The Cleveland Guardians have already started sorting through their ALDS pitching plans, and the biggest question may be the one that comes after Game 2.
Before Cleveland even knows whether it will face the Chicago White Sox or the Houston Astros, the club is weighing its options for a starter in Game 3. The first two decisions look straightforward enough: Gavin Williams and Parker Messick are the obvious choices to handle Saturday and Sunday, in either order. However the Guardians line them up, both pitchers are in position to stay on regular rest if the series stretches to a Game 4 or Game 5.
That leaves the middle game, and that’s where things get tricky.
Tanner Bibee would seem like the cleanest answer on paper. He owns a 3.10 ERA in five career playoff starts, but his season hasn’t exactly screamed certainty. Bibee’s best month was June, when he posted a 1.89 ERA, and he closed September with a 7.36 ERA.
Foster Griffin is another name in the mix, and he would bring a very different kind of story to the job. Cleveland picked him up at the trade deadline, and a first postseason start would follow a stretch that included a year pitching overseas before he worked his way back to the big leagues.
The appeal is obvious. The results in Cleveland have been less convincing, with Griffin carrying a 5.19 ERA in nine starts since joining the team.
Then there’s the more unconventional route: an opener like Daniel Espino paired with a bullpen arm such as Joey Cantillo to cover the bulk of the innings. That combination has been dominant in three games, but playoff baseball asks a different question than the regular season.
It’s one thing to use that approach in spots. It’s another to trust it when the stakes tighten.
The wrinkle is that the answer could change depending on how the first two games unfold. If the Guardians have to lean on Cantillo, Espino or even someone like Slade Cecconi early in the series, it becomes difficult to imagine any of them turning around and taking on a bulk role in Game 3 on Wednesday. In that scenario, Bibee or Griffin would be the likelier option.
Stephen Vogt and the rest of the organization almost certainly have multiple backup plans ready. But the choice for Game 3 still looks like one of the tougher calls on Cleveland’s postseason checklist.
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 🡒]