In February, the Cleveland Guardians signed John Means to a one-year, $1 million contract with a $6 million option for 2026.
While Means never appeared for the Guardians in 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, he rehabbed at two separate minor league levels while also spending some time in the Guardians’ big league dugout.
But as of now, it looks like his time in Cleveland will end without him throwing a pitch in the majors. On Thursday, the Guardians announced that they weren’t picking up Means’ club option, meaning the 32-year-old is officially a free agent.