Don't expect the Guardians to have any surprises up their sleeves when rosters expand in September

With September right around the corner, baseball fans everywhere are getting ready for roster expansion.

For years, Sept. 1 has felt like Christmas morning where fans get a chance to get their first look at top prospects taking their first big-league swings or throws under the lights.

If you’re expecting the Cleveland Guardians to use that opportunity to promote a mega-prospect like Ralphy Velazquez, I’ve got some bad news.

This year September’s roster expansion is shaping up to be a rather lackluster time for the Guardians. And honestly? That’s probably the smartest path the front office can take.

Remember, gone are the days of the old 40-man roster free-for-all where teams would call up a platoon of kids to clutter the dugout.

Under current MLB rules, rosters only expand from 26 to 28 players. That means Chris Antonetti and Stephen Vogt only have two extra seats to hand out, and they're likely going to give them to one hitter and one pitcher.

When you break down who actually needs those spots, the math doesn't leave room for new toys.

The Guardians could call up some familiar faces when rosters expand in September

The pitching spot

Slade Cecconi is poised to grab the extra pitching spot the second he’s activated from the IL. He’s got big-league starts under his belt, along with possessing the ability to eat innings out of the bullpen.

The positon player spot

All signs point to Kyle Manzardo getting the nod for the extra spot on the Guardians' bench.

We’ve seen plenty of Manzardo this season, and his promotion would give the Guardians some familiar power depth on the bench without any learning-curve surprises.

Now, if the Guardians did want to shock everyone and inject a wild young bat like Khalil Watson or Cooper Ingle into the Wild Card chase, there’s really only one move to make: Designate Rhys Hoskins for assignment upon his return from the IL.

While Hoskins hasn't provided the steady offensive punch fans hoped for when he signed, getting rid of him in lieu of giving a young player a handful of high-pressure plate appearances in September just isn't how this front office operates.

Experience over experimentation

The Guardians are locked in a high-stakes, white-knuckle push for the postseason. They've managed to turn things around and keep up our recent winning ways, but the margin for error in September is zero.

Injecting unproven youth into the final stretch of a division or Wild Card race would be a massive gamble. You don't ask a kid to navigate a high-leverage late-inning situation against division rivals.

Instead, the Guardians will elect to rely on players with legitimate Major League experience who have already taken their licks, know the clubhouse, and understand the grind of a pennant race.

Those potentioal scenerios may not be the most flashy September call-ups, but nobody in Cleveland will be complaining if it helps the Guardians keep up their winning ways.

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