The Cleveland Guardians have lost six of their last eight games and allowed the Chicago White Sox to tie them at the top of the AL Central division. It’s safe to say that times are not particularly fun these days.
Naturally, fans have complained about numerous topics surrounding the Guardians and their 2026 campaign: Steven Kwan’s presence on the team even during an ugly slump, the overall state of the offense, the fact that the team didn’t really spend any money in the offseason, and so on.
As a former player, Carlos Baerga has taken the players’ and the organization’s side, and wasn’t afraid to hit back at those who are criticizing the team.
“There are questions from people, writing down on texts. For the people who have been talking, nobody puts that uniform just to play around. You need to put the numbers to get a contract. If you don’t know the game, don’t be talking about, ‘This guy is lazy. He doesn’t want to play, or something like that.’ If you don’t play the game, shut up,” Baerga said.
"If you don't play the game, shut up!" #GuardsBall@baerga99 delivers a fired-up rant about people accusing the Guardians of being lazy or not playing hard.https://t.co/sj2CvApXQc pic.twitter.com/gcVLbPr4mi
— The Daily Guards (@DailyGuards) June 18, 2026
The first thing that comes to mind is that everyone has a right to have an opinion about something, especially if they make it part of their everyday life and invest time and energy into it. For true fans, the Guardians are more than just a baseball team, and they should have the right to criticize as long as it’s done in a respectful way.
That ‘if you don’t play the game, shut up’ line is particularly distasteful, as fans have every right to criticize and debate things they don’t like about the team.
Secondly, Baerga does have a point when he says that nobody puts on the uniform to play around. Players, especially major leaguers, are trying hard every day, and some fans are extremely harsh on some of them. These are all human beings trying to make their living and fulfill their dream of making it to the majors and staying there.
If everybody has some empathy, the situation would be a lot smoother. In the end, trusting that the Guardians are making the right decisions most of the time would not be a bad idea. They will make mistakes because nobody is perfect, but the organization has a long track record of doing lots of things right with little resources.
NEXT: Carlos Baerga Still Believes Guardians Veteran Is Key To Team's Success
