Matthew Boyd’s All-Star nod shows just how wrong the Guardians were to let him go

On Sunday, MLB announced the All-Star reserves and pitchers for this year’s All-Star Game,  which featured some highs and lows for Guardians fans. 

The highs came on the position player side, as standout outfielder Steven Kwan earned his second straight All-Star nod, meaning he'll join José Ramírez in Atlanta for this year's Midsummer Classic.

The lows came on the list of pitchers.

Not only did the Guardians fail to have a pitcher named as an All-Star for the first time since 2015, but they also had to watch Matthew Boyd get named as a National League All-Star six months after they decided not to re-sign Boyd after a strong 2024 season. 

While the Guardians have made plenty of missteps this year, Boyd’s All-Star nod confirms that Cleveland failing to bring him back is an inexcusable mistake from the offseason.

The Guardians have no excuse for not re-signing Matthew Boyd

Boyd’s All-Star nod is well deserved, as the 34-year-old is 9-3 with a 2.52 ERA in 103 innings so far this year for the Cubs, who inked him to a two-year, $29 million contract in the offseason. 

The Guardians got a first-hand look at that dominance last week when Boyd tossed seven strong innings against the Guardians in a Cubs win. 

While the Guardians rotation has been solid this year, it’s clear they could still Boyd, especially at his low $29 million price tag. Cleveland signed Boyd midway through last season as he finished up his recovery from Tommy John surgery, and he posted a 2.76 ERA across eight starts last year before allowing just one run across 11 2/3 postseason innings 

Boyd then parlayed that performance into his contract with the Cubs, while the Guardians dedicated most of their offseason funds to Shane Bieber and tried to fill Boyd’s spot in the rotation with Luis Ortiz, who is currently “non-disciplinary paid leave” through the end of the All-Star break as a result of an MLB investigation based around gambling. 

And though Bieber’s contract could still end up looking like a sharp move when (if?) he returns from rehabbing from last year’s Tommy John surgery, it still doesn’t look great now that Boyd’s off to an All-Star start. 

That said, it’s worth noting that Boyd had (and still has) some red flags in his profile. He struggled with injuries for most of his career before coming to Cleveland, so there’s always a fear that could flare up again at any point. He’s also struggled with the longball in his career, and has already given up 10 home runs this year. 

But all of that is cold comfort right now to the Guardians. 

Before Boyd’s start against Cleveland last week, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said that Boyd called him after signing with the Cubs in the offseason and apologized for signing with another team. 

Right now, it looks like Boyd made the right decision.