Guardians GM speaks for fanbase when talking about Emmanuel Clase allegations 

While the Guardians' lack of external additions was arguably the biggest story of Cleveland’s offseason, the status of Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz’s paid leave was a close second. 

And it looks like that’s not going to go anywhere soon, as recent court documents have made it seem like there’s a chance the trial could be moved to October.

Not only has Clase become public enemy No. 1 in Cleveland due to his alleged pitch rigging, but the Guardians are also on the hook for his salary (for now) which adds some extra insult to injury. 

And it’s not just Guardians fans that feel that way.

Earlier this week, Guardians general manager Mike Chernoff had an interview with the “Foul Territory” podcast and was asked about Clase. He didn’t wait long to give a pretty emphatic response.

"Still, every time I read anything about it, I'm cringing," Chernoff said. "It makes my stomach unsettled just to see some of the stuff that's been written about, and yet our guys never gave up."

Guardians general manager Mike Chernoff speaks for all Guardians fans with latest comments about Emmanuel Clase 

Chernoff’s comments are the harshest words that anyone in the Guardians organization has (publicly) had for Clase. 

While manager Stephen Vogt and president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti both acknowledged that they didn’t think Clase would throw another pitch again for the Guardians, Chernoff’s comments were a little more direct than that. 

“When something like that happens it’s a knock to the whole organization,” he said. “I think what I would say (is) how our guys bounced back from something like that tells you everything you need to know. Our guys were pissed.” 

The Guardians’ post-Clase bounce-back was incredibly impressive, as they went from hovering around .500 to tearing off a magical September that ended with them winning the second-straight American League Central title. 

One of the biggest reasons why they were able to rip off that winning streak was due to some incredible pitching from their rotation and revamped bullpen and just enough timely hitting. 

The bullpen’s performance was arguably the most impressive thing from that time considering Cleveland relievers combined for a 2.50 ERA after Clase was suspended, which was the best mark in baseball over that time span. 

Cade Smith played a huge part in that by seamlessly stepping into the closer’s role, but the Guardians also got above-average production from unheralded pitchers like Kolby Allard, Matt Festa and others. 

But just because those performances took away some of the sting from Clase’s allegations doesn’t mean they’ve gone away forever, and Chernoff’s comments showed that.