Mike Clevinger’s implosion just another example that the Cleveland Guardians know how to build a team

The Cleveland Guardians’ success in 2022 was in part due to the Mike Clevinger trade.

Mike Clevinger blew his latest playoff outing, giving up three runs on three hits and getting zero outs in the first inning of his playoff game against the Philadelphia Phillies. His outing is proof that trading him was the right call. Yes, he may have been a popular name in Cleveland at one time, but trading him netted the Guardians most of their corp for their 2022 season and beyond.

Names don’t win you games, talent does. When the Guardians traded Corey Kluber, Mike Clevinger, and Francisco Lindor in 2020 and 2021, fans lost their heads. They talked about how you can’t build a team if you keep trading away your best players, but the Guardians proved that names don’t win titles, talent does.

Yes, it’d be great if the Major Leagues were actually worried about fair and competitive play, instead they prioritize about eight teams and let the rest of the league wallow, but not the Guardians. Despite not having a fanbase similar to a team like the Dodgers, the Guardians are able to field a winning baseball team in a league where only the rich get richer.

That should be commendable, considering so many other teams in the bottom 15 of fanbases are rarely, if ever good across multiple years. Instead, Guardians fans blame the team for the failings of the league.

Yet, they keep fielding winners. They know they can’t overpay for 30-something hitters, only eight teams really can. So they have to be inventive, and that means trading parts to build a whole.

Including but not limited to the Padres’ least favorite starter right now, Clevinger.

The Cleveland Guardians get it done

The AL Central Champions were just one win away from the ALCS and a showdown against the Houston Astros but their lack of power hitting hurt them. It’s not like they didn’t have guys to start who had potential but Bobby Bradley and Franmil Reyes fell apart. The Guards adapted and will look to improve that issue this off-season.

Likely, it’ll come via a trade. It’s very possible that Amed Rosario is the player used in that deal, as Gabriel Arias seems to be someone the team is very high on. As he was part of that Clevinger trade, it makes sense that he would take his spot as the team’s shortstop going forward.

Will he be enough to fetch a big enough bat to warrant trading him? Maybe not, but you can at least see what you can get for him. The Guardians hit more times than they miss when it comes to trades, so you might as well take a swing and see what comes back.

That said, don’t just trade him to trade him. Any trade has to improve this team in the short and long term.