The Cleveland Guardians are in position to make a run, but the margin for error is thin. At 68-67, they sit second in the AL Central and hold a two-game edge in the race for the third and final Wild Card spot. That’s enough to keep October in view, but not enough to feel comfortable.
This is a team that has bounced between strong stretches and shaky ones all season. The upside is obvious, and that’s what makes the Guardians worth watching down the stretch. But if they’re going to turn that position into a playoff berth, two things have to happen.
First, the bullpen has to settle down and stay that way.
Cleveland’s rotation gives them a real foundation with Parker Messick, Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, Foster Griffin and Joey Cantillo. The concern is the relief group behind them. Deadline pickup Craig Yoho has struggled badly since arriving from the Milwaukee Brewers, posting a 7.15 ERA, and the Guardians need a much better version of him.
Matt Festa has improved, and Cade Smith is still operating as an elite closer, but there’s also the sense that some of Cleveland’s best bullpen arms may be sitting in the minors in Franco Aleman and Daniel Espino. Even with the unit ranked seventh in ERA at 3.74, inconsistency has been part of the story. If the Guardians want their best possible version of this roster, the bullpen has to be lights-out.
The other major swing factor is the offense, specifically what they get from Jose Ramirez and Travis Bazzana.
Cleveland has won seven of its past eight, and the lineup has started to trend in the right direction. Ramirez and Bazzana both look like they may be finding something at the plate, which matters a lot with Steven Kwan now playing to the top of his abilities and several young players helping out. But the Guardians need more than “good enough” from Ramirez and Bazzana.
Both enter Saturday’s game against the Kansas City Royals with a middling 100 wRC+, and that’s not the kind of production that raises a team’s ceiling in October. Ramirez is the veteran star, Bazzana the All-Star rookie, and Cleveland needs both in a much more dangerous offensive gear if it wants to hang with the best teams when the games get bigger.
They’ve been passable so far. That won’t be enough for what comes next.
In Other News...
Guardians Prospect Saga Took A Shocking Turn Before He Ever Signed
The Guardians thought they had lined up a promising addition when they reached a $2.8 million deal with a switch-hitting infielder known as David Severino, a player they had tracked as part of their international pipeline. Instead, an MLB investigation blew up the agreement before it ever became official, uncovering that the prospect had used fake documents and a fabricated gravesite to support a false identity and age.
What makes the situation especially jarring for Cleveland is that the club is not facing discipline, even as the player has been suspended for the fraud. Severino, whose real name is Daury David Severino Damaso, is now expected to sign for a much smaller bonus, leaving the Guardians to move on from a saga that never even reached the point of a signature. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Legal Crisis Just Raised A Bigger Question For Emmanuel Clase
The legal clock keeps moving for Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, and the latest ruling in Brooklyn did little to change the basic shape of the case. A federal judge denied the pitchers requests for separate trials in their November proceedings tied to an alleged pitch-rigging scheme, while also turning aside the governments bid to remove Clases attorney from the matter. Both pitchers have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, leaving the Guardians facing another off-field storyline that is now officially headed toward trial.
For Cleveland, the immediate issue is less about courtroom maneuvering than about what this means for Clases future and the teams ability to plan around him. The case is scheduled to begin on November 2, and with the judge keeping the players joined together, the proceedings will unfold under a spotlight that could shape not only the next few weeks but the larger question hanging over one of the clubs most prominent pitchers. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Playoff Push Suddenly Has A New X Factor
The Guardians came home from an undefeated road trip with one month left before the postseason, and the timing only sharpened the sense that their push has a little more substance than a hot streak. Steven Kwan and Chase DeLauter have helped keep the lineup on base in August, while Parker Messick has settled in as a reliable starter with a 2.54 ERA over 33 starts, giving Cleveland a rotation piece it can actually lean on as the games start to matter more.
Even more important, the bullpen has been carrying real weight. Since August 10, it has posted a 1.52 ERA and sat near the top of several pitching categories, the kind of run that can change the entire shape of a stretch drive. For a club trying to hold momentum into September, that relief work may end up being the difference between simply hanging around and turning this into a legitimate playoff push. [Read more 🡒]