The Guardians don’t look interested in replaying last September’s script.
A year ago, Cleveland used its extra roster room to bump Joey Cantillo into the rotation, and the move helped fuel one of the best stretches of his career during the club’s stunning run to the American League Central crown. This time around, though, manager Stephen Vogt and president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti have both said it’s “unlikely” the Guardians would go to a six-man rotation when September brings two more roster spots.
That points the conversation in a different direction. Rather than taking starts away from Parker Messick, Gavin Williams and Foster Griffin, Cleveland appears more likely to use the extra space to help a bullpen that could use another arm in the middle innings.
The schedule also makes that route make sense. September opens with 10 games in nine days, but the Guardians have three off-days later in the month and do not have another stretch of more than six straight games the rest of the way. With that kind of layout, adding a reliever feels more useful than creating another rotation job.
And the Guardians do have options waiting in Triple-A.
Daniel Espino, Franco Aleman, Yorman Gómez and Austin Peterson are all on the 40-man roster. Slade Cecconi is in the mix too as he works back from the injured list; he made his second rehab start today and threw 2 2/3 innings.
Espino and Aleman look like the most natural fits. Both have already pitched for Cleveland this season, and both are relievers. Gómez and Peterson, by contrast, have been starting in the minors and have not yet appeared in the majors.
Espino has struck out 12 batters in six innings with the Guardians this season, though the club has been careful not to push him too hard because of his injury history. Aleman has logged 18 2/3 innings for Cleveland, but his August went sideways fast, as he posted a 7.71 ERA in 4 2/3 innings before being optioned to Triple-A.
Those two also have familiarity on their side, which matters when roster spots are tight. In much the same way Daniel Schneemann and Kyle Manzardo appear to have the inside track on the open position-player spot, Espino and Aleman seem positioned to fight for one of the bullpen openings.
Cecconi remains the wildcard. He spent most of the year in the rotation before shifting to the bullpen at the start of the month after the Guardians added Foster Griffin. He made two relief appearances before an arm injury interrupted the move.
Cleveland could even split the difference, bringing up one of Espino or Aleman and then using Cecconi as the longman in Logan Allen’s spot.
However it plays out, the decision doesn’t figure to come out of nowhere. The Guardians’ bullpen may not carry the same star power it once did, but it has been a steady group, and one more reinforcement would fit neatly into what they’re trying to do down the stretch.
In Other News...
Guardians Are Letting A Valuable David Fry Advantage Go To Waste
David Frys double in the fourth inning against the Royals was a reminder of what the Guardians have available when they actually put him in the lineup. It was his first hit since July 2, and it came after a stretch that included a demotion to Triple-A before he was brought back because of an injury on the roster. Even then, his path back has not translated into steady playing time, which has left one of the clubs more flexible pieces sitting more than contributing.
That is part of what makes Fry such an interesting option for Cleveland right now. His defensive versatility gives the team a way to patch together different spots, but the Guardians have not fully leaned into that value since his return. For a club trying to squeeze production out of every roster spot, leaving a player with that kind of utility on the margins feels like a missed chance. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Need To Act Fast On Two Core Extensions
The Guardians have built this stretch of the season around a young core that is helping keep them in the thick of the 2026 playoff race, and it is getting harder to ignore the business side of that success. Gavin Williams is moving toward arbitration and, eventually, free agency, which makes him the kind of pitcher Cleveland has every reason to think about locking up before the price climbs any higher.
Chase DeLauter brings a different kind of question, but the same urgency. His offensive performance has been encouraging enough to make him a real part of the clubs future plans, even if the injury history adds some hesitation on both sides. For a front office that values cost certainty as much as upside, the timing on a possible extension for DeLauter may matter just as much as the decision on Williams. [Read more 🡒]
Cleveland Fans Have One Last Shot At September Ballpark Giveaways
September is stacked with one more round of ballpark promotions across Northeast Ohio, giving fans of the Guardians, RubberDucks, Captains and Crushers a final chance to chase down a giveaway or two before the calendar flips. The slate includes themed nights, fan-appreciation touches and family-friendly activities, with the usual mix of bobbleheads, jersey hoodies and other souvenirs that keep stadium crowds moving through the gates a little earlier than usual.
The appeal goes beyond the merch, too, because these events are built to pull in kids, families and casual fans who want a little extra around the baseball. With dates, start times, venue addresses and parking details all laid out, the only real question is which night becomes the must-hit stop for collectors trying to squeeze in one more ballpark trip this month. [Read more 🡒]