We don't expect much from Carlos in the first month or even two. It would be nice that if changed but we Manzardo to play first and our big slugger Noel could be DH.
And sooner than later we'll have Kayfus up to share 1B/DH with Manzardo

Emmanuel Clase, a sore shoulder and a strange week for the Guardians’ non-closing closer PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: Emmanuel Clase #48 of the Cleveland Guardians reacts after a 3-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 19, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
By Zack Meisel

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April 27, 2025

CLEVELAND — Emmanuel Clase is the Guardians’ closer. He just doesn’t handle the ninth inning — for now. Maybe.

Confused? Let’s try to grasp a situation that has unfolded in puzzling fashion over the past week, one that culminated in Clase revealing he’s dealt with occasional shoulder soreness since spring training. More on that in a moment.

First, the well-documented struggles. They aren’t difficult to spot.

Clase in 2024: 74 1/3 innings, 39 hits, five earned runs
Clase in 2025: 11 1/3 innings, 20 hits, nine earned runs

His funk has not cost the Guardians any games. He has blown two save chances, but his team rallied to win both games.

His velocity hasn’t been a problem.

Clase’s cutter velocity, April 2025: 98.9 mph
Clase’s cutter velocity, April 2024: 98.5 mph
Clase’s cutter velocity, April 2023: 97.8 mph
Clase’s cutter velocity, April 2022: 99.4 mph

Manager Stephen Vogt and pitching coach Carl Willis have suggested Clase needs to mix in more sliders and be a bit more unpredictable with his usage and location. They’ve stressed the issue is command more than anything, as he has left too many cutters over the plate. The data supports that notion, as hitters are producing a higher exit velocity and hard-hit rate against Clase than they ever have.

All along, Clase’s coaches have supported him. Vogt has downplayed the struggles and offered votes of confidence when asked if he had considered stripping him of the closer role.

Still, the way in which this last week played out for Clase was … odd.

Clase worked in all three games in Pittsburgh last weekend. He needed nine pitches to secure the final out Friday. He shut down the Pirates on six pitches Saturday.

On Sunday, he squandered a three-run lead and exited after 30 pitches. An inept Pittsburgh lineup tagged him for four hits and a walk. After the outing, he mentioned to the team that his shoulder didn’t feel right, though that wouldn’t be made public for three days.

Clase was granted a day off Monday. There was no chance he would pitch for a fourth consecutive day, whether squaring off against a group of Capri Sun-guzzling T-ballers or against the mighty New York Yankees, who roughed him up during the ALCS in October.

Cade Smith sealed Cleveland’s win Monday with a strikeout of Aaron Judge. On Tuesday, Smith again handled the ninth inning of a close game, his fourth outing in five days.

After the game, Vogt said Clase had been given a second day of rest because of his weekend workload.

“We wanted to give him two days,” Vogt said. “The boys stepped up. That’s what good bullpens do. They pick each other up. This bullpen has been taxed early this year.”

Vogt was asked to clarify if Clase was healthy.

“Yeah,” Vogt said. “We wanted to give him two days after he went three in a row.”

Vogt was then asked: “So we shouldn’t read anything into this?”

“No,” he replied. “Not at all.”

Fair enough. Let’s move to Wednesday morning, ahead of the series finale against the Yankees. Vogt was asked for an update on Clase. After all, Smith was unavailable, given his recent use. Who would cover the ninth inning if the Guardians were in position for a sweep?

That’s when Vogt revealed that Clase was dealing with “shoulder discomfort,” stemming from the final game in Pittsburgh. Clase played catch Wednesday. He threw a bullpen session Thursday, the team’s off day. He played catch again Friday afternoon before the Guardians’ series opener against the Boston Red Sox was postponed because of rain.

On Saturday morning, Clase played catch in left field, with trainers monitoring his every move. Vogt said “concern” was too strong of a word to use when assessing Clase’s situation, and he doubled down on his role before the team’s doubleheader Saturday.

“We need to be thoughtful (since he hasn’t) pitched for a week,” Vogt said. “So, how we use him, we’re not sure yet. He is the closer, though.”

As Vogt described the coaches’ message to Clase, the plan was hatched “just to get you back on your feet” after five days of recovery. Clase later clarified he was informed he would pitch in either the seventh or eighth inning, and he said he welcomed the idea.

“I think it was a good way to get back to competition,” he said, via interpreter Agustín Rivero, “and not just get into the high-leverage situations just to get the sensation going.”

Clase retired Boston’s 6-7-8 hitters in order — with two strikeouts — to preserve Cleveland’s one-run lead in the eighth inning. His cutter averaged 98.8 mph, and the pitch induced three whiffs on five swings, which is an encouraging sign.

“It looked like Emmanuel Clase to me, didn’t it?” catcher Austin Hedges said.

It was Clase’s first hold since July 22, 2021, when he and James Karinchak were jockeying for the closer role. This was still a high-leverage situation, but a bit less intense than, say, a ninth-inning assignment against Jarren Duran and Rafael Devers.

Smith finished off the Red Sox in the ninth for his third save of the week. Vogt said he didn’t tell Smith he would pitch the ninth. (He didn’t tell him earlier in the week, either.) The manager explained that, while Smith’s recent experience closing games made him the favorite to do so again Saturday, certain scenarios could have led to them tasking Hunter Gaddis or Tim Herrin with the ninth.

In other words, when Clase isn’t closing, there isn’t an official No. 2 on the depth chart. To further the point, Vogt said between games Saturday that Clase “will be right back in the closer role.”

The question now, one that can only be answered by how Clase fares on the mound moving forward, is how much of his uncharacteristically mortal performance this season can be explained by his shoulder soreness.

As Clase revealed Saturday afternoon, it’s an issue that has popped up on occasion since spring training. It flared up during the team’s trip to San Diego at the start of April, “but it was something I was able to pitch through,” he said. He felt compelled to say something, though, after the nightmarish outing in Pittsburgh last Sunday. Clase said he felt he was back to 100 percent Friday, and that “the inflammation is gone.”

If so, and since Vogt contends he’ll return to his ninth-inning duties, perhaps this strange week will be long forgotten should Clase recapture the form that powered him to one of the top seasons by a reliever in league history in 2024.

Guardians Prospective
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Cleveland #Guardians transactions:

RHP Cody Bolton promoted from Columbus

LHP Joey Cantillo optioned to Columbus

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Guardians Prospective
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Think about all the talent the #Guardians can add to the roster the next 1-to-3 months or so....

All players currently on injured list:

RHP Shane Bieber
RHP Trevor Stephan
RHP Franco Aleman
RHP Slade Cecconi
RHP Andrew Walters
LHP John Means
LHP Erik Sabrowski

UTL David Fry
OF Lane Thomas
OF Chase DeLauter
OF George Valera
INF Juan Brito

Guardians Prospective
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Cleveland #Guardians transactions

LHP Joey Cantillo recalled from Columbus

RHP Vince Velasquez contract purchased from Columbus

RHP Paul Sewald placed on the 15-day IL (Right Shoulder Strain)

RH0 Shane Bieber transferred to the 60-day IL

RHP Cody Bolton optioned to Columbus

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Cleveland #Guardians transactions

RHP Matt Festa contract selected from Columbus

RHP Vince Velasquez designated for assignment

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1h
Nice to see Noel getting some more consistent playing time as he's starting again vs a RHP tonight. Still just 23yrs old needs the AB's. Tough task to ask him to platoon.

Guardians go 14-8 in grueling 22-game stretch: 5 key takeaways

Updated: May. 07, 2025, 8:55 p.m.|Published: May. 07, 2025, 8:30 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians just finished playing 22 games in 23 days. The stretch included a just completed six-game trip through Toronto and Washington, D.C., a 10-game homestand and a six-game trip to Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

They went 14-8 in those 22 games, including a 4-2 record against the Blue Jays and Nationals.

They have a well-deserved off day on Thursday before playing two National League heavyweights, the Phillies and Brewers, in a six-game homestand that starts Friday night at Progressive Field.

Here are five things we’ve learned about manager Stephen Vogt’s team during that 23-day stretch, paying special attention to the just completed six-game trip.

When you hit, you win

The Guardians hit .320 (16 for 50) with runners in scoring position against Toronto and Washington at Rogers Centre and Nationals Park, respectively. The average could have been higher, but they stranded 39 runners in the six games.

In a way that’s a good thing. It shows an offense that keeps creating opportunities for itself.

The handling of closer Emmanuel Clase

On April 20, a struggling Emmanuel Clase bottomed out. He couldn’t protect a 4-1 lead against the Pirates, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk in the ninth. The Guardians won the game, 5-4, in the 10th with Clase earning the win and a blown save.

It was the low point of a slow start for Cleveland’s franchise save leader, and the Guardians gave him a timeout. He didn’t pitch against the Yankees, who torched him in the postseason last year, to open the longest homestand of the season. They went to Cade Smith instead for consecutive saves on April 21 and 22.

They used him in a set-up role in the eighth inning in a 5-4 win over Boston in the first game of a doubleheader on April 26. By then it was revealed that Clase had been pitching with a sore right shoulder, an injury Clase said was no longer a problem.

Clase returned to the closer’s role for consecutive games against the Twins on April 29 and 30, earning a win and a save. On the just completed trip, Clase saved games on Saturday and Sunday in Toronto, and Wednesday against the Nationals.

On April 20, Clase’s ERA was 7.84. He’s trimmed it to 5.51 while saving four straight games. No doubt there will be more bumps in the road for Clase, but the Guardians have managed the current situation well.

What about the rest of the pen?

If last year’s heavy usage caught up with Clase, Smith may have shown the same signs against the Nationals.

In the first game of a doubleheader on Tuesday, the Guardians scored six runs in the seventh inning to overcome a 6-2 deficit and take a 8-6 lead. Smith started the seventh with a 1.07 ERA but allowed four runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning.

He threw 28 pitches, only half of them for strikes, in his worst outing of the season as the Nationals scored four runs to hang on for a 10-9 win.

In Wednesday’s 8-6 win by the Guards, Smith once again struggled in the seventh. It took him 16 pitches to record one out.

In another bullpen oddity on Wednesday, Hunter Gaddis, who almost always pitches in the eighth inning, relieved Tim Herrin in the sixth to get the final out of the inning. It was just the third time since the start of the 2024 season that Gaddis has appeared as early as the sixth inning. It’s unclear what it means, but Vogt is fond of saying, no one has a set role in the pen except Clase — and even, as we’ve seen, that isn’t written in stone.

Patience is a virtue

When Gabriel Arias was optioned to Triple-A Columbus on July 11 last year, fans didn’t start burning tires in the streets surrounding Progressive Field in protest. He was hitting .222 and in a 1 for 16 skid. The fact that he never returned to the big leagues as the Guardians won the AL Central and went to the postseason was not a surprise.

Arias, with all his versatility and arm strength, never really hit enough to call one position home after being acquired from San Diego in the Mike Clevinger deal in 2020. This spring, with no minor league options left, Arias had a decent camp and won the second base job. Under Vogt that simply meant he won a chance to play a different position every day, but it was a start.

What has happened since has been unexpected. Arias went 4 for 5 in Wednesday’s win, and that was not an outlier. Outside of Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez, he has been Cleveland’s most consistent hitter since opening day. He hit .429 (9 for 21) with five RBI on the trip and is hitting .287 (33 for 115) with four homers and 16 RBI overall.

Too many early exits

Guardians starters went 2-0 with a 4.91 ERA (16 earned runs in 29 1/3 innings) on their trip to Toronto and Washington, D.C. While the G’s went 4-2 overall, not one starter pitched six full innings.

The Guardians, to put it bluntly, need more innings from the rotation or they’re going to fry the bullpen by June.

Cleveland’s rotation has walked the most hitters in the American League, allowed the second highest batting average against, the third most runs and the fourth most hits. They rank eighth in innings pitched and have struck out only 161 batters, 11th in the league.

Some experts say the Guardians’ fast start is not sustainable with this kind of production from the rotation.

It would appear Shane Bieber and John Means, recovering from Tommy John surgery, can’t get here soon enough.

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Faith in Carlos Santana pays off with big results: Guardians breakfast today

Updated: May. 07, 2025, 3:07 p.m.|Published: May. 07, 2025, 8:44 a.m.

By Joe Noga, cleveland.com

WASHINGTON — Nights like Tuesday are one of the reasons why the Guardians brought veteran first baseman Carlos Santana back on a one-year contract in December.

After dropping a back-and-forth matchup with the Nationals in Game 1 of a doubleheader, they needed the steady voice of experience to earn a split in Game 2.

Enter Santana and his three-run laser into the Nats bullpen off starter Brad Lord in the sixth.

By the end of the game, Santana was batting .333 with two homers, seven RBI and eight walks to go along with a 1.008 OPS in his last 10 games. Manager Stephen Vogt said that production is something upon which the Guardians are depending.

“He’s somebody you’re going to trust,” Vogt said. ”He’s somebody you’re going to rely on. He’s been doing well.”

A notoriously slow starter in the early months each season, Santana has not been immune to rough stretches. He snapped an 0-for-25 skid with a base hit in a loss to Boston on April 27 and slugged just .295 in the first 29 games. But Vogt’s faith in the Gold Glove first baseman had him penciling Santana’s name in the lineup every day, regardless of what the numbers said.

He collected a season-high three hits in Tuesday’s opener, giving him eight multi-hit games in 34 starts. But Santana’s at-bat against Lord, who had held Cleveland to just two base runners through the first five innings of Game 2, was a perfect example of why he gets the call every day.

“Sixteen years in the big leagues,” Vogt said. “You’ve got to trust him. He can still hit. That was a great swing he put on a tough pitch.”

The Dominican native has appeared in all but two games so far this season and has made a difference in multiple areas, including with his glove at first and on the base paths. In the eighth inning, the 39 year old drew a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and took third on a fielder’s choice grounder by Nolan Jones. When Eduardo Salazar uncorked his second wild pitch of the inning, Santana trotted home to give Cleveland a six-run lead.

“The guy shows up every single day,” catcher Austin Hedges said. “He wants to play 162 and he’s absolutely locked in to do his job. We’re spoiled in Cleveland, just how he plays the game, and it rubs off on everybody else.”

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Ten early season MLB numbers that could be cause for alarm

Cleveland Guardians: Minus-23 run differential

Are the Guardians a good team right now? They’ve been outscored by 23 runs and their pitching staff has been all over this article, and not in a good way. They’re the only team in baseball that’s been outscored, is projected to be outscored and is also projected to finish over .500 by FanGraphs. That’s a little bit of a statistical trick because that site says Cleveland will end up 82-80, but still — the rest of these teams with bad run differentials are either just bad, or projected to be better. Not really true for the Guardians.

On the hitting side, José Ramírez has only been good, and should be better. Maybe Nolan Jones and Jhonkensy Noel can be better, but that’s only a maybe given their short major league track records. Even if a few of their pitchers are going to be better, this staff doesn’t have the makings of one that would make any positive bold predictions come true. They sit in between the White Sox, Nationals and Athletics when it comes to run differential. That’s not usually the mark of a contender.

Are warning signs emerging with Guardians’ pitching rotation?

Updated: May. 08, 2025, 3:02 p.m.|Published: May. 08, 2025, 11:57 a.m.

By Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians may have emerged from a brutal 22-game stretch with a winning 14-8 record, but beneath the surface, troubling signs are brewing with the starting rotation that could spell disaster in the coming weeks.

In the latest Cleveland Baseball Talk podcast, cleveland.com beat writer Paul Hoynes didn’t mince words when assessing the state of the Guardians’ starting pitching: “When you look at the big picture for this rotation, I think there’s some reason for concern.”

While the starters posted a respectable 2-0 record with a 4.91 ERA during the team’s recent 4-2 road trip through Toronto and Washington, the deeper statistics paint a much more concerning picture. Hoynes laid out the disturbing truth with startling clarity:

“Through the 37 games they’ve played, they have given up the most walks in the American League. They have the second highest batting average against in the AL. They’ve allowed the third most runs, they’ve allowed the fourth most hits. But when it comes to getting that big strikeout, they only rank 11th in the AL with 161 strikeouts.”

This statistical evidence reveals a rotation that’s living dangerously. The combination of allowing too many baserunners while failing to miss bats creates a precarious foundation that can quickly crumble, especially as the season progresses and fatigue becomes a factor.

Perhaps most concerning is the impact this could have on what has been, until recently, a reliable bullpen. As Hoynes pointedly warned, “They definitely have to get some more length out of this rotation. They’ve got to get more innings out of the rotation or they’re going to fry this bullpen.”

We’re already seeing early warning signs of bullpen fatigue. Typically reliable relievers like Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis have shown cracks recently, including in the Washington series. Even All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase has experienced his own struggles during this stretch of games, blowing save opportunities in ways that seemed unthinkable based on his dominating 2024 performance.

The podcast discussion highlighted that these bullpen inconsistencies directly stem from the rotation’s inability to work deep into games. When starters consistently fail to go at least five innings, it creates a cascading effect of overwork throughout the relief corps.

“Some of these games are going to be a little tighter,” Joe Noga noted on the podcast, “and they’re going to need that sort of lockdown feeling late in the game. You know, they take the lead in the seventh and then the bullpen doesn’t take their foot off of the other team’s throat. I think that’s a big area of concern right now.”

The pitching concerns stand in stark contrast to the team’s recent offensive explosions, where they’ve frequently erupted for big innings late in games against opposing bullpens. This pattern of late-game scoring has masked the rotation’s issues, but it’s not a sustainable model for long-term success.

With challenging series ahead against the Phillies and Brewers — two of the National League’s strongest teams — the Guardians’ pitching staff will face an immediate test that could expose these underlying concerns even further.

Want to hear more about the Guardians’ pitching concerns and what needs to change? Listen to the full Cleveland Baseball Talk podcast to get Paul Hoynes and Joe Noga’s complete breakdown of the team’s current pitching situation and what it means for their continued success in 2025.

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Podcast transcript

Joe Noga 0:04Welcome back to the Cleveland Baseball Talk podcast. I’m Joe Noga, joined by Paul Hoynes, Hoynesy. The Guardians take the series finale in Washington in a matinee affair, come back with a a big eight run rally and and pull ahead.When Mike Sirocco looked like he was sort of lights out the the Guardians get to him there in the 6th inning and you know, it becomes sort of a common theme. We’ll talk about their their offense in the beginnings. They’re able to put up, but it sort of just puts a bow on a 22.Game stretch for the for the Guardians, where they went 14 and eight and just a really tough stretch of games that they they come out with a winning record., You know what did you see that you liked from the the series in Washington and and in general with this.?This three-week stretch here.

Paul Hoynes 1:03Yeah, Joe really liked the way the offense came back. Obviously in in the 6th inning there they were down what, 3 nothing and came back, took an, you know, 8 to 3 lead. You think they’re going to blow it open?.And then, you know, the bullpen struggles a little bit in the 7th. It turns into a game again at 8 in eight to six, but they hang on for the win., And you’re right, Joe, 22 games in 23 days, 2 double headers. The competition they faced was was was decent, I mean.But.Baltimore, Pittsburgh, then that 10 game home stand in which they play the Yankees, Boston, the Twins, and then they go on the road to face a good Toronto team and a Washington team that can really hit. Thankfully, their bullpen isn’t as good.‘Cause that allowed the Guardians to come back a couple of times in that series.

Joe Noga 2:06Yeah, and and that was sort of the the the pattern there that they they fell into was, you know, not a lot of offense early in the game and then one big inning and then turn it over to the bullpen and and you sort of had to had to take the ride on the roller coaster with the bullpen throughout this past week.We can talk about the,. You know the are the numbers that the the pitching staff putting up, are they? They’re really hiding, you know, some sort of deeper issues there. But you know, I want to talk about during this, this most recent stretch just.You know, we knew that there weren’t going to be a lot of breaks, days off, but just the the way that these guys kept their energy up. And I think the second game of that double header on Tuesday night was sort of a prime example of that. Austin Hedges being a guy who, you know, came in.The way they lost the the opener on Tuesday after, you know, a big inning, they the the bullpen sort of faltered, gave the gave the lead back. They lose the game. You could have been down and deflated after that and gone out and gotten swept in the doubleheader,. But instead, Cleveland puts up a A.Huge offensive output. Daniel Schneemann with a home run. Carlos Santana with A3 run blast. We’ve seen Santana over the last week really sort of turn things on at the plate after a long stretch of, you know, going hitless.Just the resilience of this team when when you knew they sort of had to dig deep to to to find the energy to to come through with those last two wins, they certainly did that.

Paul Hoynes 3:49Yeah, Joe, and I like the way they put those big innings together. They did a little bit of just, you know, moving the chains, you know, passing the baton. For an example,? Yesterday with the 8 run, 6 inning, they sent 13 guys to the plate. They get six single six hits, only one of them for extra base hit.Draw some walks, steal a base. They just kept the kept the line moving. And in the second game of Tuesday’s double header, they scored three runs in the sixth, three runs in the eighth, two runs in, I mean three in the 7th, 2 in the 8th, one in the 9th. And like you said, they use power there, you know?.Santana, with the home run and then then, you know, Schneemann with the home run and then hedges. So you know they’re they’re doing it both ways, which, you know is the best of both worlds.

Joe Noga 4:34Daniel.Yeah, and and I think Stephen Vogt is also figuring some things out with with that lineup with some guys. It’s it’s always going to be interchangeable parts with him. But he put Daniel Schneeman in the two hole after a big weekend in Toronto and and he continued to produce. He’s he’s putting up good at bats.And, you know, drawing walks and and and also hitting for power that that emerging power that we’ve been talking about, which Neiman is important and it seems like 39 years old, you know, Carlos Santana continues to give you professional at bats at every opportunity.But you know, when they needed him in. In Tuesday’s nightcap, he comes through with a big three run Homer off Brad Lord, who hadn’t given up, you know, more than a base hit and a walk prior to that.

Paul Hoynes 5:36Yeah, and and yesterday he’s get what he gets a three run double with in the eight run in the eight run 6. So you know he’s he’s he’s kind of overcoming that April slow start and we’re starting to see the real Carlos Santana. Hopefully he keeps moving in the right direction.

Joe Noga 5:40Mhm.

Paul Hoynes 5:55You know,. If you look at his career, that’s the way it’s trended. And even at 39, Joe, he’s still,. He’s still proven. He’s a dangerous hitter.

Joe Noga 6:05Yeah, Stephen Vogt was talking about how it’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy sometimes with guys when they when they speak about, you know, oh, I don’t normally hit in April or something like that. You know, it’s well,. If you talk like that, then you start to not hit in April. Well, he said the narrative switched with with Carlos Santana and now now he’s talking.About sort of forgetting about the idea that, oh, I can’t hit in the the first month of the season and you know, you saw it in in Washington., He he really enjoys hitting in that in that park in the the three run double really just sort of flipped that game on its ear instantly to that.At that, point, Mike Soroka, had been, had been really dealing and and the Guardians took advantage. Jose Ramirez scoring all the way from first. I’m looking at him like, oh man, they’re going to hold him. You know, they want to be careful with his ankle, that kind of thing. He ran, he ran right through another helmet, you know, flying off his head.As as he scored the the tying run at that point. All right, so you know we talked about Daniel Schneeman there. Let’s let’s also give some credit to Gabriel Arias, 4 hit game, his first four hit game of his career yesterday.In the series finale, Gabriel Arias is starting to sort of pull ahead in that in the idea of who the the Guardians want to have there. As their shortstop, Brian Roccio sort of fading in that regard.

Paul Hoynes 7:38Yeah.Yeah, definitely. You know, Arias had just a great trip. Goes hits 429, 9 for 21 on on the six game swing through Toronto, and Washington. Meanwhile, Rochio, you know, went, you know, is really struggling. He took a I think he went over.16 Yeah, he went. He took it all for 16 on the trip, Joe. And just, you know, body, language wise does not look, you know, really confident, right, now. And you know he’s losing playing time. And you can, you know, you. And you can see the reason why defensively. I think he’s still.Feel good, but offensively they need a little more from him.

Joe Noga 8:22Yeah. And and and really that patience that the the Guardians have have really shown for the last several years with Arias in in bringing him along and giving him opportunities. It’s really sort of paying off, right now.

Paul Hoynes 8:35Yeah, Joe, when they sent him down last year in July, he was hitting 222. He’s in a,. You know, one for 16 slump. And you know,. I’m thinking, OK,. This guy’s gone. You know,. We have seen the last of Gabriel Arias,. You know, he was,? He would be out of options. This year.As he is, and he would have to make the ball club out of spring training, which he did. But I don’t think anyone could see the turnaround he’s had. Offensively. He’s, you know, really, really played well. He’s he’s hitting 287 overall, 4/4 home runs, 16 RBIs, you know this.This is the best we’ve seen him swing the bat since he came over in the in the Mike Clevenger trade from San Diego in 2020.

Joe Noga 9:24Does this have sort of a like a trickle down effect for the rest of the the infield, the options that that vote has? We’ve seen the combination of Arias and Daniel Schneeman there playing at second base a lot more and a lot more regularly to start games at least.You know, once you get into a game, Vogt has that tendency to move players around and and use a guy like Schneemann’s versatility. But in fact, I think in the the game where he hit the the the Grand Slam, the two home runs in Toronto, Schneemann played like 3 different positions in that game.But you know, having both of them in the lineup right now seems to be, you know, one of the things that’s sustaining this offense.Dating this offense.

Paul Hoynes 10:09Yeah, you know, Joe, definitely. And you know, I I hate to,. You can’t even really say what positions those two guys play. Because like you said, I mean one time, you know, Arias is starting at second base, the next game. He’s starting at third,. The next game, he’s starting at second base. And the same with Schneemann. Schneemann can end up in center field. He can play second base.He can play shortstop and you’re right,. They’re movable pieces on the board when the game starts, especially late in the game because they’re so versatile and they can play so many different positions. So I don’t know if you just, maybe we just call them starting utility players. I’m not sure where, where, where these guys line up on the board.

Joe Noga 10:48Yeah, or or just starters.? I mean that’s that’s sort of the thing. It’s like it it it’s almost like the NBA is is positionless basketball nowadays with the, the, the five guys on the floor. You know you you got to squeeze them into categories I guess.

Paul Hoynes 10:51Yeah, yeah.

Joe Noga 11:05But yeah, positionless baseball, there you go. And and I it sort of reminded me of the the beginning of the season last year with the way that he used David Fry, the way that Stephen Vogt used David Fry. And in so many different ways and the the flexibility that you had in a game where.I could start behind the plate, but then, you know, go somewhere in the field and then maybe even come back behind the plate at some point because the guys come off the bench and you move, move guys around. It’s one of the things that they’re lacking with him. Are, you know, rehabbing that elbow injury. But I I think that’s one of the ways that Steven Vogt is, is sort of.Really good at managing is when he has multiple position players that he can put at different spots all over the board.

Paul Hoynes 11:55Yeah, he loves to do that. The whole organization is built that way to instill versatility in the players. Really. You know, Jose Ramirez is kind of the outlier there. He he plays third base and only third base, and Stephen Kwan plays left field and only left Field,. But everybody else is.

Joe Noga 12:10OK.

Paul Hoynes 12:15Interchangeable. And you know that helps them stretch the, you know, the stretch the roster really. Instead of 26 man roster they’ve got, they figured, you know, figuratively. They’ve got like a twenty-eight or twenty-nine man roster.

Joe Noga 12:29Yeah, it’s real interesting to to see the way that they’ve sort of developed that this over the last two years. And when they’re healthy, everything’s, everything sort of falls into place that way. All right,. Let’s talk about this, this idea of these big innings that this offense has had the last couple of games.And really just the ability to sort of get things rolling, sort of turn on a diamond and do that. We’ve seen it that we’ve seen them do it with the long ball, Carlos Santana the other night against Brad Lord., We’ve seen them do it death by a 1,000,000 pin ******.With the singles and walks and and stolen bases, just, you know, what’s the is there a common theme? Is there a common pattern? Talking to Craig Albernas on Sunday,? You know he talks about how usually when Steven Vogt leads off with a a base hit or a walk.That’s a good start, he said. Kwan. Getting on base is usually a pretty good start, was was the quote from Craig Albert as So what happens after Kwan gets on base that that sort of sparks this magic for these guys?

Paul Hoynes 13:42Yeah, I think, you know, it’s just,. You know, the philosophy of not trying to do too much. You know, if you have to take a walk, take a walk,. Just get on base anywhere you can. Let the guy behind you handle his, do his job. And you know that when you and once you start having success in that.It just carries over. And Joe,. I think we’ve seen it this whole Rd. trip. You know, they did this late, especially late in the games after the 5th inning. You know what? They scored eight runs in the 6th inning, yesterday. They scored. What’s 6-8, nine, nine, all nine runs.Second.The game of the the doubleheader starting, starting in the 6th inning and and even in the the doubleheader loss that they in the in the game in game one, they scored six runs in the 7th inning, six of their nine runs. So you know, we’ve seen this time and time again, especially against.The Nationals in this series where they’ve, you know, they’ve,. They’ve been kind of stymied, late,. I mean, early, they haven’t scored much, and then they get that one big inning going and then they’re hard to stop.

Joe Noga 14:52Yeah. Could it be also an ability or a tendency to take advantage of another team’s bullpen as well?. I mean, we know that the Nationals didn’t necessarily have the strongest bullpen in the league. Toronto,. We saw them sort of take advantage late as well.Some relievers, just maybe there’s something to that, ability. Stephen Vogt said yesterday after the game. You know, when there’s blood in the water, we we sense it. You know when when they’re hurting or when they’re when there’s an ability to take advantage of the other team.You know, he said. We go, we we we sort of jump on that and go. I just, I think there’s there’s something to them being able to attack relievers more so than finding success against the starters in, in, in lately in some of these games.

Paul Hoynes 15:46Yeah, that’s really interesting because Vogt always says, you know, he builds a line up to beat the starter and they haven’t had a whole lot of success against starters, but they’ve they’ve, you know, that line up is is kind of, you know has had their way with when they get into the later innings against against the bullpen so.I’m not sure what’s at work there, but whatever it is, they hopefully they keep doing it because right now they’re a dangerous team, Joe. They they have, they’re, you know, I I was always worried. I’ve been worried about the offense, but certainly.You know, on this road trip,. They hit what, I think 320 with runners in scoring position in the six games. And you know you’re going to win a lot of games when you do that.

Joe Noga 16:35Yeah, that was the the sort of take away that that you wrote about was their ability to score late in games and and, you know, sort of carry that momentum. Those those vibes are really good. Once they get going. On the other side of that is the you know is is there.Is the starting rotation and the bullpen sort of masking things that are concerning to you right? Now?. The last time through the rotation, the record was pretty good. The team went five and one prior to yesterday’s game, and the ERA was like 1.87.I think that was heading into the the double header on Tuesday. Just you know that that looked really good, but there’s some underlying numbers that sort of maybe give you a pause for concern.

Paul Hoynes 17:24Yeah, Joe, on this, on this six-game trip, the starters went two and O, but their ERA was 4.91 and and the team obviously went four and two. But when you look at the big picture.At this rotation, I think there’s some reason for concern. You know, through, you know how many games they played? What, 30?.

Joe Noga 17:5337.

Paul Hoynes 17:5430 Yeah, through the through the 37 games they played, they have given up the most walks in the and, and this is the rotation. They’ve given up the most walks in the American League. They have the second highest batting average against.In the American League, they’ve they’ve allowed the third most runs, they’ve allowed the fourth most hits. But when it comes to striking out people get, you know, getting that big strike out the, you know, they they only rank 11th in the American League with 161 strikeouts.So I’m just thinking that they definitely have to get some more length out of this rotation. They’ve got to get more innings out of the rotation or they’re going to fry this bullpen, Joe. And I think we’re starting to see some signs of that we saw with Cade Smith against the Nationals.We’ve seen it a little bit with Hunter Gaddis., So you know, I I think and you know, obviously Emmanuel Class A went through his, you know, his downtime, you know, earlier in this, in this stretch of 2022 games. So you know, it’s a red flag to me.

Joe Noga 19:06Yeah, you’re not always going to have the the sort of comeback wins where you get those eight run innings and you’ve got a four run lead and you have the luxury of letting the bullpen, you know, play with a couple of runs there. Some of these games are going to be a little tighter and they’re going to need that sort of lockdown feeling.A late in the game, you know they take the lead in the 7th and then the the bullpen doesn’t. Doesn’t take their foot off of the other team’s, you know, throat., I think that’s it’s a it’s a big area of concern right now is is just the the the confidence level that the teams all vote the team is.Always going to say they’re, they’re confident in the guys that are coming in out of the bullpen, but at some point now it just feels like you’re on a little bit of a roller coaster. Over the last couple of weeks., A lot of that has to do with the the number of games they’ve played in a in a three-week span.But and the competition that they’re playing, but we’ll see how things, you know, change. They get home, they get a little bit of rest. And of course the Phillies, one of the better teams in the National League, is now coming in for a weekend series at Progressive Field.Field and that should be interesting., Uh.

Paul Hoynes 20:18Yeah, the Phillies are. Yeah, definitely, Joe. The Phillies and Milwaukee are coming in on the six-game home stand, and they’re two of the better teams in the National League. So Cleveland’s going to have its hands full.

Joe Noga 20:32Yeah, for sure. I wanted to mention before we we get going here. Chase de Lauder, the Guardians #2 ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline back on the field 7-8 weeks after sports hernia surgery. He is out playing in games in the Arizona Complex.League. It’s a more controlled environment. Before he, you know, takes a rehab assignment or any heads over to an affiliate. We’re figuring that he’s going to head to AAA Columbus when he’s ready, but that could be a few more weeks. He’s out there taking live batting practice.And working out with guys like Shane Bieber and Trevor Stefan, who are apparently, according to Mike Chernoff, Chase de Lauder, hit a couple of home runs in a live batting practice session against guys like Bieber and Stefan, who are rehabbing from elbow surgery.Wouldn’t say who he hit. The home runs off of, or how many,. But we know that he’s having success out there so far in his progression towards returning to minor league games, a possibility that he could be an option to come and help this team at some point late in the season.Bieber and Stephan, obviously, along with David Frye, making progress out there as well. And we found out that Tristan McKenzie, who’s on the development list for AAA Columbus, he is continuing to work out in the Arizona facility and he will be building up.To become, to come back and become an option as a starter after spending the first part of this season in the bullpen for Cleveland. So your thoughts on what’s going on out there in Arizona with the water and McKenzie and everybody out there.

Paul Hoynes 22:24I hope they wrapped the Lauder and Bubble wrap, Joe, after every at bat so he can stay healthy. This poor guy just can’t catch a break because when he’s on the field, he’s he’s a dynamic player. He’s really, really talented and he’s just has to stay healthy and hopefully he’s got all the injuries behind him.And he can, you know, progress through the Arizona Complex, League, get to AAA, have a good start. There, get his feet on the ground and then come up and help the Guardians.

Joe Noga 22:55That would be a tremendous addition in the outfield somewhere with Chase de Lauder. OK, Wayne, that’s going to wrap up today’s edition of the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast. We will check back in with you and preview the Philly series. Our old friend Kyle Schwarber, coming to town. Is that a possibility there?. We’ll see.As as we get into tomorrow, here on the podcast.

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Patience paying off: How the Guardians’ long-term faith in Gabriel Arias is finally being rewarded

Updated: May. 08, 2025, 2:53 p.m.|Published: May. 08, 2025, 12:05 p.m.

By Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians’ player development philosophy has always centered on patience and persistence. Few players embody the rewards of that approach more clearly right now than infielder Gabriel Arias, whose recent offensive explosion has transformed him from roster bubble candidate to lineup cornerstone.

In the latest Cleveland Baseball Talk podcast, beat writers Joe Noga and Paul Hoynes discussed how Arias has suddenly emerged as a leading option at shortstop, while his main competitor, Brayan Rocchio, is fading.

“Arias is starting to sort of pull ahead,” Noga observed, setting up the dramatic contrast between the two infielders’ recent performances.

The numbers tell a compelling story. During the Guardians’ recent six-game road trip through Toronto and Washington, Arias was simply scorching hot at the plate.

“He had just a great trip,” Hoynes detailed. “Hits .429, 9 for 21 on the six-game swing through Toronto and Washington. Meanwhile, Rocchio is really struggling. He took an 0 for 16 on the trip.”

What makes this emergence so remarkable is the context of Arias’ journey with the organization. After arriving as part of the Mike Clevinger trade with San Diego in 2020, Arias has experienced his share of struggles and setbacks. As recently as last July, his future with the club appeared to be in serious jeopardy.

“When they sent him down last year, he was hitting .222. He’s in a 1 for 16 slump,” Hoynes recalled. “I’m thinking, OK, this guy’s gone. We have seen the last of Gabriel Arias.”

The situation was particularly tenuous considering Arias would be out of minor league options for the 2025 season, meaning he would have to make the opening day roster or potentially be lost to another organization. Yet the Guardians’ unwavering commitment to his development is now paying dividends in ways few could have anticipated.

“That patience that the Guardians have really shown for the last several years with Arias in bringing him along and giving him opportunities, it’s really sort of paying off right now,” Noga emphasized.

The statistical improvement has been dramatic. After hitting just .222 when demoted last season, Arias has transformed into a legitimate offensive threat, capped by his first career four-hit game in the series finale against Washington.

“I don’t think anyone could see the turnaround he’s had offensively,” Hoynes admitted. “He’s really played well. He’s hitting .287 overall. Four home runs, 16 RBIs. This is the best we’ve seen him swing the bat.”

Beyond the personal milestone for Arias, his emergence alongside fellow infielder Daniel Schneemann has given manager Stephen Vogt remarkable flexibility with his lineup construction. Both players have demonstrated the ability to play multiple positions effectively, allowing Vogt to create matchup advantages throughout games.

“You can’t even really say what positions those two guys play,” Hoynes noted. “One time Areas is starting at second base. The next game he’s starting at third. The next game he’s starting at second base. And the same with Schneemann.”

This positional versatility has allowed the Guardians to effectively stretch their roster beyond the standard 26 players, giving Vogt tactical advantages that have contributed to the team’s recent success. It’s reminiscent of how David Fry was utilized early last season, creating what Noga described as “position-less baseball.”

For Arias personally, this breakout represents the culmination of years of development, adjustments, and the organization’s steadfast belief in his potential. For the Guardians collectively, it’s further validation of their player development philosophy — one that prioritizes patience and long-term vision over quick fixes and hasty judgments.

Want to hear more about Gabriel Arias’ emergence and what it means for the Guardians’ infield alignment going forward? Listen to the full Cleveland Baseball Talk podcast to get Paul Hoynes and Joe Noga’s complete analysis of the team’s infield situation and how it’s contributing to their early success in 2025.

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Neither Bibee nor Williams has pitched anything like a No. 1 starter. 5 back of the rotation starters.

Things may change if Bieber can return and be successful. Need a leader on that starting staff.

Absolutely