The Guardians are shaking up both their pitching staff and lineup, with Slade Cecconi headed to the bullpen, Kyle Manzardo and David Fry optioned to Triple-A Columbus, and Foster Griffin stepping into the rotation.
Manager Stephen Vogt said Tuesday afternoon that Cecconi is losing his starting job to Griffin, Cleveland’s deadline pickup. Griffin is set to make his team debut on Thursday against Nolan McLean in the finale with the Mets. Cecconi, meanwhile, was already on the mound at Progressive Field for his first relief outing of the season.
Cecconi’s move comes after a steady but unspectacular run in the rotation. He started 21 games and put up a 4.78 ERA over 107 1/3 innings, with a 17.8% strikeout rate, a 7.4% walk rate and 1.34 home runs allowed per nine innings. That’s a step back from last season, when he posted a 4.30 ERA and a 20% strikeout rate in 23 starts for Cleveland.
Acquired from the Diamondbacks in the 2024 Josh Naylor deal, Cecconi has filled the role of a strike-throwing fifth or sixth starter. The stuff has been more fringe than overpowering, and the home run issue has been the biggest problem.
He did put together a solid stretch from May into June, but July turned rough in a hurry. Over four starts that month, he allowed 19 runs, 15 earned, in 17 innings, and he didn’t make it through five innings in any of his last three outings.
Even with the bullpen move, Cecconi is sticking on the roster. Cleveland cleared room by optioning right-hander Franco Aleman.
The bigger roster cuts came on the position-player side. The Guardians sent Manzardo and Fry to Columbus during Monday’s off day after adding Jo Adell and Nathaniel Lowe to the lineup.
For Fry, it’s the first time he’s been sent down since his MLB debut in May 2023, not counting injury rehab stints. The 2024 All-Star had been serving as a right-handed bench bat and third catcher this season, but the production hasn’t matched the role.
He’s hitting .182/.304/.336 with six homers and a 30% strikeout rate in 168 plate appearances, and he has just five hits in 62 at-bats since the start of June. Adell should give Cleveland more pop against left-handed pitching.
Manzardo had been the Guardians’ Opening Day designated hitter in each of the last two seasons, but this year has been a step back. After launching 27 homers last season, he’s down to 13 with a .215/.306/.378 line over 356 plate appearances. He’s struck out 32% of the time and faded in July after looking like he had found his rhythm in May and June.
It marks the first change to Cleveland’s rotation all year. The club has had no starting pitching injuries and had rolled with Parker Messick, Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo and Cecconi. Only the July 18 doubleheader, which required a one-day call-up of lefty Logan Allen, interrupted that same five-man group.
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