Cade Smith has become one of the Guardians’ most important October weapons, and Stephen Vogt isn’t shy about leaning on him when the games get tight.
Since Cleveland’s magical 2024 postseason run, the club has played 20 games in October. Smith has appeared in 18 of them.
For a bullpen, that kind of usage says everything. He has been as vital to the relief corps as Parker Messick and Gavin Williams are to the rotation, and as Jose Ramirez is to the lineup.
That reality matters now, with the Guardians facing the Tampa Bay Rays and trying to push on to the World Series. Smith is expected to be central to that chase, especially after sitting out Game 2 and getting a day off on Wednesday.
Before the postseason even began, Vogt and Smith had already had the conversation.
“We talked before the playoffs even started,” manager Stephen Vogt said, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. “He said, ‘Whenever you need me, I’ll be ready in whatever role you need me.’
He wants to help us win games. I probably would like for him to not pitch in a game, but at the same time it’s probably not going to work out that way.”
Vogt has shown no hesitation about asking Smith for more than a standard three-out assignment. The right-hander has been even sharper with the stakes higher, posting a 1.17 ERA in 7.2 innings this October. He has allowed just one walk and struck out 11.
Zoom out to his postseason résumé, and the numbers stay nasty: a 2.14 ERA across 21 innings, with 31 strikeouts. He has repeatedly turned high-pressure innings into quiet ones for Cleveland, closing the door before opponents can get comfortable.
So if Vogt needs Smith for four, five, or even six outs against the Rays, he sounds ready to go there - even on back-to-back days if that’s what the situation demands.
Smith’s own view is straightforward. He’ll take whatever role helps the Guardians win.
“This is the postseason. This is do or die,” he said.
“Every game matters. It’s the embodiment of that statement that it’s all hands on deck.”
For Cleveland, that makes Smith exactly what the moment calls for.
In Other News...
Guardians' Most Painful Trade Looks Even Worse After New Report
The 2021 swap that sent Junior Caminero from Cleveland to Tampa Bay has long lingered as one of the organizations toughest second guesses, and fresh reporting only adds another layer to the regret. The Guardians moved the then-rising prospect for pitcher Tobias Myers, a deal made with the hope of solving a pitching need while parting with a young hitter who was still far from the majors.
Now the sting is not just what Cleveland gave up, but how close the Rays came to asking for something else from the system before settling on Caminero. Xzavion Curry was among the minor leaguers Tampa Bay initially sought, and the fact that Caminero has developed into a top prospect while Myers and Curry have had quieter big league careers makes the trade look even harder to defend in hindsight. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Schedule Change Created An Unusual MLB Playoff Ripple
MLBs postseason calendar picked up an odd little domino effect Wednesday, with the league moving Game 4 of the NLCS between the Dodgers and Brewers up an hour to 8 p.m. ET. The change did not come out of nowhere. It followed the earlier decision to shift ALCS Game 3 between the Guardians and Rays from 6 p.m. ET to 1 p.m. ET because of expected inclement weather, a reminder of how one playoff adjustment can ripple across the rest of the bracket.
For Cleveland fans, the practical part is simple: the team confirmed that tickets and parking passes will still work for the new start time. The bigger picture is a postseason schedule that can still bend quickly around weather, TV and the rest of the leagues needs, even as the Guardians try to stay focused on the field rather than the clock. [Read more 🡒]
Gavin Williams Is Giving Guardians Fans Another Reason To Believe
Gavin Williams has already done his share to fuel Clevelands October run, and now he is looking to add something else to the mix as the Guardians head into the next round. The young starting pitcher said he wants to be a more vocal leader as the club prepares for Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, a sign of how quickly he has grown from power arm to one of the voices in the room.
Williams backed up that confidence with his latest outing, throwing 5.2 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts in the series-clinching win over the Chicago White Sox. Cleveland now turns to a Game 3 matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays, set for 1 PM ET Thursday after a weather-related delay from the original 6 PM start, and the Guardians will be hoping their emerging starter brings the same edge both on the mound and in the clubhouse. [Read more 🡒]