Spring baseball is BACK! ☀️⚾🌵 The Guardians kick off their 2026 Cactus League schedule today with a game against the Cincinnati Reds at 1:05 p.m. Eastern. Picture: Getty Images

As the Guardians prepare to open their Cactus League season Saturday, manager Stephen Vogt has one key goal: get Cleveland’s hitters and catchers to challenge the ABS strike zone.

Steven Kwan's move from left to center field is the Guardians' biggest spring training gamble and the payoff could be massive for Kwan and for Cleveland.

If Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz's trial is delayed, MLB is expected to delay its decision on possible penalties as well.

“I know we’re dealing with a lot of decisions in the outfield. If me being in center makes things easier for other guys to find some spots, I’m all in," Kwan said about playing center field.

The cutter: the pitch that can make or break a pitcher. Parker Messick is adding it to his arsenal this spring, following the blueprint of Gavin Williams’ midseason surge.

With Steven Kwan’s moving to center field this spring, the Guardians' outfield could look very different in 2026.

While the Yankees have built a captain tradition around Aaron Judge and Derek Jeter, Cleveland's manager says putting a 'C' on someone's chest doesn't fit baseball — and the Guardians don't need it.

Manager Steven Vogt says he's never seen Gavin Williams more focused and determined.

Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, accused of rigging bets with sports gamblers, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a revised indictment, and a federal judge indicated their fraud trial will likely be postponed from the spring until October, when the Major League Baseball season ends.

With Tony Clark stepping down, Guardians’ Steven Kwan calls for player unity in choosing the MLBPA’s next leader: “There’s motivation to get something done quickly… it would be a strong showing if we can all get there.”

🔗: https://l.cleveland.com/652o4f  The Cavs and Guardians are seeking a combined $105M in state sports grants to help cover repairs at Rocket Arena and Progressive Field. The money comes from the same pot lawmakers tapped for a new Cleveland Browns stadium and it’s currently tied up in court.

“We’re here for one thing ... that’s to win a World Series,” said Vogt. “That’s going to be the goal as long as I’m here.”

Emmanuel Clase allegedly used code words like “roosters” and “rocks” to fix pitches during the 2024 Guardians postseason. Court filings reveal the bizarre scheme in full.

🔗: https://l.cleveland.com/fn6pap   Federal authorities now say Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase rigged a pitch in the 2024 postseason. Picture: AP

Exploring Cleveland's organizational strategy that might explain why the Guardians bypassed power-hitting first baseman Nick Kurtz for Travis Bazzana, despite their obvious offensive needs.

The Guardians are finalizing a two-year minor league contract with right-hander Ben Lively, who is currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery that he underwent last June in Texas.

The Guardians and Tigers already have a good rivalry in the AL Central. On Tuesday, it intensified.

Mark your calendars, Cleveland! Tickets go on sale next week for 2026 Cleveland Guardians games. The team also announced a promotional calendar featuring bobbleheads, jersey giveaways, dollar dog nights, fireworks and more: https://l.cleveland.com/3wnhox  Picture: John Kuntz, cleveland.com 

MLB still hasn't indicated when it will make a final decision on indicted pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz.

Prosecutors say Emmanuel Clase may have thrown rigged pitches in 48 games since 2023 -- more than 5 times the number first reported.

MLB Network says José Ramírez is the best third baseman in baseball. Anyone disagree?

🔗: https://0wppP0.short.gy/Q5sy0e “I don’t think there’s a position in all the years where we’ve done the Top 10, where there’s been such a big gap between No. 1 and No. 2," said Mike Lowell, MLB Network analyst and former third baseman.

While baseball’s biggest stars continue changing teams for massive paydays, the Guardians’ MVP candidate quietly extended his contract to stay with one franchise his entire career.

Last season, Cleveland batted .226 and ranked 28th in runs scored in the majors.

Blitzer has been involved in other player negotiations, but never to this extent. One possible explanation: Blitzer may eventually inherit this contract if he becomes majority owner.

🔗: https://l.cleveland.com/ojg0dt  The clubhouse is quiet, the trucks are packed, and spring training is officially on deck. Baseball is almost back, Cleveland. ⚾️ Pictures: David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

Tery Pluto: "It’s doubtful we’ll ever see a baseball star the magnitude of Ramirez give such a “hometown discount” to a small market franchise in order to remain with that team."

It’s no surprise that Jose Ramirez’s historic seven-year $175 million extension with the Guardians did not take place overnight. Here are some observations from Thursday’s press conference:

"He made it very clear that he wanted to be a Cleveland Guardian for life," Antonetti said about Ramírez long-term vision in Cleveland. Video: Paris McGee Jr, Cleveland.com 

José Ramírez isn’t chasing legacy elsewhere — he wants it all, right here in Cleveland. Video: Paris McGee Jr, Cleveland.com

Cleveland can rest easy — José Ramírez isn’t going anywhere. The Guardians have locked in a franchise legend for the long haul. Video: Paris McGee Jr, Cleveland.com

The Guardians have spent most of the winter building their 26-man roster for 2026.

The Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast breaks down why José Ramírez needs help, and why the Guardians can’t afford to waste their superstar’s prime.

“We spend a lot of time debating external acquisitions,” Antonetti said Friday, with the question being: What is the opportunity cost? Which young players would have plate appearances taken away?

🔗: https://l.cleveland.com/0l7z5d  Mark your calendars, Cleveland! ⚾🗓️ The Guardians open their home season April 3 vs. the Cubs at 4:10 p.m. They’ll also appear in 13 nationally televised games in 2026. Picture: Joshua Gunter, Cleveland.com

The club is working on signing superstar third baseman José Ramírez to a contract extension that would add four years and about $107 million to his existing deal that was signed before the 2022 campaign.

🔗: https://0wppP0.short.gy/b8mMn0 “He is a one-man wrecking crew consistently when you look at this lineup,” MLB Network analyst Cliff Floyd, a 17-year MLB veteran, said during the show that aired Thursday.

Tuesday brought Hall of Fame joy for Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones, both elected to Cooperstown by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. For the four former Cleveland players on the ballot, however, the outcome was far less celebratory

The Guardians have long been known as baseball’s premier “pitching factory,” and according to veteran catcher Austin Hedges, Gavin Williams is the plant’s latest finished product: a “bona fide ace” ready to take on the game’s elite.

The federal sentencing guidelines, a complex structure designed to bring consistency to punishments nationwide, is likely to play a major role in determining any potential prison time if Clase is convicted.

Travis Bazzana hasn’t played a full season of professional baseball, yet MLB Pipeline just named him the top second base prospect in the game heading into 2026.

🔗: https://l.cleveland.com/2wev6y  So we’re getting STEAK pops and carnival crab cakes at Progressive Field next season? Yum!

In a filing last month, prosecutors estimated that if Clase is convicted at trial, he’d face a federal sentencing guideline range of seven years and three months to nine years in prison.

Text messages at the heart of the prosecution against Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase weren’t about rigging pitches — they were about a cockfighting operation that Clase ran in the Dominican Republic, defense attorneys say.

A Guardians minor league reliever suffered injuries during a car crash early Sunday, according to reports out of his native Venezuela.

Cleveland’s happy to keep him but is this merely a placeholder before a long-term extension, or the beginning of the end for Kwan’s time here?

🔗: https://l.cleveland.com/blec4v On Thursday, Kwan agreed to a one-year contract worth a reported $7.725 million.

Guardians beat reporters Joe Noga and Paul Hoynes paint a concerning picture for fans who’ve grown weary of seeing their favorite players depart. The similarities to past situations with Francisco Lindor and Shane Bieber are impossible to ignore.

Steven Kwan and the Guardians, should they not reach a deal beforehand, will exchange salary figures for the 2026 season on Friday. If the two cannot reach a deal at that point, the Guardians could go to an arbitration hearing with one of their best players.