The way the Cleveland Guardians handled Tanner Bibee’s postseason workload was among the most divisive topics on the team. Some fans and members of the media believe that it was an unfair way to treat one of the most reliable pitchers of the past four campaigns, while others think that it was all done for competitive and sporting reasons.
Bibee, who ranked first on the Guardians during the regular season with 188 frames, was limited to just one game in October, an appearance in the AL Division Series against the Chicago White Sox, in which he lost the zone and could only record one out, giving up two runs.
Former Guardians pitcher and current analyst Jensen Lewis didn’t hold back and said the organization disrespected the right-hander with the extremely limited usage and lack of trust. He even compared it to the Cliff Lee situation in 2007, when he was bypassed in the playoffs and returned in 2008 to win the AL Cy Young Award with 22 wins.
“I almost feel like Tanner Bibee is in that Cliff Lee mode. He got disrespected by the organization in the postseason and that happened to Cliff Lee in 2007,” Lewis said.
While it’s certainly unsettling that the pitcher who racked up the most innings on the team was a non-factor in October, there were reasons behind that decision. Bibee had a rough second half with an ERA over 5.00, for starters, and watched his ERA and home run tally increase for the fourth consecutive year.
The righty finished the regular season with a 4.36 ERA and 29 home runs allowed. His lack of usage in the playoffs stems from the lack of trust in his ability to keep the ball in the park and keep innings from unraveling.
People say that the regular season and the postseason are two different animals, and they might have a point. Bibee’s main traits, durability and the ability to eat innings, are not necessarily the ones that give teams the edge when the lights are brightest.
The organization recognized this and limited his exposure in October. Manager Stephen Vogt did say that there was a plan to use Bibee more in the World Series had the Guardians made it that far, but they didn’t. We will never know if it was true.
Several voices in Cleveland, from executives to the media, are on the record saying that they expect Bibee to come back stronger than ever in 2027. Will all parties be willing to leave behind the 2026 postseason and everything that happened?
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