The Cleveland Guardians have gone from looking like deadline winners to one of baseball’s most troubling teams in a hurry.
Since the trade deadline, they’re 1-6, and that skid has dragged them four games under .500. They’re now four games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central and have slipped behind the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers as well, leaving them fourth in the division. They’re also outside the postseason picture, sitting two games back of the Texas Rangers for the third Wild Card spot.
That kind of slide has predictably rattled the fan base. Anthony Lima said on 92.3 The Fan that he was hearing from supporters who already believe the season is gone.
“Not looking good. I was getting texts last night from very, very concerned fans saying it’s over and this team has no chance,” Lima said at 92.3 The Fan.
“Are we putting a lid on this season”
“I was getting the texts last night saying this team has no chance.”
There’s no sugarcoating how rough this stretch has been, but the Guardians still have time to dig out of it. It’s mid-August, not October, and this is a team that has already shown it can climb back from a huge hole. Last year, Cleveland erased a double-digit deficit against the Tigers and won the division in September.
Of course, repeating that kind of comeback in 2026 is no guarantee. Still, the roster hasn’t changed dramatically, and the Guardians have even added more young talent with real upside, including Chase DeLauter, Travis Bazzana, Angel Genao, and more.
The standings leave the door open, even if it’s getting narrower by the day. Cleveland is only a couple of games out of the final playoff spot, and with about a month and a half left, October is still in play.
But the margin for error is gone. The bullpen has to hold leads, and the lineup has to start approaching every at-bat with urgency and conviction. The Guardians have time, but not much room to keep wasting it.
In Other News...
Myles Straw Puts Clevelands Old Contract Mistake Back In Focus
Myles Straws path through Toronto has put a familiar Cleveland topic back in view. The former Guardians outfielder is now in the mix for the Blue Jays center field job, with the opening created by the Daulton Varsho trade giving him a real chance to carve out a role for himself in a new setting.
For Cleveland, though, Straws presence on a contender also serves as a reminder of the contract extension that once tied him to the Guardians and still hangs over his value. His defense has always kept him on the radar, but the offensive limitations that complicated his tenure in Cleveland have not gone away, and the money attached to his deal makes his long-term fit a tricky call for Toronto as it looks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Chase DeLauter Sounds Off On Why Cleveland Keeps Stalling At The Plate
Chase DeLauters take on the Guardians recent trouble at the plate was refreshingly direct: when the pressure rises, the swings get bigger and the approach gets tighter. Cleveland has spent the last 17 games hitting under .220 with runners in scoring position, a stretch that has turned too many promising innings into missed chances. DeLauter said the situation should not change the assignment, because the best version of hitting with traffic on the bases still starts the same way it does with the bases empty, by finding a pitch to drive and staying clean through the swing.
For a team that has had enough chances to do more damage, the issue sounds less like a lack of opportunity than a failure to stay settled in the moments that matter most. DeLauters comments get at the frustration inside the lineup, where chasing and pressing have become a recurring theme whenever Cleveland gets close to cashing in. The underlying problem remains the same, and until the Guardians simplify those at-bats, the scoring drought is likely to keep hanging over them. [Read more 🡒]
Jos Ramrez Has Cleveland Facing A Brutal Late-Season Decision
Jos Ramrezs return from a hamate bone injury has not brought the usual lift to Clevelands lineup, and that has turned a nagging health issue into a real roster question as the season wears on. Since coming back, he has struggled to find impact at the plate, while the Guardians have managed to hang around even in the games he has missed, keeping the discussion focused less on what he means in theory and more on what he is providing right now.
Angel Genaos recent promotion only adds another layer to the decision, because Cleveland is weighing both immediate production and the longer view of how best to handle Ramrezs recovery. The organization appears to be sorting through whether a more cautious approach would serve everyone better, and the answer could shape the late-season infield picture in a meaningful way. [Read more 🡒]