Oct 17, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo (9) hits a two-run home run during the third inning against the New York Yankees in game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images / David Dermer-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians had some significant issues offensively during the second half of 2024, and they haven't really done anything to rectify the problem this offseason.

As a matter of fact, a legitimate argument can be made that the Guardians regressed offensively, as they traded Josh Naylor and replaced him with the much older Carlos Santana.

Cleveland seems to be banking on the hope that its young sluggers will show major progress in 2025, and Dan Szymborski's FanGraphs ZiPs projections seem to expect that from Kyle Manzardo.

Szymborski is projecting the Guardians' designated hitter to slash a solid .247/.334/.445 with 18 home runs and 65 RBI over 491 plate appearances.

While those certainly aren't All-Star-caliber numbers, they would represent a massive upgrade from Manzardo's output this past season, when he slashed .234/.282/.421 with five homers and 15 RBI across 156 trips to the dish.

If the 24-year-old can post the types of statistics that Szymborski's model is expecting, then it would certainly help mitigate the loss of Naylor, especially if Jose Ramirez produces like we all know him to.

Manzardo was a top prospect heading into his rookie campaign in 2024, and while he was a bit disappointing, he showed some flashes down the stretch. All five of his long balls came in September, and he also hit well during the playoffs.

It would still behoove Cleveland to add another bat before the regular season, but at this point, its options are very thin.

The Guardians will need a big season from Manzardo as well as other young pieces like Jhonkensy Noel in 2025.