Guardians' latest roster move showcases team's fantastic bullpen depth 

On Thursday, Daniel Espino put together the best outing of his big league career by tossing 1 2/3 scoreless innings in the Guardians’ eventual 6-5 win over the Chicago White Sox. 

Not only did the outing provide a great example of how dangerous Espino’s arsenal can be, but it also helped him dip back into his background as a starting pitcher. 

But that outing led to some shrewd roster management from the Guardians, who sent Espino down to Triple-A Columbus on Friday in place of fellow rookie pitcher Franco Aleman. 

While the biggest advantage of having Aleman is that he’s a fresh arm, he’s also an intriguing arm who could still eventually work his way into the Guardians’ high-leverage equation. 

Daniel Espino and Franco Aleman are shining stars in the Guardians’ bullpen

As noted by MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins, Espino’s outing on Thursday was the most he’s thrown in one game since he threw 4 2/3 innings for Double-A Akron in April 2022 back before injuries robbed him of almost three seasons. 

“Daniel pitched unbelievably last night for us,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt told reporters on Friday. “What does it do? It earns you a trip back to Columbus, but that's just the way it works. Daniel was incredible when we talked to him, understanding. He knows he's going to be back to help us win.”

And Vogt’s right. Espino’s done more than enough to show that he belongs in the Guardians’ bullpen. But Aleman’s also done enough to show he belongs. 

While Aleman looked solid in his cameo with the Guardians earlier this season (one run allowed in 2 2/3 innings), he’s been fantastic at Triple-A Columbus this season to the tune of a 0.32 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings. 

MLB is obviously a different beast, but Aleman doesn’t have anything left to prove in the minors. 

The Guardians made a shrewd move in swapping out the rookie pitchers since Espino’s going to need to be down a couple days, but we’re starting to get to a point where there’s a clear case for them being the Guardians’ bullpen at the same time. 

Cade Smith’s been fantastic at the back of the Guardians’ bullpen and Colin Holderman’s emerged into a great setup option, but they can only do so much. 

Of the two, Espino stands out as the wild card given the plethora of injuries he’s had to navigate throughout his career, but Thursday’s outing was an incredibly positive sign considering he got to work as a multi-inning weapon for the first time in his career and bounced back well. 

He’s never going to be Hunter Gaddis, but he suddenly becomes much more dangerous if he’s able to pitch multiple times a week and/or go multiple innings. 

On the other hand, Aleman seems to have recovered from the injuries that robbed him of most of the past two seasons and can be counted on for multiple outings in a week. 

Even if the Guardians’ bullpen hasn’t been the kind of weapon that it has been in years prior, Aleman and Espino are the top two arms who are a part of the team’s “new guard.” Now we just need to get a chance to see them in the bullpen at the same time.

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