The Cleveland Guardians have put in a lot of work to make their rotation better and deeper for 2025 and beyond.
They made it to the American League Championship Series in 2024, but rotation issues were in large part the reason why they couldn’t even sniff the World Series.
President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti has shown his creativity and brought back Shane Bieber, while adding Luis L. Ortiz via trade with Pittsburgh.
The Guardians might still need another starter because Bieber won’t be available until the summer, but the second half unit is looking amazing.
“And this 2nd half/postseason rotation has tons of potential: Bieber, Bibee, Ortiz, Williams, Cantillo,” Guardians of the Land posted on X.
And this 2nd half/postseason rotation has tons of potential:
Bieber
Bibee
Ortiz
Williams
Cantillo— Guardians of The Land (@OurCLEGuardians) December 24, 2024
Bieber and his career 3.22 ERA tell us he is the ace this team needs.
Everything will depend on how healthy he is after elbow surgery in April.
He could be back by June: if he showcases the form he had in his first two starts this year (12 IP, 0 earned runs, 20 strikeouts), the Guardians will be very, very dangerous.
Tanner Bibee and Ortiz are also an excellent pitchers with ace potential and a solid floor.
A healthy Gavin Williams should be much better than the 4.86-ERA pitcher he was in 2024.
Having him as a fourth starter in the second half would be a luxury for Cleveland.
Cantillo, should he conquer his command issues, should be a fantastic number five.
In any case, the Guardians should also have Triston McKenzie, Logan Allen and potentially prospects such as Ryan Webb, Doug Nikhazy, Parker Messick, and others.
They could surely use another top arm, but they already look better and deeper.
NEXT: 2025 Could Be A Big Year For Guardians Rookies
