Tanner Bibee’s place in the Guardians’ October plan looks a lot different now than it did when Cleveland handed him a five-year extension on March 22, 2025.
At the time, the move fit cleanly. Bibee had already stacked up two solid seasons, looked like the club’s top starter with Shane Bieber still working back from Tommy John surgery, and had just turned in a strong postseason for a Guardians team that reached the ALCS. The contract bought out his remaining arbitration years and a couple years of free agency, and nobody was questioning the logic.
Now the picture is murkier. Bibee has continued to take the ball regularly - he has made 31+ starts in each of the last three seasons - and that durability still matters.
But the results have slipped. His ERA climbed to 4.24 in 2025 and is now 4.35.
His 12-11 record last year was middling, and this season he leads the American League in losses with 15. Some of that can be traced to the Guardians’ brutal lack of run support in the first half, but not all of it.
Meanwhile, the title of Guardians ace has shifted to Parker Messick, who has made the most starts for a Cleveland rookie since C.C. Sabathia in 2001, as ESPN’s broadcast on Wednesday pointed out. Messick is expected to be followed by Gavin Williams and likely Foster Griffin in a three-game Wild Card series or a best-of-five ALDS.
That change at the top of the rotation was reflected in the Guardians’ recent rotation shuffle before last week’s White Sox series. Bibee was moved up a day to finish off the Twins series, while Williams, Messick and Griffin handled the three games against Chicago. Cleveland took two of three, with the lone loss coming in a Williams start.
The adjustment left Bibee with two starts remaining in the regular season. One was rough: the Athletics tagged him for six runs on 12 hits in 4 2/3 innings on Saturday.
Manager Stephen Vogt kept trying to stretch him to five innings so he could qualify for the win, but it never came together. The other will come against the Royals in the final series of the regular season, though that could change depending on how the standings shake out and whether a do-or-die scenario appears.
Bibee will avoid the Red Sox series, which is the toughest remaining lineup the Guardians will face. Even so, the Athletics already showed he can still be vulnerable, and the Royals start will carry major weight if Cleveland is still trying to lock down its postseason spot.
If the Guardians do punch their ticket, Bibee may not be lined up as a traditional starter in a short series.
In a three-game or five-game postseason set, the more likely move is a shift into a relief role - not as a closer, but as a bridge from the starter to the back end of the bullpen. That would help cover a middle-relief group that has been shaky at times.
Bibee has never been used that way before, but postseason teams have often turned to their fourth or fifth starters in exactly this kind of spot. And there’s a reason it can work.
A shorter outing usually means fewer pitches, and Bibee’s best stuff may be his path to surviving that role. Opponents have hit .270 against his four-seam fastball and .289 against his sinker, but they’re batting .204 or worse against his cutter, curveball and changeup.
Those three pitches already make up more than half of what he throws, so leaning on them more would not require a dramatic overhaul.
That mix could play well in high-leverage innings, especially because those pitches can tunnel off each other and generate strikeouts and groundouts.
If Cleveland reaches the ALCS or World Series, Bibee would probably get a start at some point, though likely on a short leash. Even then, the same pitch-limiting approach could still apply if he only has to face a lineup twice.
None of this is certain, and Bibee has had postseason success before. Still, with the season unfolding the way it has, it’s fair to think the Guardians are at least weighing a different October job for him.
For now, though, that remains a next-week question. Cleveland still has games to play, and Bibee is still a key part of the rotation.
In Other News...
Guardians Could Have A Few Surprise Arms Waiting For October
The Guardians have opened a stay hot camp at Triple-A Columbus for players on the 40-man roster who are not on the major league club, giving them a place to keep sharp as October approaches. The group also includes a few other minor leaguers, with the idea being straightforward enough: stay ready, stay available, and be prepared in case Cleveland needs to make a postseason move.
Several of the names in camp are pitchers, along with some hitters, and a few are still working back from injuries. With the postseason roster still a moving target, the biggest area of flexibility may end up coming on the mound, where the Guardians are weighing different ways to cover any late needs without disrupting what has already carried them this far. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Fans Now Know What This Clase Trial Really Hinges On
Federal prosecutors have now put a sharper frame on the case against Emmanuel Clase, identifying 18 specific pitches they say the Guardians closer allegedly threw intentionally to help bettors who had paid him bribes. The new court filing lands ahead of Clases November trial and gives Cleveland fans a clearer sense of how the government plans to present its case, with former teammate Luis Ortiz also charged in the same alleged scheme.
Both players have pleaded not guilty and remain suspended by Major League Baseball as the legal process moves forward. The case centers on accusations of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering tied to a betting operation that reportedly netted more than $460,000, and the latest filing suggests the trial may turn on those pitch-by-pitch allegations rather than the broader outlines of the scheme alone. [Read more 🡒]
Ralphy Velazquez Is Forcing A Tough Guardians Decision
Ralphy Velazquez has spent the 2026 minor league season making the Guardians pay attention. The 2023 first-round pick has put together a strong year across Double-A and Triple-A, showing the kind of power growth the organization hoped would come while still keeping the contact skills that made him such an intriguing bat in the first place.
The numbers have pushed his stock up in a hurry, and they have also put Cleveland in an awkward spot. With an Opening Day roster push in 2027 starting to look plausible, the Guardians are still being careful with his path, which leaves the club balancing patience against the reality that Velazquez may be forcing the issue sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]