While the Cleveland Guardians surprised all of baseball by coming back from a 15 1/2 game deficit in the American League Central, they went out with a whimper in October when they lost to the Tigers in three games in the Wild Card Series.
Even if their situation for next season could be worse (imagine being the White Sox), there are still some things they need to do if they plan on contending next season.
Here are three things they should make a priority in the offseason if they want to compete next season.
What the Guardians need to do to make the postseason this year
Give the rookies a chance to earn everyday playing time…
Last week against Detroit, the Guardians rolled out an outfield that consisted of Steven Kwan (a three-time Gold Glove winner and two-time All-Star), Chase DeLauter (who was playing in his second MLB game) and George Valera (who had 41 at-bats in the regular season, which made him look like a grizzled veteran next to DeLauter).