The Cleveland Guardians did something unusual at the trade deadline: they actually made a splash. That alone was a shift for a front office that usually stays out of the biggest deadline swings, and this time the move appears to be working.
Bradford Doolittle of ESPN reported that the Guardians’ playoff odds jumped by 14.3% at the deadline, a notable boost for a team trying to stay in the race down the stretch.
“Jo Adell has been just what the Guardians needed, while doing the same things he was doing for the Angels. He has been one of the more impactful deadline pickups so far.
Nathaniel Lowe has had a couple of nice moments, but overall has a 92 OPS+. Foster Griffin has been solid after a rough first start after arriving from Washington.
Craig Yoho has gotten frequent relief work, but the ex-Brewer has an ERA over 7.00,” Doolittle wrote.
Adell and Lowe have helped the lineup look more settled, while Griffin has steadied himself after that rocky debut and has allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his last four starts. Yoho’s results have been rough, but he has only thrown 12.2 innings, so there is still time for things to change.
Cleveland enters Friday’s matchup with the Detroit Tigers three games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central. The Guardians have dropped two straight, but they are still holding the third spot in the AL Wild Card race. ESPN currently gives them a 44.2% chance of making the postseason.
The schedule doesn’t let up from here. The Guardians are heading into a stretch that includes the Tigers, Orioles, Twins, and White Sox, with three of those series coming against division opponents.
For Cleveland, those are the games that will matter most now. The front office has made its move.
The rest is on the players if this team is going to get to October.
In Other News...
Guardians Suddenly Have A Postseason Problem They Never Expected From Bibee
Tanner Bibees recent start in Toronto only added to the uneasy feeling around Clevelands rotation at the exact moment the Guardians can least afford it. In a 6-3 loss to the Blue Jays, Bibee gave up five runs in four innings, another reminder that the clubs most important stretch run is being complicated by a pitcher who entered the game as one of the biggest questions on the staff.
Cleveland is still clinging to a half-game lead for the American Leagues final Wild Card spot at 70-70, but the margin for error is thin and the pitching picture is getting harder to trust. Bibee has been inconsistent enough to lead the majors in losses, and if the Guardians are going to make this race hold, they need a lot more certainty from a starter they expected to lean on when the games start to matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Former Guardians Could Haunt Cleveland Fans All Through September
September has a way of turning old acquaintances into uncomfortable reminders, and that figure is likely to be a recurring theme for Cleveland fans as the season closes. Several former Guardians hitters are positioned for meaningful roles with new clubs down the stretch, giving them a chance to matter in the pennant race and, if their teams keep going, in October as well. Bo Naylor is with the Milwaukee Brewers, Josh Naylor has landed with the Seattle Mariners, Richie Palacios is part of the Tampa Bay Rays mix, Amed Rosario is now in the New York Yankees orbit, and Lane Thomas is with the Atlanta Braves.
For Cleveland, the challenge is not just seeing familiar faces on other rosters, but seeing them in spots where their current teams can lean on them. Each one brings a different kind of value and a different level of postseason relevance, which makes the next month feel a little like a reunion tour with real stakes attached. The Guardians are trying to finish their own season on their terms, but these ex-Guardians could keep showing up in moments that matter for someone else. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Face A Bullpen Question Before A Crucial Doubleheader
Carlos Hernndez had been giving the Guardians a look out of the bullpen, working two relief appearances and striking out multiple batters while operating in low-leverage spots. Even so, Cleveland moved him off the roster to create space for pitching prospect Austin Peterson ahead of a doubleheader, a reminder of how quickly a club can shift its pitching picture when the schedule tightens.
The move leaves Hernndez in limbo as the Guardians wait to see whether he clears waivers and stays in the organization. For a team trying to manage arms around a crucial doubleheader, it is another small but potentially meaningful bullpen wrinkle, especially with a call-up in Peterson now taking priority over a veteran reliever who had just started to settle in. [Read more 🡒]