Alright. So. Rumors of the Guardians' ascent have been greatly exaggerated. I don't think this team has what it takes to be the spoiler in the AL Central anymore, they've had a very unlucky few weeks. But at the same time...look at what Emmanuel Clase is doing and tell me they have no shot.
The Guardians have a lot of heroes this year, and have gotten great seasons out of Jose Ramirez, Andres Gimenez, Shane Bieber and Amed Rosario, but perhaps the most promising great year has been coming from closer Emmanuel Clase, who the team got in exchange for Corey Kluber a few years ago. I saw his 2021 numbers and was intrigued, though as Clase and James Karinchak went back and forth as closer, I worried that Clase didn't have what it took to carry the ninth alone. This year there has been no Karinchak, at least not until recently, and Clase has had no real rivals in the ninth. As a result, Clase has 20 saves, a 1.34 ERA and a 1.9 WAR. He's still chasing his 2021 final numbers, but he's looking really good so far, and he's already got an ASG nod under his belt.
I think what makes Clase so valuable to the Guardians is that they're such a middle of the road team, and that sometimes somebody like Clase is the make-or-break guy for them. It's why a lot of the best closers this year have come from teams like the Padres, Braves and Blue Jays, lots of second or third place teams who need a strong closer to get them out of tight spots more than first place teams that are prone to more blowout victories. Clase guarantees them the ninth, there's four starters that guarantee them 6 or so solid innings, and four or five lineup guys that can deliver every night. It's the areas beyond that which sink this team more often than not. The Guardians are a good team, they are not a complete team, and having to hope that their fifth starter, who is currently Kirk McCarty, or any of their catchers get it right when the game's on the line is...not the best place to be in.
Clase is also at the head of a Guardians bullpen that isn't as composed as it usually is. These bullpens have the tradition of guys like Dan Otero, Bryan Shaw, Oliver Perez, Nick Wittgren and Andrew Miller. Now only Shaw remains, and he's not doing too great. What's funny is that a lot of the guys that are working bullpen innings this year, like Nick Sandlin, Eli Morgan, Sam Hentges and Enyel de los Santos, are all former starters just trying to stay in the league. And while it is possible to convert starters into great relievers [Perez and Miller alone], there's a surprising lack of true relief specialists on this team. Maybe one will come by at the deadline, but it's really just Clase, and that's only so comforting.
While I do think Clase will finish the season strong and prove to the club that he's worth keeping, I'm still not convinced that the Guardians can continue to be players in the wild card race. The White Sox have more assets and could get hot. The Guardians have to figure out what they're missing and stop them.
Coming Tomorrow- One of the all-time greats, getting in his last reps.
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