A much needed reset for the Cleveland Guardians

If there is one thing that everyone can agree on, it is that the Cleveland Guardians having the day off on Thursday was the best thing for them at this time.

Coming off a series that saw the Guardians get swept by the San Diego Padres, there were across-the-board concerns in regard to Cleveland's roster as currently constructed. San Diego is a very good team and should make the National League Playoffs, barring any sort of misfortune akin to those on Mr. Burns' softball team made up of ringers in the legendary Homer at the Bat episode of The Simpsons. Cleveland losing a game or even the series to the Padres is not entirely surprising, but it is just the way it happened that was incredibly disheartening. 

With that series behind them and an upcoming three-game set with the Angels in Los Angeles, now is the time to focus on what lies ahead rather than hyper-focusing on the disastrous series that took place in San Diego. Recognize that things went wrong and identify what they were, but any sort of extended time spent on them could actually be counterproductive. Accepting that pretty much the entire team needs to be better is all that really needs to be done here. The Guardians did not play winning baseball against the Padres, and that cannot continue to happen.

This team is a work in progress, and the version of this roster that took the field on Opening Day is going to be quite different than the one that appears in September and possibly October (assuming they play up to their potential). There will be growing pains, and as the team churns through the bottom part of the roster over the next couple of months, a much clearer picture of who belongs with this team and who doesn't will come into focus, giving everyone a much better idea of what this team can achieve.

Before any of that can happen, the ballclub must move forward, and that begins with a mental and physical reset before play begins in Los Angeles on Friday. Hopefully, the Guardians come out on the other side of the off day, leaving their struggles behind them and showing they are truly ready to play a better brand of baseball.