The Guardians’ winter work will tell the real story on Tanner Bibee.
For a pitcher who led the club in appearances and innings pitched, Bibee’s standing feels oddly fragile after a postseason in which he made only one appearance. The Guardians’ October run revealed plenty of good news about the roster, but it also raised a blunt question about where Bibee fits now - and whether he’ll still be in Cleveland by 2027.
Stephen Vogt addressed Bibee’s future at his end-of-the-year presser and sounded far more optimistic than the postseason usage might suggest.
"Tanner is going to be a huge part of this team for a long time, and I’m really excited about that," Vogt said, per MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins.
That doesn’t erase the way the Guardians handled him in October, but it is a lot more revealing than silence would have been. The bigger issue now is whether the organization truly sees Bibee as a long-term piece or whether his name becomes part of a future decision down the line.
Vogt and general manager Mike Chernoff both addressed what they believe it will take for Bibee to get back to his 2024 level, when he looked like a frontline ace. Chernoff said he doesn’t think it requires a “massive overhaul,” while Vogt said the goal is to get Bibee back to being the best version of himself.
The confusing part of Bibee’s slide is that it has happened while the rest of the rotation has risen around him. Gavin Williams finally tapped into the strikeout ability the Guardians believed was there and then followed it with an impressive postseason. Rookie Parker Messick also took a major step, going from a crafty left-hander to a bona fide ace with a plus-fastball.
That has left Bibee in an awkward spot. He still logged the most innings and appearances on the staff, but in the current rotation pecking order, he looks like he’s behind Williams and Messick.
There is still a path for him to stay in the mix, and the need for pitching depth helps him. The Guardians were steady on the mound overall, but they reshaped the staff at the deadline by trading for Foster Griffin, who is set to become an impending free agent.
Williams and Messick appear locked in at the top of the rotation, but everything else is unsettled. Bibee and Cantillo would seem to fit as Nos. 3 and 4, yet both appeared to fall out of favor during the postseason. Cecconi was in the same boat after losing his rotation spot when Griffin was added.
Even with the uneven results, Bibee should still draw interest if the Guardians ever decide to move him. He remains on an affordable contract, and he is only two years removed from an ace-like season, which gives him a real trade market.
In Other News...
Guardians Just Lost Another Behind The Scenes Voice Rivals Keep Poaching
The Guardians are losing another one of the behind-the-scenes people who helped shape their offensive program, as Conner Watson is headed to Houston to become the Astros director of hitting. Watson spent the past two seasons as Clevelands assistant director of hitting development, and his move is the latest reminder that the organizations player development work keeps getting noticed well beyond Progressive Field.
Chris Antonetti has already acknowledged the staff turnover, and in some ways that comes with the territory for a club whose development pipeline is routinely viewed as a strength. Still, it is the kind of loss that matters, because these roles influence how hitters are identified, coached and pushed forward before they ever become everyday names in Cleveland. The Guardians have built a reputation other teams want to borrow from, but keeping the people who built it together is proving to be a challenge. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Regret Letting These Prospects Slip Away
Clevelands farm system has already produced enough intriguing names to keep tabs on, and a few former Guardians prospects are beginning to look like more than background pieces in other organizations. Juan Brito, Jacob Cozart and Josh Hartle all moved on in separate trades, and each has taken a step that suggests the move may end up benefiting their new clubs as much as it cost Cleveland. Brito landed with the Reds and flashed promise in a limited look, while Cozarts strong Double-A showing for the Angels has put him on a path toward a possible big league debut.
Hartle may be the most interesting of the three because of the role he could eventually fill for Washington. He has been effective at Double-A and looks the part of a pitcher the Nationals can build around in the near future, which only adds to the sense that Cleveland may have parted with more upside than it realized. None of these deals is decided today, but by 2027 the Guardians could be looking at three former prospects becoming useful major leaguers somewhere else. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Have Built Something Special With These Two Young Arms
The Guardians have spent years trying to assemble a homegrown pitching core that can carry them beyond one good season, and Gavin Williams and Parker Messick are making that plan look a lot more realistic. Williams emerged as one of the most overpowering arms in the American League, leading the league in strikeouts and carrying that stuff into the postseason, while Messick put together a strong regular season that put him squarely in the Rookie of the Year conversation.
What makes the pairing so intriguing for Cleveland is that both pitchers came through the organizations development pipeline, giving the front office a chance to imagine a rotation anchored from within rather than pieced together from the outside. Williams already looks like the sort of frontline starter who can headline October games, and Messicks rapid rise only deepens the sense that the Guardians may have more than one future ace on their hands. [Read more 🡒]