar Mercado1

Starters

RShane Bieber3.1 WAR
RCarlos Carrasco1.5 WAR
RZach Plesac1.5 WAR
RAaron Civale1.2 WAR
RTriston McKenzie0.6 WAR
RCal Quantrill⇄0.2 WAR
RAdam Plutko0.1 WAR
RMike Clevinger⇄0.0 WAR

Bullpen

★ LBrad Hand16 sv
RNick Wittgren10 h
RJames Karinchak8 h
RPhil Maton4 h
LOliver Perez3 h
RAdam Cimber3 h
RDominic Leone3 h
RCameron Hill2 h

Each position shows its top 3 by games (top = starter) — click "+more" for the rest. The letter is bats/throws; ⇄ marks a player traded mid-season. Starters are ranked by WAR, bullpen by holds; ★ marks the closer (most save chances). MLB Stats API.

Key additions (new vs 2019)

PlayerfWAR
César Hernández1.9
Triston McKenzie0.6
Cal Quantrill0.2
Delino DeShields0.1
Christian Arroyo0.0
Kyle Nelson-0.1

Key subtractions (gone from 2019)

Player2019 fWAR
Trevor Bauer2.6
Yasiel Puig1.2
Tyler Clippard0.7
Kevin Plawecki0.6
Jason Kipnis0.4
A.J. Cole0.2

Contract Value

WAR translated into tier-adjusted market value, then compared with what the player was paid by Guardians. Guaranteed contracts from the 2015-present contract-data period use the known contract period through 2020; everyone else is shown as a 2020 season snapshot.

PlayerPeriodfWARTier Market $MPaid $MSurplus $M$ / WARTierContract
Shane Bieber 2020 +3.1 +49.3 0.2 +49.0 $0.1M 1.96× Free Agent · 2025–2026 · $13.0M AAV
José Ramírez 2020 +3.1 +27.8 6.7 +21.1 $2.1M 1.12× Extension · 2026–2032 · $25.0M AAV
Zach Plesac 2020 +1.5 +11.9 0.2 +11.7 $0.1M 1.02× –
Aaron Civale 2020 +1.2 +9.5 0.2 +9.2 $0.2M 1.02× Free Agent · 2026–2026 · $6.0M AAV
César Hernández 2020 +1.9 +12.1 6.2 +5.9 $3.4M 0.82× –
James Karinchak 2020 +1.1 +5.9 0.2 +5.6 $0.2M 0.67× –
Triston McKenzie 2020 +0.6 +4.7 0.1 +4.6 $0.2M 1.02× –
Brad Hand 2020 +1.1 +11.8 7.6 +4.2 $6.9M 1.34× –
Franmil Reyes 2020 +0.8 +4.3 0.2 +4.1 $0.3M 0.69× –
Phil Maton 2020 +0.7 +3.5 0.2 +3.3 $0.3M 0.67× Free Agent · 2026–2028 · $7.2M AAV
Carlos Carrasco 2020 +1.5 +11.9 10.2 +1.7 $7.0M 1.02× Free Agent · 2026–2026 · $1.5M AAV
Cal Quantrill↔ 2020 +0.2 +1.1 0.1 +1.1 $0.3M 0.67× Free Agent · 2026–2026 · $1.0M AAV
Jordan Luplow 2020 +0.2 +1.3 0.2 +1.0 $1.1M 0.83× –
Oliver Pérez 2020 +0.4 +2.0 1.1 +0.8 $3.0M 0.67× –
Adam Cimber 2020 +0.1 +0.5 0.2 +0.4 $1.5M 0.67× –
Adam Plutko 2020 +0.1 +0.5 0.2 +0.3 $2.4M 0.67× –
Bradley Zimmer 2020 +0.0 +0.2 0.1 +0.1 $2.8M 0.83× –
Mike Freeman 2020 +0.0 +0.1 0.2 -0.2 $17.3M 0.58× –
Logan Allen 2020 -0.0 -0.3 0.0 -0.3 – 0.67× –
Greg Allen↔ 2020 -0.1 -0.4 0.1 -0.5 – 0.83× –
Dominic Leone 2020 -0.1 -0.4 0.2 -0.6 – 0.67× –
Josh Naylor↔ 2020 -0.1 -0.7 0.1 -0.7 – 0.83× Free Agent · 2026–2030 · $18.5M AAV
Nick Wittgren 2020 +0.1 +0.3 1.1 -0.8 $19.3M 0.67× –
Cam Hill 2020 -0.1 -0.8 0.2 -0.9 – 0.67× –
Austin Hedges↔ 2020 -0.1 -0.4 0.5 -1.0 – 0.52× Extension · 2026–2026 · $4.0M AAV
Beau Taylor 2020 -0.2 -1.0 0.1 -1.1 – 0.52× –
Daniel Johnson 2020 -0.2 -1.4 0.0 -1.4 – 0.83× –
Delino DeShields 2020 +0.1 +0.4 1.9 -1.5 $30.7M 0.83× –
Mike Clevinger↔ 2020 +0.0 +0.0 2.0 -2.0 $1526.8M 1.02× –
Roberto Pérez 2020 +0.3 +1.4 3.6 -2.2 $10.6M 0.52× –
Domingo Santana 2020 -0.2 -1.1 1.2 -2.4 – 0.83× –
Sandy León 2020 -0.1 -0.4 2.0 -2.4 – 0.52× Free Agent · 2026–2026 · $1.0M AAV
Francisco Lindor 2020 +1.8 +13.2 17.5 -4.3 $9.5M 0.89× Extension · 2022–2031 · $34.1M AAV
Óscar Mercado 2020 -0.7 -4.9 0.2 -5.1 – 0.83× –
Tyler Naquin 2020 -0.6 -4.3 1.4 -5.7 – 0.83× –
Carlos Santana 2020 +0.8 +3.4 20.8 -17.4 $27.3M 0.56× Free Agent · 2026–2027 · $2.0M AAV
Christian Arroyo↔ 2020 +0.0 +0.0 0.0 -0.0 $58.7M 0.58× –
Kyle Nelson 2020 -0.1 -0.4 – – – 0.67× –
Yu Chang 2020 +0.1 +0.5 – – – 0.61× –
Total—+18.2+161.187.0+73.6—

Trades

Every graded 2020 deal involving the Guardians — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 1 total.

2020 · CLE / SDP
CLE · Chris Antonetti +$84.0M
Owen Miller, Joey Cantillo, Gabriel Arias, Josh Naylor, Cal Quantrill, Austin Hedges
SDP · AJ Preller −$84.0M
Greg Allen, Mike Clevinger, Matt Waldron
CLE came out ahead by $84.0M

Current & Historical Payroll

2020 payroll
$87.2M
2021 guaranteed
$0M

What the front office was committed to as of 2020, 2020–2026. Guaranteed $ are contract commitments signed by 2020; arbitration & free-agent years are projected from service time. Hover a figure for its luxury-tax (CBT) & actual-cash values.

current $ guaranteed $ arbitration (proj) pre-arb (proj) free agent club option player option mutual option vesting option

Guaranteed / signed (4)

PlayerAgeSvc2020202120222023202420252026
Carlos Santana349.115$20.8MFREE AGENT
Carlos Carrasco338.147$10.2MFREE AGENT
Brad Hand306.092$7.6MFREE AGENT
Oliver Pérez3815.093$1.1MFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (12)

PlayerAgeSvc2020202120222023202420252026
Francisco Lindor264.113$17.5MARB 3FREE AGENT
José Ramírez275.074$6.7MFREE AGENT
César Hernández305.154$6.2MFREE AGENT
Roberto Pérez315.083$3.6MFREE AGENT
Mike Clevinger293.040$2.0MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Sandy León315.144$2.0MFREE AGENT
Delino DeShields274.109$1.9MARB 3FREE AGENT
Tyler Naquin293.032$1.4MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Domingo Santana274.024$1.2MARB 3FREE AGENT
Nick Wittgren293.071$1.1MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Austin Hedges273.166$514kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dominic Leone284.068$162kARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (23)

PlayerAgeSvc2020202120222023202420252026
Shane Bieber251.097$231kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Franmil Reyes241.115$217kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Freeman321.111$213kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Adam Plutko281.063$213kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jordan Luplow261.112$213kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Phil Maton272.047$212kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Aaron Civale250.058$209kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
James Karinchak240.017$209kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Cam Hill260.000$174kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Óscar Mercado250.139$168kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Zach Plesac250.114$159kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Adam Cimber292.000$157kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Triston McKenzie220.000$115kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bradley Zimmer272.036$95kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Beau Taylor300.030$93kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Greg Allen271.099$83kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Cal Quantrill250.132$55kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Josh Naylor230.118$52kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Logan Allen23–$47k
Daniel Johnson240.000$34kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Christian Arroyo251.064$10kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Yu Chang241.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kyle Nelson230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

How each 2020 acquisition stacked onto Guardians's playoff-odds curve. The side table is ranked by PPA.

Rosternomics — front-office performance, roster value, and transaction history. Follow @rosternomics on X.
Decision-maker records extend to 1933; resource-controlled WAR and payroll metrics cover 1985–2026. Data sources include FanGraphs, Baseball-Reference, the Chadwick Bureau register, the Lahman Database, prospect rankings from Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, and FanGraphs, and public payroll records. Transaction and trade data was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet. Executive birth/death data via Wikidata (CC0).
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