The Cleveland Guardians sacrificed a lot of resources to bring in Luis L. Ortiz from the Pittsburgh Pirates via trade.
They initially flipped Andres Gimenez and Nick Sandlin to Toronto for infielder Spencer Horwitz and a minor league outfielder, then swapped Horwitz to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Ortiz and two pitching prospects.
Ortiz had a mediocre spring and while he has shown flashes with Cleveland, he now boasts a 5.30 ERA in the young 2025 campaign.
Patience is a virtue that the Guardians are familiar with, but it’s not endless, nor should it be.
So, sports analyst Bruce Drennan, with Ortiz in mind, asked fans a fair question.
“Bruce is asking YOU. How much longer can we be patient with #Guardians starter Luis Ortiz? #GuardBall “His ERA has climbed to a 5.30. How much longer can we be patient with him?” he posted on X.
Bruce is asking YOU. How much loger can we be patient with #Guardians starter Luis Ortiz? #GuardBall
"His ERA has climbed to a 5.30. How much longer can we be patient with him?" pic.twitter.com/F3YPbaHd2p
— Bruce Drennan Show (@Bruce_Drennan) May 8, 2025
It’s definitely a pertinent question.
Ortiz has alternated solid starts with some real clunkers, but there are some positive signs.
For starters, his Fielding Independent Pitching, or FIP (a run prevention metric that takes defense from the equation and evaluates things that the pitcher can control, such as walks and homers) is a much better 4.22.
He is throwing harder, using the upper part of the zone, and striking out more hitters than ever before.
His 24.2 percent strikeout rate is rock-solid, even if his 11.5 percent walk rate is a tad high.
In other words, everything will likely depend on his command and control.
If he takes a step forward with those, his ERA could start dropping in a hurry.
It’s a big if, though, so he needs to work and let his talent do the talking.
The Guardians will likely have a long leash because they sacrificed a former building block to get him, but they want to see results.
NEXT: Guardians Notch Impressive Season-High On Wednesday
