The 2026 MLB Postseason and World Series has ended.

And the offseason is finally here.

On Thursday, Oct. 29, the first wave of free agents began to hit the market following the conclusion of the 2026 MLB season. For the Guardians, four players elected free agency. Then, on Friday, Oct. 30, the front office processed two club options and added a prospect to the 40-man roster.

So many moves have seemingly come out of the blue, and surprisingly, it is just the beginning.

Here are the Guardians' transactions over the last two days:

Initial Free Agents

The four players who elected free agency on Thursday were catcher Austin Hedges, left-handed pitcher Foster Griffin, first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and first baseman Rhys Hoskins.

Of the bunch, Hoskins is the least likely to return to The Land, having been injured during the back half of the 2026 regular season. Once placed on the injured list, he did not return, with the organization seemingly turning to Lowe to fill his spot.

However, with Lowe also hitting the open market, it will be interesting to see if the Guardians decide to bring him back.

With prospects knocking on the door down in Triple-A, the front office could turn towards the youth movement and let one of their trade deadline acquisitions walk.

Hedges, on the other hand, is someone the Guardians specifically said they would let test the open market. He is coming off one of his best years offensively, all while maintaining that consistency behind the dish that has made him special.

He is likely to receive offers from teams around the league; the only question is whether he will take them or return to Cleveland.

Finally, Griffin is going to be an intriguing player to watch.

He joined the Guardians at the deadline as well, but performed poorly down the stretch. He posted a 5.0+ ERA in the regular season after being traded to the Guardians.

While Cleveland could certainly use his left arm, either out of the bullpen or in the starting rotation, other teams will likely be willing to pay much more than they will.

The Guardians Decline Options

A day after sending four players out to the open market, two more were added to the mix Friday afternoon.

Right-handed relief pitchers Shawn Armstrong and Trevor Stephan had their club options declined for the 2027 campaign. Armstrong's was a mutual option, with the Guardians declining the club portion of it.

Some moves today.#GuardsBall | @GuardsInsider pic.twitter.com/0TwdzrpL0m

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 30, 2026

Just last offseason, the Guardians signed Armstrong to help bolster the bullpen.

He may not have had too big of an impact during the regular season, being injured twice and failing to find a consistent rhythm on the bump, but he did turn it on during the postseason. He was arguably the Guardians' most reliable reliever.

Even though his option was declined, he could still end up being re-signed, as the Guardians need to rebuild the bullpen yet again.

"It is obviously up to the front office at that point. But at the end of the day, yeah, I would love to be back here and be a Cleveland Guardian next year, too," he said following the ALCS.

Stephan, on the other hand, hasn't been in the major league fold for a while now.

Following Tommy John surgery back in 2024, he has been working his way back up to speed, playing with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers. The Guardians could re-sign him, but only if the deal makes sense and he doesn't get a big offer elsewhere.

Lastly, the prospect the Guardians added to the 40-man roster was infielder Milan Tolentino, who was set to become a minor league free agent.

He had a pretty strong campaign with the Clippers, slashing .225/.328/.453, with 25 doubles and 21 home runs.

Flexing his power at the plate, he could see an opportunity to play in the big leagues if the opportunity presents itself early next year. If Brayan Rocchio, Travis Bazzana and Angel Genao all stay healthy and continue improving, though, he could become a trade candidate just as fast.