While the Guardians season may be done for 2024, that doesn’t mean the work has stopped – and the team said as much in the locker room following their ALCS Game 5 loss to the Yankees. So even though the loss stings and it’s heartbreaking to not see Cleveland contending for a World Series, there’s a lot to be excited about surrounding this team. But since there’s still work to do, I’ve decided to dole out homework assignments this off-season, because you can’t pass a test if you don’t complete your assignments.
The Rotation – Find an ace. It’s much easier said than done, but one thing about the Guardians that got exposed this post season is how hard it is to win games when you only have one or two starting pitchers that can face top line ups. That doesn’t necessarily mean they need to go outside of the organization. Shane Bieber can absolutely be that guy to lead the rotation, followed by Tanner Bibee and Matthew Boyd.
But if it’s not him, then the team needs to find one. And speaking of Shane Bieber: get healthy. Bibee did an incredible job stepping up as the team’s ace in Bieber’s absence, but his presence was missed in the post season where pitching can make or break a team. And the same sentiment goes for Triston McKenzie, who struggled mightily in the early part of the season before being sent down to Columbus. Whether it’s getting surgery or just extensive training, having McKenzie at his best would do wonders for the team’s starting five. Even though the Guardians have the best bullpen in baseball, they’re still human and were overextended and tired throughout the playoff run.
The Bullpen – The biggest assignment goes to Emmanuel Clase, and that’s stay off the internet, stay off social media, and take some time to regroup mentally. The closer was an invaluable part of the team’s success in the regular season and an integral part in helping them not only get to the playoffs, but win their series against the Tigers. His confidence seemed to be shaken after the Yankees lineup figured him out, but Clase just needs to remember people call him the best in the world for a reason. There isn’t much of an assignment for the rest of the bullpen because they were truly the backbone of the team this entire season – but for them, the only thing to assign to them is to continue building off of the foundation they set in 2024.
The Lineup – The Guardians’ offense is missing three key things. Power. Production. Patience. They do an excellent job with small ball, which is great for the regular season but it’s not something that’s going to get them very far in the post season. They need a power hitter for starters, and that could be someone like Jhonkensy Noel or even Kyle Manzardo, but they need to figure out who their bruiser is going to be and then work on getting long balls consistency. As far as production, the middle of the lineup can’t be automatic outs. They need to find ways to get on base – whether it’s putting the ball in play or taking walks – they can’t be swinging for the fences on every questionable pitch. Stephen Vogt preached aggressiveness at the plate all season, which worked…until it didn’t. There’s nothing wrong with being aggressive at the plate as long as the lineup is being smart about the pitches they’re swinging at. Be patient. Have power. Get production.
The Manager – Stephen Vogt did a lot of incredible things in hist first year as the Guardians’ manager, but he also made a lot of mistakes. So for Vogt, your homework assignment is to learn from your mistakes. Whether it was over managing, over working the bullpen, or just putting too much pressure on young players before they were ready – Vogt now has a better idea of what his players are capable of, and is in a much better position to set his players up for even more success next year. Instead of looking at tape of his guys, he needs to look at tape of himself to learn what he can do better next year. Also – don’t be afraid to make hard decisions. There were so many moments in both the regular seIason and the post season where it seemed like Vogt didn’t want to make the call to pull someone from the lineup or to intentionally walk a batter. Aaron Boone certainly wasn’t afraid to make the call to walk Jose Ramirez every single time he came to the plate in a high-leverage situation. Walking a power hitter isn’t a signal that you don’t trust your pitcher, it just means they can be put in a better situation to get out of an inning without giving up runs.
The Fans – It should go without saying but I’m going to say it anyway. Do not give up on this team. Give them all the love and support they deserve, because they gave the city one of the most exciting summers full of baseball this city has seen in a while. They are so easy to root for both on and off the field. They love each other, they love you, and you should love them back. Even though they didn’t reach the ultimate goal this year, they’re not that far away from it and they feed off of your energy. Give them everything you’ve got, because they’ll return it in kind.
The Front Office – Don’t be afraid to spend a few more dollars. There are a few key pieces that can be added to this team and the only way to bring them in is to pay them.
Build on what you have. The core foundation of this team is solid and built for success right now, so if you want to build a championship keep that core together. This team isn’t broken, so it doesn’t need fixing. It just needs enhancing.