Cleveland Guardians starter Triston McKenzie remains a key piece in the 2025 puzzle for the team.
He holds the key to increasing the organization’s ceiling: the Guards showed this year that they can go far without McKenzie.
However, at the same time, the lack of quality starting pitching options became evident in the American League Championship Series and, well, McKenzie is a starter who had been successful in the past.
The pitcher and the team avoided an uncomfortable situation on Thursday by settling on a contract for 2025 and avoiding arbitration.
“Source: Triston McKenzie, Guardians settle at $1.95 million, avoiding arbitration,” MLB insider Robert Murray posted on his X account.
Source: Triston McKenzie, Guardians settle at $1.95 million, avoiding arbitration.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) November 21, 2024
The player was projected to make around $3 million according to prediction models.
McKenzie finished a disappointing 2024 with a 5.11 ERA and 1.56 WHIP across 75.2 innings (16 starts).
He was demoted to Triple-A Columbus, where he wasn’t much better with a 5.23 ERA.
He has been pitching with UCL damage on his elbow for over a year now.
These injuries often result in pain, loss of velocity, and loss of command.
McKenzie is pain-free, but it’s clear his command was off for most of the season.
He has been working out on his physique since the World Series ended, which bodes well for his 2025 prospects.
It will all come down to health, though, and he knows it.
He will give it another chance to build back some value without going under the knife, which sounds like a risky proposition.
The Guardians hope that he either regains the form that made him a top young starter in the AL, or he has surgery once and for all.
In other words, another season of mediocrity like 2024 probably won’t guarantee him a future with the team.
NEXT: Guardians Young Infielder Is Currently Struggling In 1 Aspect Of The Game During Winter Ball
