CLEVELAND — Two years ago, Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie anchored Cleveland’s playoff rotation. Emmanuel Clase, James Karinchak and Trevor Stephan covered the late innings.
Those five were expected to play significant roles again in 2024. Aside from Clase, who set Cleveland’s single-season saves record, the other four combined for 18 big-league appearances this year. Bieber, Karinchak and Stephan spent the season rehabbing injuries. McKenzie spent much of the season at Triple A.
And so, the pitchers carrying the club in October might not be the pitchers you anticipated when you concocted your wildest Guardians playoff fantasies in the spring. You probably didn’t dream of Hunter Gaddis and Tim Herrin jogging to the mound for a high-leverage situation on a nationally televised game that determines whether the team survives another day in the postseason.
But here we are, a little more than a week away from the start of Cleveland’s 2024 playoff opener. And that means we have a little more than a week to debate which 26 players the club should stick on its playoff roster.
Position players
The locks
Catchers: Bo Naylor, Austin Hedges
David Fry’s inability to catch because of a lingering elbow injury hamstrung the club in the second half. He did catch some bullpen sessions recently, but manager Stephen Vogt didn’t sound optimistic that anything would change with Fry’s defensive status. So, that leaves Naylor and Hedges as the catchers. Since Fry left the catching mix in late June, Naylor has started about two-thirds of the games behind the plate (57 starts compared to 26 for Hedges).
Infielders: José Ramírez, Andrés Giménez, Brayan Rocchio, Josh Naylor, David Fry, Kyle Manzardo
Outfielders: Steven Kwan, Lane Thomas, Will Brennan
This is pretty straightforward. Everyone here is a member of the starting lineup, with Fry and Manzardo splitting designated hitter duties. Manzardo’s emergence has been one of the most encouraging September storylines for the Guardians. (Thomas’ late-season surge, too.)
That leaves room for two or three bench bats.
The candidates
Angel Martínez, Daniel Schneemann, Tyler Freeman, Myles Straw, Jhonkensy Noel
The Guardians optioned Straw to Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday to clear a spot for Kwan, though Vogt did acknowledge that Straw would be eligible to return for the ALDS, since there are 10 days between his demotion and Game 1. Straw spent the year at Triple A, came up for a week, participated in two champagne celebrations, then disappeared again.
“We really value what Myles brings,” Vogt said, “and all of our options are still open.”
The guess here would be Noel pairs with Brennan and Schneemann fills the utility role, since Martínez has not played shortstop in the big leagues. Noel has had a miserable September, but a power bat could pay dividends in October. Then, they’d presumably choose between Straw, Martínez or an extra pitcher. Given the abundance of off-days leading into and during the ALDS, the Guardians can probably afford to carry an extra position player for the first round.
Pitchers
The locks
Starters: Tanner Bibee, Matthew Boyd
Relievers: Emmanuel Clase, Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin, Eli Morgan
Who had Boyd being the club’s No. 2 playoff starter back in March … or even July? It says a lot about his seamless return from Tommy John surgery and, well, about the ever-chaotic state of the team’s rotation in 2024.
This is all pretty convoluted, though. The Guardians could carry 12 or 13 pitchers. Bibee and Boyd have wrapped up starting spots. The way off-days are lined up, they only need three starting pitchers for the ALDS. (And that’s assuming that they steer clear of a bullpen-day approach. There’s no way they’d deploy that in the postseason, right? Right?)
Beyond Bibee, Boyd and the cadre of dominant relievers, there are a million ways they could arrange this. Oh, and be honest: Did you know Morgan has a 1.52 ERA this season?
The candidates
Starters: Alex Cobb, Gavin Williams, Ben Lively, Joey Cantillo
Relievers: Nick Sandlin, Pedro Avila, Eric Sabrowski
There are essentially 14 pitchers for either 12 or 13 spots.
Let’s start with the rotation. Bibee and Boyd will throw simulated games until the ALDS. They will not face the Astros this weekend. The Astros are lined up to potentially face the Guardians in the ALDS. Vogt wouldn’t answer directly about whether they’re trying to keep Houston’s hitters from seeing the starters, but hinted that it’s something they’ve discussed.
Cobb hasn’t pitched since Sept. 1 because of a blister, and has only made three starts since Cleveland acquired him at the trade deadline. Vogt said Cobb should soon be able to throw a simulated game. Is that enough to convince them to start him in an ALDS game?
There are other options, in Williams, Lively and Cantillo. All three will pitch in the Houston series, though Williams (and possibly Cantillo) won’t start. The Guardians want to try out Williams in relief, in case that’s his assignment in October. He’ll make the roster in some capacity.
As for the relievers, Sandlin has allowed multiple baserunners in 11 of his last 20 outings, but Vogt regularly praises him for his contributions to the bullpen this season. He’s a safe bet to make the roster. The manager has also lauded Avila’s multi-inning efforts; it’d be surprising if he were omitted.
Sabrowski has yet to allow a run in 11 1/3 innings since his promotion to the majors. Walters has yet to allow a hit in 7 2/3 innings since his promotion to the majors. He’s one of three pitchers in league history to start their career with eight consecutive hitless outings, along with the Giants’ Jonathan Sanchez in 2006 and the Twins’ Garry Roggenburk in 1963. If both Walters and Sabrowski make it, that would leave one spot, at most, for whoever is squeezed out of the rotation (Cobb, Lively, Cantillo).
The approach to roster construction would likely change if the club advances to the ALCS, in which only two off-days split up the seven-game series, including three consecutive games in the middle. Then, the Guardians would need a fourth starter.
(Top photo of Lane Thomas: Jason Miller / Getty Images)
