The Guardians spent the final day of the regular season giving a little more shape to their October plans.
Before Sunday’s game against the Royals, Cleveland swapped out reliever Craig Yoho for Austin Peterson, a move that did more than just cover the pitching staff for the day. It also narrowed the field for the postseason bullpen, since Yoho can’t be brought back onto the big league roster until after the Division Series.
That makes Peterson’s arrival worth watching, even if his stay could be brief. He gave the Guardians a needed bulk arm behind starter Parker Messick and then finished the loss with five innings in relief. More importantly, the move offered another clue about how Cleveland may want to piece together its roster for a best-of-five series that comes with built-in off days.
Yoho’s season appears to be over for now. After coming over at the trade deadline, he posted a 6.87 ERA in 18 1/3 innings with Cleveland.
The stuff flashed at times, especially with his loopy changeup, but command issues also led to some rough outings. Unless an injury opens the door, he likely won’t be part of the postseason mix.
The Guardians still have some decisions to make, but the rotation side looks clearer. Parker Messick and Gavin Williams are locked in for the first two games, and the Daniel Espino/Joey Cantillo pairing is expected to handle at least one game behind them. That leaves Tanner Bibee and Foster Griffin on the outside, which could push one or both into bullpen duty.
There’s also Colin Holderman to consider. He’s been in the Guardians’ stay ready camp after missing the end of the season with a wrist injury. Holderman had a wrist flare-up on Sept. 17, missed the end of the minor league season, then got an injection and has returned to throwing bullpens.
Cleveland carried 12 pitchers in the Division Series two years ago, and that number could make sense again. Dropping Yoho - and, with him, Peterson - would trim the bullpen to 13.
The Guardians could create another opening by removing Slade Cecconi. Holderman is a trickier add, but Cleveland could leave him on the injured list for the Division Series and bring him back for the ALCS.
In Other News...
Guardians Have A Few Forgotten Names Who Could Crash Clevelands 2027 Plans
The Guardians are heading into the American League Division Series with the kind of roster fans know well, but the organizations long view is shaped by a few names farther down the depth chart. Right-hander Ben Lively has worked his way back from Tommy John surgery and pitched effectively in Triple-A, while Cooper Ingle has added value by moving between catcher and the outfield, giving Cleveland another flexible option to track.
Kahlil Watson is another player worth keeping an eye on as the club maps out its next wave. The young outfielder put together a strong minor league season and has already had a brief taste of the majors, which is enough to keep him in the conversation as Cleveland looks ahead to 2027 and beyond. For a team that has made a habit of finding contributors in unexpected places, these are the kinds of forgotten names that can quickly become part of the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Gavin Williams Just Gave Cleveland A Huge Reason To Believe
Gavin Williams spent the regular season giving Cleveland a front-line arm to lean on, and the numbers backed up what the Guardians saw every fifth day. He led the American League with 248 strikeouts, finished 14-8 with a 3.76 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP over 32 starts, and outpaced both Dylan Cease and Cam Schlittler in the strikeout race.
The encouraging part for Cleveland is that Williams did not fade as the schedule wore on. He sharpened in September, trimming his ERA and missing more bats while the Guardians were fighting for a playoff push, which only added to the sense that he was settling into the role they had been waiting for. For a club that has spent a lot of time searching for reliable rotation anchors, Williams just made the long view a little easier to picture. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Trade Deadline Looks Smarter As October Reality Hits Phillies
As Cleveland waits to make its postseason roster official, the early read on the clubs deadline work is encouraging. Nathaniel Lowe, Jo Adell and Foster Griffin are all expected to be included, giving the Guardians a chance to lean on the reinforcements they added when the market opened up.
Philadelphia offered a sharper contrast by unveiling its National League Wild Card Series roster without any of its deadline pickups, Caleb Kilian, Brooks Raley and Luis Arraez. Injuries have kept Kilian and Arraez out, while Raley was left off after a difficult stretch, a reminder that deadline deals can look good in July and much different by October. [Read more 🡒]