2. Joey Cantillo, LHP
One of general manager Mike Chernoff's biggest gaffes this season was not trading for pitching help when Triston McKenzie and Shane Bieber landed on the injured list. With it being too late to acquire outside help, it's in Chernoff's best interest to give Joey Cantillo a promotion.
Cantillo, 23, has been in Cleveland's system since he was a 16th-round pick back in 2017. He's now pitched in the minors for parts of seven seasons, indicating that it's likely time to finally give the Honolulu native a big-league look.
The promising southpaw has split the 2023 campaign between Double-A and Triple-A, making 20 appearances (18 starts) along the way. He's lived up to expectations for the most part, going 5-2 with a 3.97 ERA while averaging 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
#Guardians 23yr old LHP prospect Joey Cantillo allowed one earned run over 5.0 innings while striking out 5 for Columbus last night vs Syracuse.
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 17, 2023
Line - 5.0(IP) 5H 2R 1ER 2BB 5SO (97 Pitches 55 Strikes)
Last 3 - 15.2(IP) 12H 3R 2ER 5BB 18SO 1.15 ERA#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/ujC0sqAaa0
While rushing pitching prospects can be risky, the Guardians have nothing to lose by calling Cantillo up at this point. It certainly helps that Cleveland has upcoming series against beatable clubs like the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers, which could help boost the lefty's confidence.
Terry Francona isn't going to get results from the starting rotation in its current form. Adding Cantillo to the mix would help provide a much-needed spark that could see the group head into the 2024 season with some nice momentum.