Reddit AMA: Will there be offseason additions? What's Bazzana's timeline to The Show?

On Friday, MLB.com Guardians beat reporter Tim Stebbins held an “Ask Me Anything” on Reddit with Guardians fans at r/ClevelandGuardians. This mailbag features questions and answers from the AMA, the full version of which can be read here. Questions and responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

Do you see the Guardians making any significant additions to the roster this offseason?

I definitely think they'll make additions, and I think adding to the lineup would be significant given how the offense struggled last season. But I'd also keep the bullpen in mind. Beyond the situation with Emmanuel Clase, relievers Jakob Junis and Kolby Allard are free agents. They already were going to be without Nic Enright next season due to his Oct. 29 Tommy John surgery, before he was DFA'd on Tuesday. The bullpen could use some help.

The Guardians were one of the most (if not the most) platoon-heavy teams last year offensively. With the front office indicating that they want to improve the lineup in the offseason, do you think they will prioritize right-handed bats to balance out their lefty-heavy roster, or will they go for more of a “best hitter they can acquire regardless of handedness” approach?

Indeed, the Guardians led MLB with a 78.6 percent platoon advantage. Our MLB.com research team found some great additional context: The platoon advantage primarily was against right-handed pitching.

Cleveland had the fewest plate appearances against right-handers in 2025 (4,159), but the most plate appearances by left-handed batters against right-handed pitchers (3,469). That's an 83.4 percent platoon advantage vs. right-handed pitching, compared to the Guardians’ 67.2 percent advantage against left-handed pitching (1,784 total plate appearances vs. lefties, including 1,198 by right-handed batters).

Of course, the roster was heavy on left-handed hitters in 2025, so perhaps that's one explanation to these numbers.

Ultimately, yes, I think it would make sense if they added help from the right side, with how many left-handed hitters they have. But if there's a lefty who can help, the handedness shouldn't serve as an impediment. Cleveland had a .647 OPS against lefties and a .679 OPS vs. righties in 2025.

What is the realistic timeline for the arrival of Travis Bazzana, and what happens with Gabriel Arias, Brayan Rocchio and Juan Brito when he arrives in The Show?

It feels like an early summer situation for Bazzana, from my standpoint. He missed about two months in 2025 with a right oblique strain, so I imagine he'll get some time with Triple-A Columbus to open ‘26. He was promoted to the Clippers on Aug. 11 and fared well over nine games in September, hitting .290 (9-for-31) with a 1.163 OPS.

That said, the Guardians have moved Bazzana up the farm system quite steadily since he was drafted. If he starts next season in Triple-A and is hitting well, he could soon position himself for the next challenge.

I feel most confident saying Bazzana would play second. How the rest of it would shake out is the larger question. We know Rocchio is a natural shortstop and Arias can move around the diamond. Would that be how the dominos fall? Brito also has versatility. If he's also in the Majors, there would be some flexibility with the infield mix.

How much do you think David Fry will play catcher and outfield in 2026? Has he started to transition to 1B/DH full time?

The Guardians definitely envision him helping at catcher, but also other positions. Last season, they missed the flexibility that having three catchers gives them, while Fry was limited to DH duties while continuing his recovery from Tommy John surgery. So often in 2024, they were able to pinch-hit or pinch-catch due to Fry's versatility, and that's a luxury that most teams simply don't have. We know he can help at first base and corner outfield. This is one storyline I'm interested in following next spring.

The Guards had a lot of success with a six-man rotation during their successful stretch at the end of last season. Given the number of young starters, is there a good reason to not try a six-man rotation in 2026?

It's tough to pull off a six-man staff over a full 162-game season because it puts added strain on the bullpen. Having one less guy down there means everyone's workload increases, and that can wear on the relievers, especially during the long stretches on the schedule without a day off. The Guardians said a few times down the stretch a six-man can be a great idea when you 1) have the arms to do it and 2) when the schedule makes sense for it.