CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians swept the Pirates in Pittsburgh this weekend, but nobody left PNC Park feeling particularly confident about closer Emmanuel Clase. What was once automatic has become anxiety-inducing for Cleveland fans.
“Every time they put Clase in a ballgame in the ninth inning to protect the lead, I’m sweating bullets,” Paul Hoynes confessed on the latest Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast. “This guy does not look like the same guy to me.”
The concerns are well-founded. After back-to-back save opportunities where Clase barely escaped trouble against Pittsburgh, the third game of the series saw him implode, allowing three runs in the ninth inning. While Cleveland ultimately won in extra innings, the warning signs about their once-dominant closer are impossible to ignore.
The statistical contrast between 2024 Clase and 2025 Clase is jarring. Last season, he pitched to a microscopic 0.62 ERA while converting 47 of 50 save opportunities. He never allowed more than one run in any regular season appearance. He was the definition of reliability.
This year? As Hoynes described on the podcast, “Clae this year is like a whirlwind out there. In the ninth inning after these guys play hard for eight innings to get a one or two or three run lead and he comes in the game, you know, there’s got to be a doubt in those position players’ minds.”
The psychological impact of a struggling closer extends beyond just the ninth inning. It affects the entire team’s confidence and strategy. When a team can’t trust its closer, it creates pressure on the offense to build larger leads.
So what’s the solution? According to Hoynes, it might be time for a temporary role change. “If I’m (Manager Stephen) Vogt, I’m seriously considering moving him maybe to the eighth inning, maybe to the seventh inning and trying somebody else to save a game,” he suggested on the podcast.
The potential replacements include veteran Paul Sewald, who has closing experience, or perhaps Hunter Gaddis or Cade Smith, though manager Vogt may be reluctant to disrupt the successful formula that has these pitchers thriving in their current roles.
Pitching coach Carl Willis has reportedly suggested adjustments for Clase, including throwing more sliders to keep hitters off his cutter, working up in the zone with his fastball, and pitching outside the strike zone more frequently. The problem is that Clase’s success has been built around throwing strikes and generating weak contact — changing that approach mid-season is easier said than done.
With upcoming series against formidable opponents like the Yankees, Red Sox, and Twins, the Guardians face a critical decision point. Each game matters, especially in a competitive AL Central, and the team can’t afford to keep experimenting with Clase in high-leverage situations if the results don’t improve.
The question now isn’t whether Emmanuel Clase has the stuff to be an elite closer — we’ve seen that he does. The question is whether he can recapture the confidence and command that made him nearly untouchable in 2024, or if the Guardians need to make a difficult change at the back end of their bullpen.
Want to hear the full discussion about Clase’s struggles and what the Guardians might do next? Listen to the latest Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast with Joe Noga and Paul Hoynes for more expert analysis and insider perspectives.
If the player above doesn’t work, you can listen to this podcast here.
Note: Artificial intelligence was used to help generate this story from the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast by cleveland.com. Visitors to cleveland.com have asked for more text stories based on website podcast discussions.
