Cleveland Guardians Face First MAJOR Offseason Decision - John Means' $6M Option | Cost Worth Depth?

MLB's offseason is here and the Cleveland Guardians have pivotal roster decisions this week that will impact their 2026 season. Should they gamble $6 million on John Means despite his troubling return from Tommy John surgery?Justin Lada and Jeff Ellis break down the Guardians' critical off-season timeline, including the Means option deadline, Rule 5 draft protections, and non-tender decisions. The discussion examines manager Stephen Vogt's expected contract extension and how his $4 million salary compares to MLB's highest-paid skippers like Dave Roberts and Craig Counsell. The show analyzes Steven Kwan's fourth consecutive Gold Glove and its arbitration impact, then provide extensive statistical analysis of Kenny Lofton's controversial exclusion from the Baseball Hall of Fame contemporary ballot. Using Baseball Reference WAR comparisons, they debate whether Lofton's 68.4 career WAR merits enshrinement alongside contemporaries like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens in an era dominated by power hitters. 0:00 Intro 2:39 November Decision Days for Guardians 3:57 John Means $6M Option Decision 9:47 Comparing Means to Free Agent Market 13:51 Stephen Vogt Extension and Manager Salaries 17:27 Should Vogt Be Paid More Than Boone? 20:33 Steven Kwan's Gold Glove Impact on Arbitration 23:12 Kenny Lofton Snubbed from Hall of Fame 27:19 Comparing Hall of Fame Candidates by WAR 33:37 Tomorrow's Show: Outfield Free Agent Market Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! PrizePicks Download the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONMLB to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. PrizePicks — Run Your Game. Click Link Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONMLB Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The NBA and NFL seasons are here, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOGuardians?sid=YouTube Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More 🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnMLB #Guardians #ClevelandGuardians #MLB Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.