The Guardians have stayed in the American League postseason conversation thanks to contributions from all over the roster, but not every player has helped himself when it comes to the club’s long-term picture. A few months of steady play can change a lot, and for three Cleveland players, the 2027 outlook looks shakier than it did not long ago.
David Fry is the clearest case. He still brings value as a utility piece, but the bat has not backed it up this season.
Entering Wednesday, Fry was hitting .191/.311/.352 with seven home runs and 15 RBI in 85 games, and his year has already included a trip to Triple-A Columbus. Since being recalled on Aug. 29, he has only 21 at-bats, and his spot has likely been tied to Rhys Hoskins’ injury and the extra roster spot the Guardians get in September.
The concern is not just the overall line. Fry sits in the bottom percentile in almost every advanced metric outside of walk rate, and his .162 average against left-handed pitching stands out on a team that leans heavily on platoons. The trade that brought Fry to Cleveland has been one of the club’s best recent moves, but the organization’s youth movement could push him out by the time the offseason dust settles.
Kyle Manzardo is in a different situation, but the result may be the same. He has been stuck in Triple-A since the Guardians sent him down at the start of August, and the path back to Cleveland looks crowded with prospect Ralphy Velazquez also in the mix as a left-handed hitting first baseman.
Cleveland landed Manzardo in a trade fleece, thanks to Aaron Civale, and a year ago he looked like a clean part of the team’s future. That picture has changed.
Manzardo did show some pop last season with 27 home runs, but this year he had 13 homers before the demotion and struck out at a 32% clip. That combination has made it much harder to see him carving out a spot going forward.
Foster Griffin is the odd one out in a different way, since he is already an impending free agent and technically not part of the Guardians’ roster plans. Even so, his time in Cleveland has pointed toward another team handling his next contract.
Griffin posted a 3.06 ERA in 129 1/3 innings with the Nationals, but he has a 5.79 ERA in 37 1/3 innings with the Guardians. On Tuesday, he was pulled in the fifth inning of Cleveland’s do-or-die game against the White Sox.
He did have a solid five-start stretch at the end of August and into the start of September, but his last two outings have left the Guardians in a tough spot. Someone is likely to pay him this offseason. The question is whether it should be Cleveland.
In Other News...
Brayan Rocchio's Early Exit Just Raised A Big Guardians Concern
Brayan Rocchios night ended early against the Athletics after the Guardians pulled him for left leg tightness, treating it as a precaution. Stephen Vogt said the soreness had been there already and flared up during the game, which is never the kind of update a club wants to hear when a player has been giving it both at the plate and in the field for a stretch.
The Guardians planned to take a closer look the next day, and that is where the concern really starts to settle in. Rocchio has become the type of contributor Cleveland leans on for timely hits and steady defense, so even a short-term issue could carry some weight if it lingers. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Are Back In A Brutal Trade Debate Fans Hate
Every front office has a trade regret or two, but the latest round of roster remorse has been especially rough for clubs that like to pride themselves on identifying talent early. The Mets, Dodgers and Guardians all moved on from players who have since blossomed into major MVP-level threats, a reminder that even good process can look a whole lot worse in hindsight.
For Cleveland, the sting is familiar because the Guardians have spent years trying to maximize value through deals and development, only to watch a former piece turn into the kind of impact bat every contender wants. Junior Caminero has become a notable power threat in his new home, and his rise only adds fuel to the debate over how much patience clubs should show before cutting bait on young talent. The larger question hanging over all three teams is simple: when a trade looks fine in the moment, how much pain should a fan base be expected to absorb later? [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Keep The Race Alive Despite One Concern From Saturday
Angel Martinez helped keep Cleveland rolling Saturday at Progressive Field, and the Guardians needed every bit of that offense in a 12-6 win over the Athletics. The victory gave them a fourth straight win and nudged them to 80-75, with Martinez standing out by going deep from both sides of the plate in a game that again showed how much this lineup can carry when it gets going.
Tanner Bibee, though, was a different part of the story. He labored through 4.2 innings and allowed six runs, leaving the Guardians with at least one concern even as the bats bailed him out and kept the race alive. For Cleveland, the margin for error is getting thinner, so the combination of explosive offense and uneven pitching remains something worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]