This story was excerpted from Mandy Bell¡¯s Guardians Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The Guardians¡¯ offseason is gaining steam.

It had been relatively quiet, aside from re-signing backup catcher Austin Hedges in November. That changed on Friday night when Cleveland locked up ace Shane Bieber for at least one more season. But the organization knows this just has to be a stepping stone.

All the top baseball executives from all 30 Major League teams will gather in Dallas next week for the annual Winter Meetings. The Guardians have been clear that they must improve their starting rotation before Opening Day and re-signing a pitcher who won¡¯t be healthy enough to pitch until the summer isn¡¯t enough to fix all their problems. Maybe putting the entire baseball industry inside one building will help other moves transpire.

Here¡¯s everything you need to know heading into the Winter Meetings:

Key Events

• Sunday: HOF Classic Baseball Era Committee results released
• Tuesday: MLB Draft Lottery
• Wednesday: Rule 5 Draft

Club needs
No. 1 is starting pitching. The Guardians know they can lean on Tanner Bibee next season. Bieber will get in the mix in the second half of the season. Beyond that, there are some serious question marks. Cleveland isn¡¯t sure what to expect from Gavin Williams or Ben Lively again next year. Rookie Joey Cantillo and prospect Doug Nikhazy could be in the mix, if needed, but this team needs another top-tier veteran who can eat innings.

Although it may not be as important as bolstering this rotation, the Guardians still need to be looking for ways to improve this offense. Maybe they could find a center fielder with a decent bat so they can move Lane Thomas to right field to help improve their outfield depth. Maybe they just target a right fielder and leave Thomas in center. Even though the offense certainly improved in 2024, they need to find ways to be even more productive in ¡¯25.

Potential trade candidates
Let¡¯s start with Emmanuel Clase. He¡¯s the best closer in the American League. He just enjoyed a ridiculous season in which he posted a 0.61 ERA and was a finalist for the AL Cy Young Award. It¡¯s crazy to think, but Clase could make sense to move for the right deal. Not only is his arsenal or r¨¦sum¨¦ attractive to all other 29 teams, but his team-friendly contract will keep Cleveland¡¯s phone lines busy. The Guardians¡¯ bullpen is the biggest area of strength heading into next season and someone like Cade Smith could take on the ninth inning if Cleveland needs to use Clase to help other areas of the roster.

Josh Naylor could be another name that fits here. His bat would be an asset to other clubs, but the Guardians have to make sure that moving him would still make this team better. The goal is to take a step forward next year and if losing Naylor would hurt the offense more than the player taking his spot on the roster would improve the team, it¡¯s not worth it.

Prospects to know
Outfielder Chase DeLauter, Cleveland¡¯s No. 2 prospect as ranked by MLB Pipeline, should finally get his first call to the Majors at some point in 2025, assuming he can stay healthy. His ability to play all three spots in the outfield and the power potential in his bat will be an exciting option.

The up-and-coming bullpen arms are intriguing, too. Franco Aleman (No. 29) and Nic Enright were both added to the 40-man roster last month after proving that they have the stuff to make an impact at the big league level in 2024 (albeit in small sample sizes due to injuries).

Rule 5 Draft
Once Bieber is official, the Guardians¡¯ roster will be full at 40 players. So, unless the club makes a move before Wednesday to clear space, Cleveland will not have an opening to make a selection in the Rule 5 Draft.

The Guardians will have to keep an eye on their lefty Ryan Webb (No. 26) who logged a 2.80 ERA with 151 whiffs in 141 1/3 frames between Double-A and Triple-A this season, but was left exposed to the Rule 5 Draft.

Burning question
Who will the Guardians add besides Bieber?

Matthew Boyd was probably at the top of Cleveland¡¯s wish list this offseason, but now he¡¯s with the Cubs. The Guardians also expressed interest in re-signing Alex Cobb, so maybe that is still on the table. But the Guardians know they need to bolster this rotation to help bridge the gap until Bieber is healthy enough to return.