2 Guardians Prospects That Could Be Called Up Soon

MLB rosters will expand from 26 to 28 players on Tuesday. That means the Cleveland Guardians will have the chance to add a couple more pieces to the puzzle as they push to secure a postseason spot.

These two pitchers have racked up some innings in the majors this year, but they are still technically prospects. Both of them stand a good chance of being called up soon, either on Tuesday or at a later date if there’s a need:

Franco Aleman

Aleman is currently ranked as the Guardians’ 27th-best prospect. The 26-year-old has been absolutely lights out in 31.2 innings in Triple-A Columbus, posting a 1.14 ERA and 47 punchouts.

He has tossed 18.2 innings in the majors, too, and has posted a solid 3.38 ERA. The Guardians’ bullpen is usually a good, deep unit, so he has been the odd man out in a roster crunch on more than one occasion, even though he has pitched well enough to be in the MLB picture.

The Guardians might very well go with one hitter and one pitcher when rosters expand, but they could also go with two arms to shore up the bullpen ahead of a key stretch of games. In any case, Aleman is a name that makes sense to have around: his high-octane fastball and wipeout slider represent a traditional power reliever skill set and help him dominate most nights.

He is prone to losing the plate for stretches, but Aleman boasts some of the highest potential in the organization.

Daniel Espino

Speaking of potential, it’s hard to ignore the talent on Daniel Espino’s right arm. The former top prospect has made a successful transition to the bullpen and could be a lockdown closer at some point later down the road.

For now, he is still learning and developing after such a long injury layoff. In six MLB innings this year, he has a 4.50 ERA, four walks, and 18 strikeouts.

An incredible fastball headlines his repertoire, and even though command is still coming around and can punish him on occasion, the heater and his excellent secondaries help him out of jams.

Espino has a 3.79 ERA in Triple-A, with 48 strikeouts in 35.2 frames. The talent and the opportunity are there for him to claim a role in the back of the Guardians’ bullpen, if given the chance, of course.