The Guardians announced the signing of free agent lefty John Means on a one-year deal with a 2026 club option. The Wasserman client will reportedly make $1MM for the upcoming season. The option carries a base value of $6MM and contains $1.5MM in bonuses: $75K apiece for every 10 innings between 20 and 50, $100K each for the next 10 innings up to 90, $125K for the following 10 innings through 130, and $150K each at 140 and 150 frames. The option does not include a buyout, so the guarantee is $1MM. Means is recovering from his second career Tommy John surgery and expected to be out of action until August.
As a corresponding move, Cleveland placed David Fry on the 60-day injured list. Fry underwent UCL surgery in November and won’t be able to play the field this year. Even returning as a DH will reportedly take six to eight months from that surgery, meaning he likely won’t return until midseason.
Means, 31, was once the Opening Day starter for the Orioles and looked to be a cornerstone in the rotation as the team navigated the late stages of its rebuild and moved back into a win-now mode. The southpaw pitched to a 3.72 ERA in 353 1/3 innings from 2019-22 but was limited to just eight innings in the final of those four years when a UCL tear necessitated Tommy John surgery.
Means grinded through a yearlong rehab process and returned late in the 2023 season. He didn’t make it out of May of 2024 without reinjuring his elbow, unfortunately, and the team announced a second UCL procedure for Means last June. That surgery figures to sideline him beyond the All-Star break — perhaps into the final month or so of the season. Given that timeline, he’s not a lock to pitch for Cleveland at all this year. Any setbacks of note would make it tough for the lefty to get back on a big league mound in 2025.
At his best, Means sat 92-94mph with a four-seamer and complemented the pitch with an 82 mph changeup and 85 mph slider. His strikeout rate typically sat just below league average, though Means’ impeccable command helped to offset his pedestrian bat-missing numbers.
Now, however, three full seasons have elapsed since Means last pitched even 25 big league innings in a season. He tossed 146 2/3 innings in 2019 when first establishing himself and logged a career-high 155 frames in 2021. He’s since combined for just 52 1/3 innings: eight in 2022, 23 2/3 in 2023 and 20 2/3 in 2024. When he was healthy enough to take the mound last year, Means’ fastball averaged only 90.5 mph — down more than three miles per hour from its peak of 93.8 in 2020.
There’s clearly a good bit of uncertainty with Means, which is reflected in the minimal nature of his guarantee this season. If he can get back to peak form, or even 80-90% of that form, he’ll be a bargain addition. If not, the Guardians are barely investing more than a league-minimum salary and can simply move on at season’s end. Stocking up on late-season reinforcements for the staff makes some sense for the Guardians, who don’t have the type of rotation certainty that we’ve generally come to expect from them over the years.
Right-hander Tanner Bibee has emerged as the unquestioned staff leader, but the rest of the group is far less certain. Gavin Williams and Logan Allen, both top prospects who graduated alongside Bibee and impressed in 2023, took substantial steps backwards in 2024. Right-hander Ben Lively has found a second act in his MLB career after spending three years in the KBO, but he sat 89.9 mph with his heater last year. He’s far from a sure thing, but coming off 151 innings of 3.81 ERA ball, he’s likely locked into a spot. Beyond Bibee and Lively, things are more up in the air.
Triston McKenzie opted to forgo surgery in 2023 when he was diagnosed with a UCL injury, and his 2024 season included 16 starts with a 5.11 ERA and noticeably lesser stuff on the mound. Cleveland picked up hard-throwing righty Luis Ortiz from the Pirates in the Andres Gimenez/Spencer Horwitz trade this offseason, but he’s something of a project, having yet to pitch a full season in a big league rotation. Swingman Jakob Junis signed a one-year deal within the past week and could factor into the rotation or serve as a long man in Stephen Vogt’s bullpen. Shane Bieber is back with the club on a two-year deal, but he’s rehabbing from his own Tommy John operation, performed April 12 last year. He’s not likely to be an option until May or June, and the rehab from any major surgery comes with the possibility of setbacks.
In all likelihood, Cleveland will open the season with a rotation including some combination of Bibee, Williams, Lively, Ortiz, McKenzie, Junis and Allen. Others on the 40-man roster include Joey Cantillo, Doug Nikhazy and Slade Cecconi, while non-roster hopefuls in camp include veterans Vince Velasquez and Kolby Allard.
There’s plenty of volume, but the Guards will need to continue showing their knack for coaxing quality performances out of unassuming pitchers if they’re to repeat as champions in an American League Central where they’ll face competition from the Tigers, Royals and Twins. Getting Means back in mid-August could serve the same effective boost as a trade deadline pickup, but only time will tell where his velocity will sit and what kind of workload he can be realistically expected to shoulder.
MassLive’s Chris Cotillo reported that the Guardians were in “advanced talks” with Means. Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com had the one-year agreement with a ’26 option. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel reported the $1MM guarantee, option value of up to $7.5MM, and the August return timeline. Jon Heyman of The New York Post had the incentive breakdown.
sneaky good pickup by cleveland if this guy can finally bounce back next year
It’s a club option. No way they’re going to pony up $7.5 mill next year when he’s not home grown. That’s just a carrot so he’ll pitch well in September.
It’s an $8.5MM investment for a good starter in 2026, or an eventual trade piece once he shows he’s healthy.
There really wasn’t a good fit for him in Baltimore anymore and Cleveland is probably as good a spot as any for him to attempt a comeback, even it’s pretty unlikely at this point.
Good luck, Meansy!
IDK about likelihood.. but the geography is spot on.. It seems like the Guardians system is well respected for it’s ability to bring formerly injured guys from the depths of despair to useful/prospering pitchers.. Ask Matthew Boyd from last year.. How about CC Sabathia w/ his landing knee.. there are many examples..
We’ll see.. contract terms are usually favorable for the Guardians in these situations..
I really hope it works out because he was a rare bright spot during the deepest darkness of the Orioles’ rebuild, but he’s had 3 straight seasons cut extremely short by elbow injuries, which resulted in 2 major surgeries in a very short timespan, and his stuff wasn’t elite to begin with, so I think the odds are vastly against him.
But yeah, Cleveland was a good choice on his part. If it’s going to happen, you probably couldn’t ask for much better odds than the Guards organization.
How does Cleveland think it will compete with that godawful lineup, especially swapping out Naylor for a 40 year old Carlos Santana?
Could it be that Naylor stunk outside of April last season & a 38 year old Santana is still a better athlete/fielder?
What this Means is Cleveland is smarter than the average bear Boo, Boo. Ahahahahaha!
@Reynaldo’s
Um…maybe because the “swap out” isn’t Naylor for Santana, but Naylor for Manzardo? Might want to try and understand what small market teams have to do to effectively compete rather than just read ESPN headlines.
Umm, Dolan is STILL worth $4.1 billion. He’s probably worth $4.2 billion by now.
Again, I have the facts that I’ve posted time and again. You’ve had . . . nothing.
You’re correct. The Naylor trade was all about betting on Monzardo living up to his expectations. Santana is a fan familiar player that will hold the position just in case he doesn’t
The lineup isn’t the team’s strength but it is not all that different than 2024. Losing Naylor is a bit of a blow but Manzardo looked pretty good towards the end of last year. Santana doesn’t slug like Naylor but he still mashes LHP. He’s a good fit.
Exactly, and the likelihood of getting better offensive performance from second base is high, which very well could offset any possible loss at first base. Also, Bo Naylor surely takes a step forward of some sort and we should expect at least some marginal improvement from Rocchio’s offensive game. Let’s not act like the offense performed at some high-level last year, right? It’s hard to conceive of it being much worse, if at all. And while I’m not sanguine about Lane Thomas, Will Brennan, or Jhonkensy Noel overall, it’s not out of the realm of possibility they collectively perform better than they did last year. And David Fry will be back and healthy as well at mid-season to give the team a jolt.
Cleveland seems to get the best out of pitchers. Be interesting to see how this plays out.
I’m really surprised that Means agrees to a club option for 2026. If he comes back and pitches well in Aug & Sep, it’s a no brainer for Cleveland to pick up an option which sounds like it could max out at $7.5M for 2026. Means will be 32 then and that would probably have been his last chance for a 3 year deal (if any team would risk that). At the very least, a solid Aug & Sep would have guaranteed him at least 1 year at $10M+ on the free agent market. Perhaps there are some additional escalators in the 2026 option where if he pitches X amount of innings, he can earn some more money on top of his base salary. When healthy, Means is an above average pitcher and would demand $18M-$22M on the open market.
Forget about the club option. No way the Guards pick that up. They just don’t operate that way. If they did, they would have signed Boyd.
You are so clueless. Cleveland never had an option on Boyd. He was a free agent, and signed for many more millions than Cleveland could afford (or wisely) pay for a guy with his past record.
John Means at his peak was a far better pitcher than Matthew Boyd, and securing an affordable option year for 2026 after they see how he responds this year was not only smart, but financially prudent.
Only you can see this deal as a negative. Which, of course, is no surprise.
It’s a team option, and given Dolan’s history, that’s just as good as free agency because there’s no way the front office will be allowed to pick up a $7.5 mill option. Period.
Nope, no way CLE will pay a guy who proves healthy $7 million,
So tell me, why did CLE pay Jakob Junis as much as they did? Or Paul Sewald? There was no gun to their head.
Means shows he’s healthy at the end of this year and it will be an easy pickup of that option.
Even someone with the poorest of analytical skills can see that. But you? No, your bitterness toward the organization shows no bounds. You’re willing to completely embarrass yourself with absurd assertions on top of the lies.
Facts are lies in today’s environment. I get that. But denying facts doesn’t demonstrate intelligence. I’ll stick to the facts. You’ve posted nothing that supports your argument that Dolan isn’t worth $4.1 billion as researched by MLBTR. So you have nothing. Who looks embarrassed and foolish? Not me.
From The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd, only pointing out what everyone in baseball knows, but what financially ignorant Cleveland fans refuse to accept, because it blows a hole in their irrational hatred of current ownership:
Jason Lloyd:
“Don’t conflate Cleveland’s Larry and Paul Dolan with New York’s father-son duo of Charles and James. Charles is Larry’s billionaire brother and the founder of Cablevision. Larry is a retired Cleveland attorney. The blood might be the same, but the money sure ain’t.
The baseball team is these Dolans’ primary source of income. This isn’t a family that made billions in tech or real estate. They aren’t business moguls. There is no empire of wealth. They’re Clevelanders and huge sports fans who did well as attorneys and bought a team 20 years ago when there was a little more room for mom and pop stands in professional sports. But in that time, the game has changed for ownership groups, and now baseball is pricing them out of their own neighborhood.”
I don’t like the Dolans’ politics and their inability to talk to fans is mind-boggling (not surprising for wealthy people) but continuing to mis-represent Cleveland’s operational circumstances is the mark of someone who isn’t interested in truth, only in a narrative which sadly supports his own bitter biases. It’s pathetic really.
Cost of pitching, particularly starters continues to go up. This was 90% about 26, 10% about this season in my view. Very little cost for a great option on 26.
Once again, I rely on cold, hard facts. Dolan accessed the trust fund to buy the team. That demonstrates he can access it again if he so desired. He just refuses to tap it. You’re lose points every time you use puerile insults.
with all due respect to Jason Lloyd: zonalsports.com/ranking/richest-mlb-team-owners
Larry & Paul are not Charles and James. But they are far from poor (6th wealthiest in baseball). I believe the net income of the club was $30mm. They are running the team as a profitable business. As they have every right to do so. For anyone to say they are just fans is completely wrong.
Billionaires love it when the middle class comes to their defense. I’d like to be poor and financially strapped like Paul Dolan with his $4.1 billion. At least Dorn is wise to Dolan’s act.
@Dorn’s Contract
I’ll give you a pass because you clearly haven’t researched the Cleveland ownership situation in any great depth, but let me ask this: when a relative of yours is wealthy, do you have unfettered access to their money?
That link you cite is based on one piece of lazy “research” that has been around for years and been recirculated over and over again by equally lazy folks who simply don’t want to accept that if the Cleveland baseball owners are to be accurately portrayed (and indicted) it is that they are TOO POOR to run a baseball club in today’s environment, not that they are among the wealthiest operators in the game.
A little bit of common sense is all you need to draw the conclusion, even if one refuses to believe local journalists who know better than the trash research you cite. Were the Dolans as rich as you been deceived to believe, why have they been so desperate through the years to carve out some of their ownership equity by bringing aboard minority partners? People worth $4.1 billion simply don’t do that. Instead the Dolans have repeatedly sought out additional sources of operating capital, most recently John Sherman and now David Blitzer. Why? BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE THE CAPITAL TO OPERATE THE TEAM THEMSELVES! They’ve given up equity gains to others in return for help. When John Sherman left to buy the Royals, it left the Dolans in a helluva bind. They had to pay off Sherman’s equity gains in the team without having the cash to do so. They were forced to scramble to find another minority partner before Sherman’s bill came due. Are those the actions of insanely wealthy people? Of anyone who has access to unlimited funds anytime they want? Of people who can just reach into the pockets of relatives to spend tens of millions of dollars to pay ballplayers? C’mon. Let’s get real for once.
The truth is, the Cleveland franchise has been operating on a shoestring because of a variety of factors, among them running a baseball team in the smallest city with the three major sports, a declining local economy, a narrow fan base, a change in media income, etc. The problem isn’t that the Dolans are wealthy skinflints, it’s that they are (comparatively) poor in a fairly lousy baseball market. That they’ve done so well on the field is a credit to the organization they’ve set up and left alone to do the resourceful work needed to succeed under challenging circumstances. Do the Dolans have warts? Of course, they could use better public relations, because their customer service sucks and they have no idea how to properly relate to their fans.
But, please, let’s not act like the willfully ignorant and keep spreading around misinformation and lazy research that masquerades as facts, shall we?
I give up. It’s obvious that facts just don’t matter to you. Dolan is worth at least $4.1 billion. He used money from that account to buy the team, hence he has access to it. He just willfully refuses to spend any of it. Charles Dolan has nothing to do with Paul Dolan’s own $4.1 billion. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. This has been covered over and over again but hey, you know because . . . well, you know, and no amount of facts will persuade. As of today (tomorrow might be totally different), you have the right to believe in all the fables of Paul Dolan so poor and destitute he searches the couch cushions for coins after his guests leave. Then there are those of us you believe in math, science, and medicine. I like my folks a whole lot better than the other side who pities the financial difficulties of a billionaire. The childish insults serve to illustrate that you know you’re wrong but are trying to bully people. Good luck with that! Lol. Buh-bye!
Here’s a guy who says he “believes in math and science.”
Riiiiight.
Charles Dolan is worth $4.1 billion.
Because Larry and Paul Dolan are blood relatives (not inheritors) they too are worth $4.1 billion.
Each of Charles Dolan’s cousins are worth $4.1 billion because, well, they are cousins.
All of Charles Dolans nieces and nephews are each worth $4.1 billion too, because let’s face it, they are Dolans!
Wow. Now that $.4.1 billion is worth what, $50 billion? $100 billion?
Yep, math. What an amazing thing, isn’t it, manufacturing “net worth” that way?
Bet you didn’t know YOUR relatives’ worth was the same as yours! And theirs yours!
@Avory. I’m not sure what you are talking about. I’m not sure you know what you are talking about either. The Dolan’s operate this team as a business and an investment. Not as a fan and passionate owner. They have every right to be this way but let’s not pretend they don’t have the ability to invest in payroll. 1. Their net worth is among the top 6 in baseball. That is a fact, not misinformation. 2. The team is profitable. You can choose to pocket the money or reinvest in the team: statista.com/statistics/829621/cleveland-indians-o…
Your comment have having a minority owner/investor in the team proves that they can’t afford the team is redonkulous (yes, you are a donkey). Many teams, including large market teams have multiple owners. I can cite them if needed. The guards are of the most efficiently run teams in the league. I am truly grateful for this as I have to watch the Browns be the opposite. This post is less of a bash of Dolan and more of a bash of you. Go Tribe!!!!
Also, I find articles from Lloyd going back to 2021 saying Dolan can’t afford this team, it’s their only source of income and they will need to relocate the team. They should be bankrupt by now if any of this to be true. Lloyd’s been ripped apart for his “journalism”. If this is your source and the passion for your argument, you need to find other sources. That is assuming you are not Lloyd yourself.
I believe he just might be since he quotes the same lines every time this topic comes up. Forbes. Business week. MLB itself all list them among the top in worth. Apparently those are all lazy researchers. As you are have been a life long fan of the team since the late 1960s. No matter who is on the field I will keep hoping for a championship They certainly can spend where and how they wish but they definitely have the capability to upgrade the payroll and any argument to the contrary is pure drivel.
I’m surprised you’re surprised. Let’s be honest, the chance of John Means pitching well anytime this year are nil. He had surgery in June last year. Cleveland isn’t counting on Bieber to be in full form until August and he had his surgery in April.
Kyle Gibson’s running out of time. I had him going to CLE in the prediction contest; less likely with this Means deal and the return of Bieber.
The signing of Jakob Junis and the acquisition of Luis Ortiz is what effectively sealed off possibilities like Gibson (thank goodness). Means isn’t even a factor this year and Bieber won’t be back until August..
A guy like Gibson is exactly who they would have needed last year when they were getting no length from the back of their rotation.
But yeah, this year I’d rather explore their other options.
Spending money on old mediocrities like Gibson may be one’s only alternative in an emergency situation, but last year never rose to that because the pen was so good. Naturally everyone ran out of gas in the end, but I doubt a guy like Gibson would have changed anything.
The problem is an approach like the Cardinals who threw countless millions at declining starting pitchers hoping to shore up its rotation. I would never advocate Cleveland doing something like that, but it is an example of how a well-heeled organization attempts to shortcut problems and ends up with bigger ones.
Good move for 2026.
Depends on if his elbow can handle throwing more than like 20 innings, which hasn’t been the case since 2021.
I will be rooting for him though.
I’m rooting for him too.
Here’s the thing. He’s struggled staying on the mound since the 2021 season. Coincidentaly, mid season 21 is when the league clamped down on enforcing the sticky stuff use ban.
I remember speculation that John used the stuff, including video showing him digging in to the palm of his glove in between pitches. So post 2021, maybe to keep the same level of effect he had using the stuff, he had to grip the ball more intensely which put stress on his elbow and forearm, creating injury?
All said; again, I’m pulling for him. Hope I’m dead wrong about the sticky stuff use theory.
Not a lot of risk considering the cost of bad pitchers these days.
This Means War!
Mike Elias would rather spend 15 million on an ancient Charlie Morton.
Another Miss by the Oriole Brain
You have to be kidding making that kind of comparison. Charlie Morton will actually pitch this year and help the Orioles in the race. Means will be fortunate if he’s even ready in September. Are you the least bit interested in competing this year or not?
The complaint is not about Morton pitching this season and Means not pitching, but that Means wasn’t worth a lousy million bucks for what he could have provided at the end of this season and next. As the article says, the only guarantee is for 1 million, everything else is a team option that, with incentives, could reach 7 1/2 million and that’s absolutely nothing for what you could potentially get from him. Meanwhile, Morton is 41 and is already in decline, and there’s a strong possibility he won’t even finish the season.
Well then, complain about the choices, but there is every bit a commitment by the organization to winning this year by bringing in Morton. Morton has nothing to do with this, and the “failure” to gamble on Means seems more like you are simply picking an argument with an organization you dislike. I really can’t fault any team for not wanting to mess around with Means. Cleveland is forced to throw things on the wall and hope something sticks. It seems to me Baltimore is in a different spot than that.
With respect, there is no justification for the conclusion you are making.
Means is potentially a valuable arm for next season and costs very little; so little that if he is terrible in his return, you can cut him loose and you’ve lost only $1 million.
Morton is a $15 million gamble, and at approximately $8 million per WAR, even if he duplicates last year, you’re paying double what his production will be worth, and there is absolutely no guarantee he will be even as good as he was last season.
So the issue is that they’re paying too much for what Morton is likely to give, and they are ignoring completely what John Means could potentially give for an insignificant investment.
Finally, remember that at the end of this season, good or bad, the Orioles will be losing three members of their rotation, plus Suarez, who is likely to start a significant number of games this season.
Potentially having Means would solve one of those problems, and again, even if his return is bad and he’s cut loose at the end of the season, the team is only out $1 million, which is nothing by baseball standards.
So I’m not yelling at clouds, I’m pointing out a very real problem. As a Baltimore fan, of course I hope everything works out well but it’s not likely, and it remains incomprehensible that they ignored what Means could give, for a small investment, and vastly overpaid for what Morton is likely to produce.
Charlie Morton and John Means have absolutely nothing whatsover to do with one another.
That you insist on conflating the two only tells me I was correct the first time.
You are upset with the Orioles regardless of what they do.
Which is amazing considering how good they are.
A true what if guy , on track to be a Cy candidate year in year out until the injuries.
Who are the Guardians? A new expansion team?
I’m still happy that you finally woke up from your coma, but your memory seems to have been adversely affected by the years you spent unconscious since this has already been explained to you previously.
I strongly recommend checking with your doctor because it could be a sign of more serious cognitive issues to come. Good luck with your ongoing recovery!
I still call them the Indians. Probably always will. It’d only be a problem to the lgbxyz be’ers. Otherwise shouldn’t be a big deal.
I don’t personally care for the name change either, but it happened. What’s done is done.
Making the exact same lame “joke” over and over and over and over again on Guardians articles like Yuki does to try to look edgy or cool or rebellious or whatever is just giga-cringe.
I couldn’t stand the name change myself, and even though I think “Indians” was a viable name and the Chief logo iconic, you can only fight against the forces of change for so long. I just wish the new name was good (it isn’t) and the new logo didn’t suck, but it is what it is. I just call ’em Cleveland or the Tribe (you can have a tribe of statues, you know) and move on. I’m certainly not going to hate on the team or root for them to lose like so many do. That’s just silly.
Means had so much promise. I had him on a par with Dave McNally when he first came up. Injuries suck.
Cleveland figures they can at least beat LA in IL rotation superiority
Cleveland is getting a jump on everyone else by making their trade deadline deals now. If they are anywhere near competitive in August signing Beiber and Means will look like genius. Potentially adding two former number one starters for a potential stretch run. It worked pretty well with Boyd and Cobb last year
Cobb made 3 starts and left the ALCS with yet another injury. Boyd was good, that’s a fact.
It’s ridiculous that the Orioles didn’t keep him at that price. They give 41 year old Morton $15 million and a 36 year old Japanese pitcher $13 million. I definitely don’t think they spent their money wisely. I hope I am wrong.
I wonder if this means Cleveland is once again going to run away with this division. Too bad the Orioles couldn’t spend this minuscule amount to keep him around. Maybe this means the Orioles either 1.) are cheap, 2.) like old men, or 3.) feel the john in the clubhouse was good enough for them.
Did you even read the article? Means is highly unlikely to make a contribution to Cleveland this year. His signing does next to nothing to fortify the rotation this year and he wouldn’t have helped the Orioles either.
Cleveland made a series of decent moves to shore up its rotation before signing Means, but their totality doesn’t give them an edge over any other staff in the division outside of the White Sox. A lot has to go right for Cleveland to win the Central this year, and that includes a lot going wrong for its competitors. I think Cleveland can prevail, but run away with the division? Not a snowball’s chance.
Means is a total dart throw for 2026. He’s a cheap gamble if his arm comes back but from the value on this deal—-it doesn’t even look like the Guards are really confident.
Slightly north of a league minimum salary to see what happens.
Exactly. It’s the type of thing Cleveland has to do to try and remain competitive. Throw lot of stuff up against the wall and hope something sticks. As a fan, it’s actually fun watching them find a way.
A sad day for Os fans. Loved to watch him work….
“Unfortunately” needs to begin the sentence, not come in the middle between commas.