Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase is sporting a 7.71 ERA in the 2025 campaign to this point.
It’s an incredibly disappointing number, and each and every one of his appearances has felt like a dangerous adventure rather than the smooth sailing it was last season.
Some fans have started to lose patience and have been clamoring for manager Stephen Vogt to remove Clase from closing duties.
President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti, however, was very clear on Tuesday: Clase is still the ninth-inning guy in Cleveland.
“I can’t think of anyone else we’d rather continue to hand the ball to in the 8th or 9th inning when we have a lead.” Chris Antonetti said.
"I can't think of anyone else we'd rather continue to hand the ball to in the 8th or 9th inning when we have a lead."
Guardians Pres. of Baseball Ops. Chris Antonetti discusses Emmanuel Clase and the team's offseason moves.
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Only a handful of weeks are in the books in what is a very long season.
The Guardians had been benefitting from Clase’s efficiency, effectiveness, and consistency for years.
The Guardians are one of the most patient organizations in baseball and are more than willing to wait for him to turn things around.
He is the holder of multiple saves-related records with the Guardians, so he deserves time to work through his issues.
The problem is that, for Cleveland, every win counts.
Vogt has to maneuver the situation with extreme care: yes, he needs to trust his closer but his job is also to get the most possible wins to make the playoffs.
For now, Cleveland is trying to be patient with Clase because he deserves it and because they still think he is their best option to close.
NEXT: Analyst Reveals How Guardians Should Deal With Emmanuel Clase's Struggles
