Guardians Might Have Pitching Depth Problem to Address

The Cleveland Guardians’ success over the last decade has rested on its pitching staff. Whether it’s been a lockdown starting rotation or a lights-out bullpen, the pitching has carried Cleveland to the playoffs and through October.

That reality held true in 2026. However, as the Guardians head into the offseason, they face an interesting dilemma: Cleveland might have a depth issue in the rotation.

Now, there are two ways to look at this predicament.

Do the Guardians have enough arms to help them get through a 162-game season? The answer is an easy yes.

The pitchers who made starts for Cleveland last season included Gavin Williams, Parker Messick, Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo, Slade Cecconi, Foster Griffin, and Logan Allen. The team also has prospects Austin Peterson, Yorman Gomez, and Justin Campbell.

This group was more than solid, too. Cleveland’s starter ERA of 3.93 ranked ninth, and its 1.27 WHIP ranked 12th in MLB; Griffin is the only pending free agent.

So, what’s the problem, then?

Well, Cleveland apparently lacks another trusted, postseason-caliber starting pitcher on its roster.

The Guardians’ actions spoke louder than any of Stephen Vogt’s words during October.

Out of the 11 playoff games Cleveland played between the ALDS and ALCS, Messick (four) and Williams (three) started seven of them. The next pitcher with the most amount of starts was Shawn Armstrong, who opened two games.

Griffin was responsible for the other start, but looked much stronger taking on the bulk innings behind an opener. It was a similar case for Cantillo and Cecconi, who pitched in a multi-inning relief role out of the bullpen throughout the playoffs.

The biggest question mark with this group was Bibee’s limited postseason usage. Cleveland’s Opening Day starter at the end of March only pitched a third of an inning in the playoffs.

Ideally, the pitcher to whom the Guardians gave a contract extension ahead of the 2025 season would have filled out the playoff rotation. For whatever reason, that never happened for Bibee.

Vogt insists that Bibee will still be a big piece of the 2027 rotation, though and perhaps he will get back to being the reliable arm the team feels comfortable handing the ball to in the postseason.

However, there are never any guarantees in baseball.

If Cleveland’s offense is still going to be hot and cold, the front office must figure out a way to either help one of the pitchers already in the organization become that third starter in a playoff rotation, or sign/trade for a pitcher who can fill that role.

The Guardians learned during their past playoff run that you need more than two go-to starters in the postseason, no matter how good they might be.