Cleveland Guardians finalize rotation, send former first round pick to bullpen

The Cleveland Guardians entered spring training with their starting rotation mostly put together, with the likes of Tanner Bibee, Ben Lively, Gavin Williams, and Luis Ortiz pretty much guaranteed spots, leaving the fifth starter open for competition.

While there were multiple arms in contention for that spot, only two were considered genuine contenders, Logan Allen and Triston McKenzie. The Guardians have officially made their decision on who will start the season where, with Allen securing the final spot in the rotation and McKenzie starting the year in Cleveland's bullpen.

When it comes to how each player performed in spring, Allen was clearly better, with a 1.89 ERA and 19 strikeouts to four walks in 19 innings. McKenzie struggled in Arizona, posting a 7.50 ERA with 10 strikeouts and seven walks issued in 12 innings. This is a pretty stark contrast when comparing McKenzie's performance to Allen's, and it is no wonder why each player will begin the season in their respective roles.

Now, it must be said that evaluating players on spring training stats must be done very carefully, as there are times when false conclusions can be reached. However, when it comes to what was a very public and open competition for the fifth starter in Cleveland's rotation, both options were on opposite ends of the effectiveness spectrum, and that matters.

There is absolutely no way to justify giving McKenzie a rotation spot over Allen based on their respective performances in spring training. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt knows that and is not playing favorites here. Allen earned that spot, while McKenzie is going to have to prove his worth coming out of the bullpen if he is going to stick around in Cleveland.

The 2025 season is a pivotal one for both Allen and McKenzie. 2024 saw both players get sent down to Triple-A Columbus as a result of their struggles on the mound, but it was Allen who would make a return to the Guardians, while McKenzie remained with the Clippers for the rest of the season. It's pretty clear that both arms are on relatively thin ice when it comes to holding onto their roster spots, and it is going to be up to them to show the decision-makers in Cleveland's front office that they belong.