The Cleveland Guardians have to move on from Emmanuel Clase. With his indictment for alleged involvement in a sports gambling scheme, he’s not likely to ever play another MLB game.
That might not be the disaster it initially seemed to be for the Guardians, all things considered. According to insider Paul Hoynes, they were already more than willing to part with the closer.
Unfortunately, the timing of the accusations created a missed opportunity at the trade deadline.
“The Guardians, from everything I heard, they really wanted to trade this guy at the deadline. And if you saw what closers were going for at the deadline to contenders, I mean, they could have made a great haul for Clase,” Hoynes said.
The rumors surrounding Clase’s future with the organization have been ongoing for a while. As great a pitcher as he was, he wasn’t as sharp to start the season, and though his contract was reasonable, he was also arguably the team’s most valuable trade chip.
More than that, manager Stephen Vogt seemed to have the utmost confidence in Cade Smith, and rightfully so. He didn’t openly commit to the reliever right after Clase was placed on leave, but it didn’t take long before Smith established himself as the new closer.
He now seems to be locked in at that position. He was instrumental in helping the team complete their late-season comeback and make the playoffs.
Ideally, the Guardians would have developed Smith while also getting something back in a trade for Clase. Instead, they had to keep paying his salary while he was being investigated.
It’s a shame to watch a player like Clase possibly lose his career and his freedom, especially over something like this.
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