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The Cleveland Guardians fell short in the postseason in 2026, as they were defeated by the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Championship Series. While Cleveland’s underwhelming offense could use some help, the starting pitching also has questions of its own. According to Zack Meisel of The Athletic, the Guardians are “intent” on bringing in more starting pitching this offseason.
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MLB free agency could be a path to accomplishing the goal. Trades are also in the conversation. While the Guards surely won’t go and sign Tarik Skubal, or likely even Freddy Peralta, adding one or two veteran reliable hurlers to give the rotation more certainty beyond Parker Messick and Gavin Williams is realistic.
Messick finished second in American League Rookie of the Year voting, and he’s also an AL Cy Young finalist. One could argue Messick should have won the AL Rookie of the Year. Meanwhile, Williams had a strong regular season but was dominant at times in the postseason. The two pitchers represent a stellar front of the rotation duo.
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The rest of the starting rotation has questions, however. Foster Griffin is now a free agent. The Guardians didn’t trust Tanner Bibee in the postseason. Joey Cantillo features potential but was inconsistent at times this past season.
The Guardians “pitching factory” may very well develop another star or two sooner rather than later. Nevertheless, adding one or two proven veteran hurlers will prove to be crucial come the 2027 postseason. If they had one more reliable starter this past postseason, their ALCS performance could have looked quite different.
