Tanner Bibee’s October role became one of the most argued-over decisions around the Guardians, and former Cleveland pitcher Jensen Lewis didn’t try to soften his take.
Bibee led the club with 188 regular-season innings, yet he was used in only one postseason game, an AL Division Series appearance against the Chicago White Sox. That outing went sideways quickly: he lost the zone, recorded just one out, and allowed two runs.
Lewis believes the team showed too little faith in the right-hander. He even tied the situation to Cliff Lee’s path through Cleveland, pointing back to 2007 and Lee’s rebound the following year.
“I almost feel like Tanner Bibee is in that Cliff Lee mode. He got disrespected by the organization in the postseason and that happened to Cliff Lee in 2007,” Lewis said.
Still, there were clear reasons the Guardians pulled back. Bibee stumbled badly after the break, finishing the second half with an ERA above 5.00. His ERA and home run total also climbed for a fourth straight season, and that reality shaped how Cleveland viewed him in October.
Bibee closed the regular season at 4.36 ERA with 29 home runs allowed, and that profile explains the hesitation. The Guardians didn’t seem to trust him to keep the ball in the park or stop innings from spiraling once they started.
That’s the gap between the regular season and October in a nutshell. Bibee’s biggest strengths - durability and the ability to soak up innings - are useful over 162 games, but they don’t always carry the same weight when every pitch feels amplified.
Manager Stephen Vogt said there was a plan to use Bibee more heavily in the World Series if Cleveland had gotten there, though that never came to pass. So that part of the story stays in the realm of what-ifs.
Around Cleveland, the belief is that Bibee will bounce back. Executives and media voices alike have said they expect him to return stronger than ever.
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Guardians May Regret Letting These Prospects Slip Away
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Hartle has also settled in nicely with the Nationals, turning in a strong showing at Double-A and putting himself in position to become a meaningful part of Washingtons pitching picture. For Cleveland, the real sting is less about what these players are today than what they may become in 2027, when all three could be contributing in the majors for clubs that are no longer the Guardians. It is the sort of prospect drift that can look manageable in the moment and much more costly once the future arrives. [Read more 🡒]
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Two Guardians Enter 2027 With Everything To Prove
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Kyle Manzardo is facing a different kind of pressure. His offensive production slipped in 2026 after a stronger 2025, and with the front office having already added a first baseman in a trade, his path to holding onto a regular role is suddenly less secure. For a club trying to turn another deep October run into something more lasting, both players enter 2027 with a lot to prove, and the winter will determine how much of the Guardians future still runs through them. [Read more 🡒]