The Cleveland Guardians used to have the most reliable closer in the entire league.
We’re talking about someone who allowed a grand total of five earned runs in 74 appearances last season.
Unfortunately, Emmanuel Clase hasn’t been anywhere close to that player this season.
With that in mind, sports analyst Jay Crawford believes that the coaching staff needs to have a heart-to-heart talk with him.
Talking on the “Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show,” Crawford argued that they needed to reaffirm their confidence in him while also making sure to work on fixing what needs to be fixed right now:
“If I’m the Guardians, I’m going to try and save him from himself and pull him out of that scenario,” Crawford said. “Sit him down and have a talk with him and say, ‘Look, we have not lost confidence in Emmnuel Clase the pitcher. It’s clear that there are some things right now that you need to work on.'”
Emmanuel Clase has not been suitable for the #Guardians so far this season, and @JaycrawfordCLE, they (the Guardians) may have to save him from himself. https://t.co/2PshH4I9wy pic.twitter.com/VwQWIt2p9C
— Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show (@ultCLEsports) April 14, 2025
Clase closed out his outstanding season on a terrible note.
He couldn’t figure things out against the New York Yankees in the ALCS, and it seems like he has yet to snap out of that slump.
The talent is most definitely there, and his velocity has been pretty much the same this season, so perhaps it’s a matter of control and focus.
The 27-year-old is used to being the team’s go-to guy, and he usually deals with that responsibility and pressure in the best way.
The Guardians need to allow him to get his groove back, even if that means blowing a couple of games here and there.
Nevertheless, they also need to make sure to address whatever’s bothering him sooner rather than later.
They also brought in Paul Sewald to the mix in the offseason, and he has some experience as a closer, so perhaps they will have to give him a look if Clase doesn’t figure things out in the next couple of weeks.
NEXT: Analyst Reveals Alarming Concern About Emmanuel Clase
