For the second straight season, the Cleveland Guardians rallied in the second half to win the AL Central, but fell sort of reaching the World Series. Cleveland's season ended when it dropped Game 6 of the best-of-seven ALCS to the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Monday night (TB 7, CLE 3).

The three-time defending AL Central champions now face an important offseason -- they're all important offseasons, but especially this one -- in which several core players are facing a level of uncertainty about their future. Here are three questions facing the Guardians following their ALDS exit.

1. Is José Ramírez still a star?

This past season, third baseman José Ramírez became the Guardians' franchise leader in games played (1,734) in what turned out to be his worst season since becoming a regular in 2016. He authored a .235/.320/.368 batting line that was down 175 points of OPS and 43 points of OPS+ from last season. Ramírez went from MVP candidate in 2025 to just OK in 2026.

Perhaps the hand injury is to blame. Ramírez fractured the hamate bone in his left hand on June 13; at the time, he was hitting .239/.339/.418 through 72 games. That is below his usual production, but isn't bad by any means. After returning from surgery in late July, Ramírez slashed .229/.296/.302 in 53 games with little hard contact. He looked nothing like peak J-Ram.

The Guardians are built offensively around Ramírez, and if he underperforms, the walls begin to cave in. Also, Cleveland signed him to a seven-year, $175 million extension last January. He'll make $25 million a year (roughly 33% of the team's 2026 payroll) through 2032. Ramírez being less than a star will hurt the team on the field and financially.

Ramírez turned 34 last month and age-related decline could be coming. Great players age differently than other players, but Father Time is undefeated. For more reasons than one, the Guardians have to hope Ramírez's down 2026 was a result of the hamate injury and not the start of a trend. 

There simply isn't enough offensive talent to carry the team to a World Series title otherwise.

2. What's the plan with Steven Kwan?

It was a tale of two seasons for Steven Kwan. Cleveland's longtime leadoff hitter bottomed out at .206/.321/.251 on June 22, making him legitimately one of the worst hitters in baseball. He finished exceptionally well, though, hitting .345/.433/.429 in 80 games after that date. His final batting line -- .282/.382/.349 -- looked like it always does. He just took a bumpy road to get there.

Kwan is entering his final season of team control and he's projected for $11 million or so through arbitration, which is a below-market salary but also pricey for the Guardians. His name has popped up in several trade rumors the last 18 months or so, most notably at the 2025 trade deadline. A trade was reportedly close, but Cleveland simply ran out of time before the deadline.

The Guardians have three options with Kwan this offseason:

• Keep him in 2027 and let him become a free agent after the season;
• Sign him to a long-term extension;
• Trade him.

A long-term extension for a defense-first player with minimal power (a skill that ages well) might not be the best idea for a team with a bottom-of-the-league payroll. Keeping Kwan next year, trying to win with him, then walking him right out onto the open market is a reasonable option. It would just be unfortunate to lose him as a free agent and get nothing in return.

At minimum, president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti would not be doing his job if he didn't explore the trade market for Kwan this offseason. You have to at least listen. The one year of control would limit the market to contenders only, but more than a few win-now teams would love to have him. The Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres all come to mind.

The Guardians have traded several of their best and most popular players a year before free agency in recent years (Francisco Lindor, Corey Kluber, etc.) and I do think that is the most likely outcome with Kwan. If the plan was an extension, it would have happened already. Letting him walk in a year for no return is untenable. A trade seems likely.

3. Will anyone get an extension?

Cleveland is the most extension-happy team in the game. They popularized the early career long-term extension strategy under former GM John Hart in the 1990s with Jim Thome, among others. Ramírez and righty Tanner Bibee are currently signed to long-term contracts and it stands to reason the Guardians will look to lock up a few other building blocks soon.

They have several worthy extension candidates, too: 

• CP Cade Smith (free agent after 2028)
• SP Gavin Williams (free agent after 2029)
• SP Parker Messick (free agent after 2031)
• 2B Travis Bazzana (free agent after 2032)

I'm always nervous about extending pitchers years ahead of free agency because there is so much inherent injury risk, but when you operate with a small payroll like the Guardians, you sometimes have to take that chance. Smith has hefty arbitration salaries coming his way ($6 million or so in 2027) and may want to take things year by year. Cleveland should at least try, though.

Extensions are what the Guardians do and I would expect them to explore long-term deals with several players this offseason, particularly those four above. That doesn't mean they'll get agreements done. It takes two to tango and you can't always push these things across the finish line. The Guardians no doubt will try. Those long-term deals are important.