John Means DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Cleveland Guardians agreed with free-agent left-hander John Means (elbow) on a one-year deal worth $1 million guaranteed on Monday, a source told ESPN's Kiley McDaniel. The deal includes a club option for the 2026 season that is worth up to $7.5 million with no buyout. Means is recovering from the second Tommy John surgery of his career on his left elbow and isn't expected to make his debut with Cleveland until sometime in August, which makes him avoidable in most 2025 fantasy leagues. Depending on how the 31-year-old southpaw's recovery goes this year, there's a chance he doesn't pitch at all in 2025. He has made only 10 starts in the big leagues since the 2022 season due to injuries, although he was an All-Star in 2019 with the Baltimore Orioles and finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting that season.

According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, free-agent starting pitcher John Means (elbow) is in advanced talks with the Cleveland Guardians. Means underwent his second Tommy John surgery last June and is not expected to return to the mound early in the 2025 campaign. Before the surgery, he logged 20 2/3 innings with the Baltimore Orioles. During this small stint, he posted a 2.61 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP. Following the 2021 campaign, Means has logged just 52 1/3 innings in the major leagues. However, in 2021, the southpaw held a solid 3.62 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP across 146 2/3 innings of work. He tallied 134 punchouts and served up just 30 free passes. If Means were to finalize a deal with Cleveland, fantasy managers could expect him to push for a late-season return. However, given his unknown timetable, he should not be targeted in any fantasy formats.

According to Roch Kubatko of MASNSports, free-agent pitcher John Means (elbow) is not expected to sign a contract for the 2025 season anytime soon. The left-hander underwent his second Tommy John surgery last June, and according to Kubatko, the industry perception is that Means will not find a suitor until much later in the offseason. Kubatko noted that the Orioles have not closed the door on a potential reunion. Last summer, the southpaw logged just 20 2/3 innings before being shut down. However, he was quite productive, posting a 2.61 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP. He struck out 16 batters but showed elite command with a near-perfect 2.6% walk rate. In 2023, Means also logged just 23 frames and held a similar 2.66 ERA and a 0.72 WHIP. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring his progress, but he will likely not return to the mound until late in the 2025 season.