📰 NEWS FLASH: After the 2025 season ended, former Guardians players didn’t wait around—new signings across the league are turning heads back to Cleveland ⚡
The MLB offseason may still be warming up, but the transaction wire is already buzzing-and while the Guardians themselves have been relatively quiet so far, a handful of their former players are on the move, finding new homes across the league. From comeback stories to fresh starts, here’s a closer look at where some familiar faces from Cleveland are headed and what their new roles might look like.
Carlos Carrasco (Minor League Deal with Braves – Nov. 8)
Carlos Carrasco’s journey in baseball has been anything but ordinary. He spent 12 seasons with the Guardians, a run that started off rocky but eventually turned into a feel-good story of perseverance and reinvention-especially after a successful stint in the bullpen helped him find his footing.
But the 2024 season was a tough one, and Carrasco has been grinding ever since. After a brief and turbulent stint with the Yankees, where he logged 32 difficult innings before being designated for assignment, he found a short-lived opportunity with the Braves. Three starts later, he was DFA’d again.
Still, Carrasco isn’t ready to walk away. He’s re-signed with Atlanta on a minor league deal, a move that keeps him in the mix as a depth piece heading into spring training. For a Braves team looking to rebound from a disappointing 2025 campaign, having a veteran like Carrasco in the wings could be valuable insurance.
Josh Naylor (Five-Year Deal with Mariners – Nov. 17)
Josh Naylor didn’t just earn a new contract-he earned a long-term commitment. After a breakout second half in 2025, Naylor re-upped with the Mariners on a five-year deal, the only multi-year pact signed by a former Guardian so far this winter.
His numbers tell the story: a .295 average, 20 home runs, 95 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases across 147 games split between Arizona and Seattle. But beyond the stats, it was Naylor’s energy and clutch hitting that helped propel the Mariners to the brink of a World Series appearance.
Seattle clearly believes in what they saw down the stretch. Naylor’s blend of power, speed, and intensity fits right into the Mariners’ identity, and he looks poised to be a cornerstone of their lineup for years to come.
Sam Hentges (One-Year Deal with Giants – Dec. 3)
Sam Hentges missed the entire 2025 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, and the Guardians ultimately chose to non-tender him ahead of the Rule 5 Draft deadline. But the lefty didn’t stay on the market for long.
The Giants scooped him up with a one-year deal finalized in early December. While he hasn’t pitched in a game since early 2024, Hentges was a reliable shutdown option out of the bullpen before the injury. If he’s healthy, he could be a sneaky-good pickup for a San Francisco team trying to keep pace in the ultra-competitive NL West.
The Giants need arms, and Hentges-especially as a left-handed reliever-has the potential to be a difference-maker in late-inning matchups.
Lane Thomas (One-Year Deal with Royals – Dec. 11)
Lane Thomas is switching sides in the AL Central, and that’s going to raise some eyebrows in Cleveland.
After a short and injury-hampered stint with the Guardians, Thomas is heading to Kansas City on a one-year deal. While his 2025 regular season was underwhelming (.160 average in 35 games), he did have some big postseason moments that Guardians fans won’t forget anytime soon-like that grand slam in the ALDS.
The Royals are hoping to tap into that upside as they look to solidify their outfield. For Thomas, it’s a fresh start-and an opportunity to remind the division just how dangerous his bat can be when he’s locked in.
Amed Rosario (One-Year Deal with Yankees – Dec. 13)
Amed Rosario’s career has taken quite a few turns since he was dealt to Cleveland in the Francisco Lindor trade. Once viewed as a potential franchise piece, Rosario’s time with the Guardians ended after a rough 2023, and he’s since bounced around the league.
Most recently, Rosario landed with the Yankees at the 2025 trade deadline and made the most of limited playing time, going 10-for-33 in a utility role. That performance was enough for New York to bring him back on a one-year deal for 2026.
He’s no longer locked in at shortstop-Rosario’s become a true utility man-but his versatility and experience make him a valuable depth piece for a Yankees team with championship aspirations.
Josh Bell (One-Year Deal with Twins – Dec. 15)
Josh Bell is back in the AL Central, this time with the Minnesota Twins.
Bell’s journey has included some strong stretches-particularly with the Nationals-but his time with the Guardians was short-lived. He was traded to the Marlins before the end of his first season in Cleveland, and the issues that plagued him there haven’t fully gone away.
Still, the Twins see enough value to bring him in on a one-year deal. This is a team still trying to figure out its identity, and Bell could provide some veteran pop in the middle of the order. Don’t be surprised if he becomes a trade chip come July, especially if Minnesota finds itself on the fringe of contention.
Final Thoughts
While the Guardians have kept a low profile so far this offseason, their former players are finding new opportunities across the league-some looking to bounce back, others building on breakout performances. Whether it’s Naylor anchoring the heart of Seattle’s lineup or Carrasco giving it one more go in Atlanta, these moves are a reminder that baseball careers rarely follow a straight path. And for these ex-Guardians, the next chapter is already underway.
