The Guardians got through the White Sox with a roster built for flexibility, carrying 14 position players and 12 pitchers on their American League Division Series roster. The next round asks for something different.
With seven games in nine days against Tampa Bay and three sets of back-to-back games looming, Stephen Vogt may have to change the formula before Monday’s ALCS opener at Tropicana Field. After the bullpen was stretched thin against Chicago, Cleveland is staring at a roster decision that could shape how it handles the series.
“We just got done playing five games in eight days and now we’ve got seven games in nine days,” Vogt said Sunday. “We’re talking through what does the roster need to look like for us to combat that.”
Two moves stand out. One is replacing Daniel Schneemann with Rhys Hoskins to add another right-handed power bat.
The other is bringing up Slade Cecconi so Vogt has a pitcher who can soak up multiple innings. Bigger than either individual move is the question of whether Cleveland should finally shift away from the 14-position-player setup and go back to a 13-13 split.
Hoskins is the cleanest offensive pivot. Schneemann gives Vogt defensive versatility and another left-handed bench option, but Cleveland has other players who can fill that kind of role. Hoskins has been working out at the plate throughout the postseason, and if his lower back is ready, he gives the Guardians something they could use against Tampa Bay: a proven right-handed power threat who can flip a game with one swing.
Cleveland has survived October by leaning on pitching and finding hits when it matters. But against a Rays team that can match that pitching depth, another seasoned bat in a late-game matchup could matter.
Hoskins also brings postseason experience, including a World Series trip with Philadelphia in 2022. Schneemann still has a case, especially with Tampa Bay’s speed putting extra stress on the defense, but if Hoskins is healthy enough, Cleveland should take a hard look at the upgrade.
The bullpen picture points toward another adjustment. Game 4 against Chicago offered a pretty clear hint about where Matt Festa sits in Vogt’s hierarchy.
With the Guardians up by six, Vogt chose to send Cade Smith back out for a second inning instead of using Festa. Smith gave up a home run and a walk in the ninth, which forced Gavin Williams into the game to get the final three outs.
Williams then came back less than 48 hours later to start Game 5.
That is a huge demand to place on two of Cleveland’s most important arms when another reliever was sitting there unused. Vogt admitted afterward how much he had leaned on the late-inning group.
“We asked way too much of Cade in this series and he answered,” Vogt said.
That matters now. If Festa is not going to be trusted to protect a big lead in October, Cleveland has to ask what his role actually is.
Cecconi offers a more useful path. The right-hander spent August and September in a multi-inning relief role and showed he could cover important outs while still missing bats.
He is not the type Vogt would likely use when the game is on the line in the eighth inning. But that does not have to be the job here.
Cecconi could bridge the gap if a starter leaves early, protect a lead without burning out Smith or Hunter Gaddis, or simply eat innings if the game gets sideways. Against Tampa Bay, that kind of coverage could be extremely valuable.
That brings the Guardians to the broadest decision of all: whether to return to 13 pitchers and 13 position players. Cleveland used the extra bat against Chicago to give Vogt more room to pinch-hit, pinch-run and shuffle defensively. The ALCS schedule is less forgiving.
Vogt already announced Foster Griffin as the Game 1 starter, and part of the reason is simple: Cleveland needs someone who can go deep enough to help the bullpen recover.
“We still have to be cognizant of the workload that these guys just had,” Vogt said. “And we feel like Foster’s got the ability to get us deep into the game tomorrow.”
That workload is still hanging over the staff. With games on consecutive days and little chance to reset, the Guardians could use one more pitcher. A 13-13 roster would let them add Cecconi without taking another arm off the staff, and it could also create room for a fresh option depending on how Vogt and the front office judge the group’s wear and tear.
There would be a downside. Tampa Bay plays aggressively, and Cleveland’s bench flexibility could matter late in games.
But there is only so much Vogt can ask from Smith, Gaddis and Erik Sabrowski. The Guardians struck out an MLB Division Series-record 75 batters against Chicago, and their pitching staff carried them back from an 0-2 hole.
Now they have to keep those arms alive for seven more games.
The roster does not need a complete overhaul after one of the franchise’s most memorable postseason comebacks. But the ALDS made one thing clear: the Guardians know which players they trust, and they know which ones they don’t.
Adding Hoskins’ power and Cecconi’s innings makes sense. If that means carrying 13 pitchers, Cleveland should make the move before the bullpen gets pushed to the edge again.
Pitchers: Shawn Armstrong, Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo, Slade Cecconi, Daniel Espino, Matt Festa, Hunter Gaddis, Foster Griffin, Tim Herrin, Parker Messick, Erik Sabrowski, Cade Smith, Gavin Williams.
Catchers: Patrick Bailey, Austin Hedges.
Infielders: Travis Bazzana, Angel Genao, Nathaniel Lowe, José Ramírez, Brayan Rocchio.
Outfielders: Jo Adell, Chase DeLauter, David Fry, Petey Halpin, Steven Kwan, Angel Martínez.
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Guardians Enter ALCS With One Huge Pitching Question
The American League Championship Series opens tomorrow in Tampa, and the matchup between the Rays and Guardians brings together two clubs built on pitching depth. Tampa Bay already has its Game 1 plan in place with Drew Rasmussen set to take the ball, while Cleveland is still sorting through its options after a five-game Division Series against the White Sox.
For the Guardians, the biggest decision is still hanging over the start of the series, and it could shape how they line up the rest of the rotation. Parker Messick, Gavin Williams, Foster Griffin, Joey Cantillo and Tanner Bibee are all in the mix as Cleveland works through its choice, a reminder that even at this stage of October, the margin for error starts with the first pitch. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Made One ALCS Roster Choice Fans Will Be Watching
With the American League Championship Series now set against the Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland adjusted its roster in a way that says plenty about how it sees this matchup unfolding. The Guardians brought in pitcher Slade Cecconi and left utilityman Daniel Schneeman off the ALCS group, a move that tilts the bench a little more toward arms as the series shifts into a deeper October grind.
Cecconi spent most of the season in the rotation, making 21 starts, but has recently been working in a relief role and figures to give Cleveland another option out of the bullpen if this turns into a longer battle. Schneeman had already been absent from the ALDS games, and his omission here underscores how much roster flexibility matters once the games become compressed and every spot has to serve a very specific purpose. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Are Handing Game 1 To An Unexpected Arm
The Guardians are turning to an unexpected arm as the American League Championship Series opens, with Foster Griffin lined up to take the ball after emerging from a strong relief role in the Division Series. Cleveland liked what it saw from him in that matchup, where he gave the club an important lift out of the bullpen and quickly became one of the more interesting postseason stories on the roster.
Griffin is also one of the few Cleveland pitchers who wasnt leaned on heavily in the previous series, which gives the staff a fresh option at a time when every inning matters. Hell be working on normal rest, and the decision says plenty about how the Guardians are approaching Game 1 against Tampa Bay as they try to get the tone of the series right from the start. [Read more 🡒]