The Guardians are heading into an offseason with work to do, and the rotation sits near the top of the list.
After winning the AL Central and reaching the American League Championship Series, Cleveland still came up short of the World Series. Now the front office has to sort through a roster that still has a few gaps, and one of the clearest needs is another starting pitcher.
That’s why ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan has pointed the Guardians toward Casey Mize. The right-hander is set to hit free agency, and Passan has urged Cleveland to pursue him as a way to strengthen the staff for next season.
Mize brings a mix of upside and uncertainty. He spent this season with both the Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres after a mid-season trade, and his year split sharply in two.
In Detroit, Mize was sharp. He posted a 2.70 ERA in 16 starts, worked 86.2 innings and struck out 85 batters.
Once he landed in San Diego, though, the results fell apart. Over 10 starts with the Padres, he put up a 7.46 ERA in 44.2 innings and struck out just 25.
That late-season slide could shape how teams view him in free agency, but it may also make him more appealing to a club like Cleveland. The Guardians don’t usually dive deep into the market, and Mize could fit the kind of short-term, lower-risk move they’re willing to make.
With Gavin Williams and Parker Messick at the top of the rotation, Cleveland still needs a middle starter who can take the ball and cover innings. Mize checks that box if the price is right, and that’s the part that will ultimately decide whether the Guardians make a run at him.
In Other News...
Emmanuel Clase Case Just Took A Brutal Turn For Cleveland Fans
Federal prosecutors say Emmanuel Clase was carrying a tax burden of more than $670,000, and they now argue that debt helped drive the alleged pitch-rigging scheme that has stunned Cleveland. The Guardians closer has already been suspended and on unpaid leave since 2025 while the investigation unfolded, but the latest filing gives the case a sharper and more troubling shape for a player who was once one of the most trusted arms in the bullpen.
The charges now hanging over Clase include conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bribery and money laundering, with prosecutors saying they have evidence of coordinated pitches that benefited bettors. For Cleveland fans, the ugly part is not just the headline, but the suggestion that the alleged scheme was tied to a personal financial pressure point, turning a baseball scandal into something far bigger than a simple betting violation. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Free Agency May Come Down To One Risky Rotation Bet
The Guardians search for rotation help could end up circling back to a familiar kind of gamble: a pitcher with enough upside to matter, and enough health baggage to make the price feel just a little lighter. Michael Soroka and Nick Pivetta both fit that mold in different ways, and each would give Cleveland a chance to add a starter without paying for a truly top-of-market arm. MLB Trade Rumors and FanGraphs both see them landing in a range that would keep them within reach, which is part of what makes them so intriguing for a front office that has long believed it can help pitchers stay on the mound.
Pivetta brings the more recent track record, but his elbow history is hard to ignore, while Soroka comes with the kind of injury past that has followed him for years even as he has logged meaningful innings again. For Cleveland, the appeal is obvious: the Guardians have built a reputation for helping pitchers manage health and squeeze value out of arms other clubs might hesitate to trust. The question is whether they want to make their rotation bet on the pitcher whose ceiling looks a bit higher, or the one whose risk profile may be easier to live with. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Bazzanas Rookie Year Left Guardians Fans With A Real Debate
Travis Bazzanas rookie season gave Guardians fans plenty to chew on, even before the year was over. He made his All-Star Game debut for the American League as a defensive substitute, a nice marker for a player whose season was defined less by a single stretch than by the way he kept popping up in big moments.
The debate came from the uneven shape of the year itself. Bazzana opened strong and closed strong, but the middle months dragged down his overall Rookie of the Year case, and the BBWAA voters reflected that by placing him 10th behind teammates Parker Messick and Chase DeLauter. For Cleveland, it leaves a familiar kind of question: how much weight should be given to the flashes, and how much to the slump in between? [Read more 🡒]