2. Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians lost to the Yankees in the ALCS 4-1, and luckily, only four players are eligible for free agency: ace Shane Beiber, who only made two starts this past season due to needing Tommy John Surgery, catcher Austin Hedges, and starting pitchers Matthew Boyd and Alex Cobb.
They are returning their entire offensive lineup, which ranked a paltry 21st in batting average and 14th in runs per game. Notably, next offseason, the Guardians will see a majority of their starting lineup's contracts expire unless extensions are addressed this winter. The offense should be addressed in free agency, but they have a more pressing need if they hope to improve on their finish from this year.
The Guardians are returning their entire bullpen, which ranked first in ERA with just a 2.57 ERA, .54 points lower than the second-best Milwaukee Brewers. With AL Cy Young finalist Emmanuel Clase leading the charge, their relief crew should remain a strength in 2025.
Their big free agent need is starting pitching. Just three starting pitchers threw more than 100 innings last year for Cleveland: Tanner Bibee (173 2/3 innings, 3.47 ERA), Ben Lively (151.0 innings, 3.81 ERA), and now-free agent Carlos Carrasco (103 2/3 innings, 5.64 ERA). Retaining Bieber would be nice, but his daunting injury history and high price tag could box Cleveland out of his market.
Their projected rotation is righty-heavy at this moment, so the Guardians can use a lefty starting pitcher. Max Fried has been one of the most consistent starting pitchers in the sport for the Atlanta Braves. He has had five straight seasons with an ERA under 3.25, and has completed at least 165 innings pitched in three of the last four seasons.
Of course, Fried is expected to sign a big contract, but the Guardians are in a good position with the 10th-best CBT space available. Their projected 2025 payroll is already nearing their final number from this year, but the team just fell shy of the American League pennant. If there was ever a time to capitalize on a talented young roster, it's now.