Even if you thought the Cleveland Guardians weren’t built to win a World Series, you had to be surprised at how their exit from the ALCS at the hands of the Evil Empire, the New York Yankees collapsed after finally ending in a 5-2 extra inning loss in Game 5 on Saturday night.

The Guardians bullpen has truly been a dominant force all season long, headlined by Emmanuel Clase but loaded with talent. Cleveland’s bullpen led MLB with a 2.57 ERA in the regular season, eclipsing the Brewers’ 3.11, who had the second-best mark in that statistical category. So seeing that ball at 3.57 in the postseason for the Guards was awful – especially with Clase getting shelled by the Yankees.

But that’s baseball, the cruel and relentless sport in which we see this all the time. Now the Guardians will be watching the World Series from home and will have to think about next year. But when some players on this year’s team think about 2025, they should think about things other than Cleveland, because these three pending free agents won’t be back with the Guardians next year after this playoff exit playoffs.

When the Guardians acquired veteran right-hander Alex Cobb from San Francisco at the trade deadline, it seemed like an exceptionally smart move for a small-market team. Cobb was relatively cheap, on an expiring contract, and seemed poised to return from an injury that had kept him sidelined for the first half of the season to help Cleveland make a push.

Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out that way. Cobb made only three regular season starts for the Guards and while it was a 2.76 ERA and 1.04 WHIP, injuries continued to keep him from play. Then he got the ball in the playoffs and, well, that didn’t go very well as the veteran allowed two runs in 3.0 innings (an ALDS loss to the Tigers), then allowed three runs in 2.2 innings in Game 1 of the ALCS against the Yankees.

Now that his contract is expiring, it seems unlikely that the Guardians will look to continue investing in the veteran. At 37 years old and coming off a season where health was a major issue, this seems like a risky investment for Cleveland, so it’s likely this trade is barely a footnote in the pitcher’s career as well as the big Book of the Guards.

Frankly, the Guardians should send veteran wide receiver Austin Hedges packing for his icy portrayal of Emmanuel Clase that ultimately proved to be a bad spell for the All-Star closer in the ALCS. But beyond that, Hedges is set to become a free agent and there’s really no justifiable reason for baseball that he should be brought back into the fold of this organization.

Hedges was an excellent defender during his career that continued in Cleveland, but his offense also remained consistent to the extent that he was a liability at the dish. In 66 regular season games, he slashed a dismal .152/.203/.220, which somehow got even worse over the course of eight postseason appearances at .083/.214/.167. This simply won’t achieve it.

If the Guardians had no other options, there might be reason to bring back Hedges for his experience behind the plate. However, with youngster Bo Naylor becoming a better offensive option with comparable defense, there is simply no reason or room to bring Hedges back into the fray.

This one is complicated, this one will sting, but that’s the reality of the Cleveland Guardians: The 2023 season was the last time the organization saw former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber pitch for them.

Bieber underwent Tommy John surgery after just two appearances during the 2024 season, meaning he took the mound in the final year of his contract as he is now out of team control. And in an ideal world, Cleveland would re-sign the veteran right-handed pitcher. Why wouldn’t they want that? In 136 career appearances, Bieber posted a 3.22 ERA and a 1.115 WHIP. The fact that he’s always been at this level is ridiculously good and something any MLB team would want.

Unfortunately, that’s the problem. As good as Guardians have been in franchise history, the one thing you can count on is that they’ll probably stick to the formula. They don’t pay big money in free agents in this modern era of spending and Bieber, even if he recovers from his injury, will be exactly that. He should draw interest from the deep pockets of organizations like the Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers and more. This is not an auction house for Cleveland to hang in, as sad as that is.

It’s quite disappointing that the last image we’ll have of Bieber with the Guards is his injury. But ultimately, the reality of this organization as a small-market team and the market for the former Cy Young winner means he’ll be pitching elsewhere upon his return to the mound.