MIAMI - The Guardians’ bullpen still has plenty going for it, but it’s not the same overwhelming force it was a year ago.
The biggest hit, of course, came when the franchise leader in saves, Emmanuel Clase, was lost to gambling charges. Even so, the relief corps hasn’t collapsed.
Cleveland’s 2024 bullpen finished first in the AL with a 2.57 ERA, while the 2025 group ranked second at 3.44. This season, the pen is second in saves and fifth in ERA.
What’s missing is the kind of depth that made the unit feel almost unfair in 2024. Nick Sandlin logged 68 appearances that year, Scott Barlow 63 and Pedro Avila 50, and the three combined to go 16-4.
Shawn Armstrong is another name drawing attention, and the first half hasn’t matched expectations. The main issue has been his control.
Last year, in his career season with Texas, he walked 20 batters in 74 innings. This season, he’s already walked 16 in 28 1/3 innings.
A strained groin that sent him to the injured list early didn’t help matters either.
There’s also the question of how the Guardians handle pitching changes. The manager comes out instead of the pitching coach, and the reasoning is simple: when a pitcher gets pulled, the last thing he wants is the pitching coach standing there and explaining what went wrong.
The pitcher already knows. The manager shows respect by making the trip to the mound, and the conversation with the pitching coach can wait until after the game or the next day.
On the All-Star front, rookie Travis Bazzana made the team while Brayan Rocchio did not. The difference starts with position.
They don’t play the same spot, and Bazzana was chosen by his peers. There was also more competition at shortstop than at second base for an American League All-Star berth.
Rocchio, though, has had a big first half.
Bazzana’s bat has been encouraging, but his defense has been a work in progress. He’s rough around the edges and puts a lot of pressure on himself, especially when he isn’t hitting.
That comes with being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft. Rocchio and Bazzana are still figuring out how to play together, and the Guardians are expected to keep giving Bazzana every chance to stay at second base.
Eventually, he could wind up in the outfield.
The Junior Caminero trade remains a sore spot. Chris Antonetti said it was a mistake to trade Caminero, and that’s not likely to fade any time soon.
The organization’s best move now is to keep developing the talent it has. Fans, though, are going to keep thinking about it every time Caminero goes deep.
As for the club’s recent stretch, the Guardians have gone 10-13 since losing José Ramírez (left hand), Martinez (left foot) and Chase DeLauter (right rib) to injuries on June 13 against Detroit. DeLauter returned to the lineup on June 28, which has helped. The team has, in the view offered here, held serve heading into its second-to-last game before the All-Star break on Saturday.
In Other News...
Guardians Suddenly Have A First Base Decision Fans Cant Ignore
Ralphy Velazquez keeps making the Guardians take notice, and the timing could hardly be better for a club still sorting out first base. The 21-year-old, drafted 23rd overall in 2023, has been productive across two minor league levels and is carrying an .876 OPS, a strong enough line to keep him in the conversation as the season moves toward its stretch run.
Velazquez has also reached base in 30 straight games for Columbus, a run that only adds to the pressure on the front office to decide whether the organization wants to lean into its own prospect or look outside for help. Cleveland has already been weighing first base as a spot that could use a boost, and the next few weeks may determine whether the answer comes from within the system or from a move at the deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Trade Deadline Focus May Be Bigger Than Fans Expected
The Guardians have steadied themselves with consecutive wins and are still very much in the AL Central race, but the trade deadline picture around them is starting to look broader than a simple bench tweak. With the offense short-handed and the lineup not getting enough from the first-base spot, the front office is being linked to a right-handed bat there, along with help on the pitching side as the club tries to keep pace in a tight division.
What makes this more interesting is how many different lanes Cleveland could explore if it decides to be aggressive. The injuries that have thinned out the offense have pushed the Guardians toward a search that could touch both the lineup and the staff, and the deadline conversation now sounds less like a luxury-shopping list and more like a response to how fragile the roster has become. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Fans Just Got Another Reason To Revisit The Bailey Trade
The Patrick Bailey deal is still one of those trades that looks a little different every time Cleveland checks back on it. The Guardians sent pitching prospect Matt Wilkinson and their Competitive Balance Round A draft pick to San Francisco to bring in Bailey, a move that was always going to be judged on whether the catcher could give the staff steadier work behind the plate.
So far, Bailey has done the part Cleveland needed most, giving the pitching staff a more dependable defensive presence while Wilkinson has kept moving through Double-A and Triple-A with uneven results. The draft pick the Giants received also adds another layer to the deal, since it turned into a high school left-hander in the first round, giving both sides something tangible to point to as the trade continues to age. [Read more 🡒]