So, let's recap. In the last month, the Guardians have lost both long reliever and starter Luis Ortiz and all-star closer Emmanuel Clase for an indefinite period of time due to collusion with sports betting. Both relievers were documented leaning way into pitch-by-pitch balls and strike bets, to the point where it went beyond a reasonable doubt that they were intentionally throwing first pitch balls and whatnot. Both pitchers are likely done for the year, and possibly even done period. And now the Guards kinda have to...go on with this season without something like this hanging over their heads. Which should be fun.
The problem with a team like the Guardians having a scandal like this is that there's not a terrible amount to this Guardians team. Management gave up on the contact-ball thing after it...almost got them to a World Series last year [this is why we need a salary floor], traded a bunch of the people responsible then traded even more this year, despite the fact that they have a nonzero chance of sneaking into the playoff picture anyway on the strength of Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez alone. The pitching, which once made this team what it was, is glum as ever. Gavin Williams has had some nice start recently, and somehow Slade Cecconi has become a fixture in Cleveland, with a 3.77 ERA and a 5-4 record since coming to town. But there's enough sheer mediocrity in this rotation that you really can't take it seriously anymore.
Without Emmanuel Clase in the ninth, they've given the closing job to Cade Smith, which is another case of just letting the RP1 have it that...I guess is going fine? He's got an ERA around 3, and a full-on 0 WAR. Smith has blown games a number of time, despite those 68 Ks. But like, he's kinda all they've got. Almost as if the only true closer on the staff getting in on prop bets sort of takes away from the team unity. How do you come together when your closer's thinking more about a bunch of gambling addicts than about making the World Series?
And there's clearly a larger conversation to be had about the standard we hold players to on betting when most MLB broadcasts literally advertise sports betting apps multiple times throughout a game. Again, this is because the commissioner thinks the game is a product rather than a game, and if this is making people watch more baseball then he should profit off it. That is very screwed up. It sucks that just watching a ballgame for the hell of it seems to be the minority approach. It's like how card collecting is all about resale value rather than just collecting.
But the commissioner probably thinks that without the help of sports betting, there is no reason for a casual fan to watch a Cleveland Guardians game. Which is a very jaded, cynical view of a game that Rob Manfred is ultimately supposed to be the spokesman for. You're supposed to believe him when he says that baseball is America's sport, but you can't really believe most CEOs anyway. Baseball can't be looked at like any other product, because if you have to look at this game with anything else other than face value or innocence, then you've lost sight of what makes it great.
I don't know if the Guardians are a playoff team this year. I don't think Rob Manfred cares. Just like if somebody else gets busted for colluding with bettors. There isn't gonna be a watershed moment for Manfred. He's just gonna need to step down and hopefully the game will improve from there. Hopefully it doesn't take another lockout for that to happen.
Coming Tomorrow- His team just got a bunch of new bats, so the pressure's kind of off a bit.
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