If there’s one thing the Cleveland Guardians desperately need this offseason, it’s starting pitching.
Of course, the chances of the Guardians getting Corbin Burnes in free agency are pretty slim, so they may have to go bargain hunting or make a smart trade.
One possible route is to pursue an aging veteran on a one-year deal, which is why FanSided’s Nick Villano predicts Cleveland will sign free-agent right-hander Max Scherzer.
“The Cleveland Guardians reached the American League Championship Series, but their starters couldn’t last long,” Villano wrote. Scherzer won’t solve that overnight, but his expertise would give the Guardians a true veteran in the locker room. The Guardians could say no to Shane Bieber, which would give them the money to make this work. ”
Of course, Scherzer comes with some caveats.
He is 40 years old and played only 43.1 innings with the Texas Rangers last season due to injuries. In fact, Scherzer has now had health issues for three years in a row, as he made 23 and 27 starts in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
That said, Scherzer is a future Hall-of-Famer, and he’s still effective when healthy, as evidenced by the fact that he registered a 3.95 ERA this past season.
All things considered, Scherzer can’t be the Guardians’ sole answer, but if they can land him and acquire a new starting pitcher, they could be successful through 2025.