Opened in 1994, Cleveland Guardians’ historic home, Progressive Field stands as the 11th oldest stadium amongst the 30 MLB teams spanning the American and National League. Now, long months after the Yanks disqualified the Guardians in the ALDS, in a fifth-game decider, the Guardians have finally announced their massive $200 million plans to renovate and rejuvenate the beloved stadium, and thus commence a whole new chapter of hopeful triumph and glory.
Despite the initial excitement surrounding the announcement of renovations to Progressive Field, many fans have expressed their skepticism. And have called for the team to prioritize spending on the roster in order to achieve their ultimate goal of winning a World Series.
Despite big plans for the stadium, fans aren’t impressed
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Formerly known as Jacobs Field, the upcoming renovation of Progressive Field is expected to cost a total of $202 million, with the Cleveland Guardians contributing approximately $67 million, or one-third of the total cost. In addition, this investment will also help the Guardians to extend their lease agreement with the state of Ohio until 2046, an extension from the original ending date of 2036.
The Cleveland Guardians have announced plans for a $202.5 million renovation to Progressive Field 🏟
▪️ Revamped upper deck
▪️ Expansive beer garden
▪️ New Dugout Club
▪️ Remodeled front office, clubhousesIt's set to be done by the 2025 season. pic.twitter.com/K5JKAhL4T4
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) January 17, 2023
As reported by Front Office Sports, “The Cleveland Guardians have announced plans for a $202.5 million renovation to Progressive Field.” The renovation includes a revamped upper deck, an expansive beer garden, a dugout club, and finally, a remodeled front office and clubhouse.
While fans are relatively unhappy with this Paul Dolan’s decision, there is not sufficient truth to their concern about the Guardians being underperforming, or that they need to spend more on their roster. Despite being a small market franchise, the Guardians have fared adequately well in the past decade, with playoffs appearance, and one World Series loss to the Chicago Cubs in 2016. This is how the MLB world reacted:
Spend an extra $50 million on players for 4 years and you’ll generate more revenue than this lipstick job.
— Bosco (@SarasotaCleFan) January 18, 2023
That’s fourteen year’s worth of payroll
— deebologna (@bolger_dave) January 17, 2023
How about spending some on players?
— Jeff Calloway (@RealJCalloway) January 17, 2023
How bout spending a bit on payroll Dolan?
— andrew knoll (@knoll189) January 17, 2023
Spending nearly 6x what they do on their annual payroll…
— J.C. Speiser (@JCSpeiser) January 17, 2023
INVEST IN SOME PLAYERS
— MVP (@maxed_potatoes) January 18, 2023
WIN A WORLD SERIES ! ALL WE CARE ABOUT
— 🐐 (@Abru1997) January 17, 2023
How bout spending some money on players?
— Rex H. Elliott (@RexHElliott) January 17, 2023
Removing seats because they can't fill them. Woke losers
— Roy White (@KyDawg74) January 17, 2023
While the proposed plan is far away from competing with Kansas City Royals’ $2 billion downtown ballpark, the Guardians’ front office plans to complete the entire renovation before the 2025 season, as indicated by Front Office Sports.
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How did the Cleveland Guardians fare in the off-season market?
In the early stages of the offseason, the Cleveland Guardians made a significant acquisition by signing the first baseman and power hitter Josh Bell to a two-year contract worth $33 million. In addition to this, the team also took a calculated risk by inking a low-risk one-year deal with injury-prone catcher Mike Zunino, worth $6 million.
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As evidenced by their recent performances, the Guardians may not have the TRP ranking names, but they still hold a strong grip on the American League Central division. Their only concern lies beyond that point.
What do you think about the new and upcoming Progressive Field? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
