The Cleveland Guardians begin their full squad workouts in a couple of days in Goodyear, AZ. After a mostly quiet offseason, fans are still holding out hope that the team makes at least one more move. Maybe for a right-handed bat to help balance a heavy left-handed group? There is no indication of anything happening. However, after some news of a right-handed bat being floated for a trade, could this be the move the Guardians could make?
Guardians Should Target Ryan Mountcastle
GettyRyan Mountcastle
Per Ken Rosenthal, the Baltimore Orioles are still exploring trades for Ryan Mountcastle and Coby Mayo. Out of the two possibilities, Mountcastle is the way to go for the Guardians for 2026. He is only 28 years old and is a right-handed batter. He could bring a balance to a very heavy left-handed group and is relatively near the age window that works for Cleveland.
Furthermore, he is only set to make $6.787M this season, so that won’t break the bank for the Guardians in 2026. He will become an unrestricted free agent for his age-30 season in 2027. Mountcastle will be entering his age-29 season this year when his birthday rolls in on the 18th. Overall, he is someone the Guardians should consider playing first base and the corner outfield.
Despite playing only 89 games in 2025, his 2023 and 2024 seasons have shown he can be productive at the plate. In 2023, he had 114 hits in 115 games with 21 doubles, one triple, three stolen bases, 18 home runs, 68 RBIs, and finished with a 2.1 wins above replacement (WAR). Plus, his slash line that season was .328/.452/.779 with a 117 OPS+ and an average of .270.
Mountcastle followed that 2023 season with a 2024 campaign, where he played 124 games and had a 2.6 WAR. He finished with 128 hits, 30 doubles, two triples, 13 home runs, 63 RBIs, and a .271 average. His slash line came out to a .308/.425/.733 and an OPS+ of 110.
Over those two seasons, he had a 4.6 WAR in 239 games played. Mountcastle totaled 242 hits in 896 at-bats with 51 doubles, three triples, 31 home runs, 131 RBIs, six stolen bases and a .270 average. Furthermore, his slash line came out to .317/.438/.755 with a combined OPS+ of 113. Outside of a down 2025 season, he is someone who could bring a high-end average and a decent pop to a lineup that needs it. Plus, he can drive in runs as a middle-of-the-order bat.
What do the analytics say about Mountcastle that warrants a look via trade from the Guardians?
Diving into the Analytics
While the 2025 Baseball Savant page doesn’t favor his true numbers well, his 2024 season gives a better sense of how he is overall. Mountcastle’s Barrel % came in at the 58th percentile (8.8%), while his hard-hit % came out to the 74th percentile (45.2%). Furthermore, his LA Sweep Spot% was in the 74th percentile (36.2%), along with his bat speed being in the 90th percentile (75.1%). Mountcastle’s xBA was in the 87th percentile (.271), and his xSLG was in the 73rd (.455).
His chase % was in the 4th percentile (38%), along with his whiff % being in the 45th (25.1%), K% being in the 42nd (22.5%), and BB% being in the 13th percentile (5.3). Between 2023 and 2024, Mountcastle finished with 64 total walks and 221 strikeouts. While he did strikeout more than he walked in those two seasons, he did have a .270 and .271 averages and WARs of 2.1 and 2.6. Plus OPS+ of 117 and 110.
When it came to fielding, his Range (OAA) was in the 80th percentile (two). However, his arm strength was in the first percentile (68.6), but that was mainly at first base. If given time to get time in the corner outfield along with first base reps, that could go up. Regarding his speed, Mountcastle was in the 57th percentile (27.6).
When it comes to FanGraph projections, ZiPS believes he will play 111 games, finishing with 17 home runs and 59 RBIs. The average could come out to a .260, along with an OBP of .305 and a .444 SLG. The wRC+ came out as 107 and a WAR of 1.1. While those are projections, there is a belief that if he gets around 450 plate appearances, plus reaches his 2023 and 2024 numbers again, Mouncastle could have a bounce-back 2026 season.
When it comes down to it, Mountcastle checks off a ton of boxes for the Guardians. Only going to be 29 years old in 2026, can play first base and corner outfield. Furthermore, he can hit for a good average, drive in runs, pop 15 to 20 home runs, plus his contract is under $7M for one season. If they want to extend him, they can do that. Also, Mountcastle can bring a balance to the lineup as a right-handed bat. If there is someone to get via trade for the 2026 season, it’s Ryan Mountcastle.
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