No matter what, Guardians September call-up could spell doom for at least one former roster staple

Last October, Kyle Manzardo and Daniel Schneemann appeared in all three of the Guardians’ postseason games against the Detroit Tigers in the American League Wild Card Series. 

Even if their presence in the series didn’t result in a Guardians win, it seemed like their inclusion in every game was a tangible example of how much they both meant to both the present and future of the Guardians. 

How things have changed. 

While Schneemann and Manzardo both were staples in the Guardians lineup earlier this season, they both got sent down to Triple-A at the start of the month to make room for the Guardians’ trade deadline acquisitions of Jo Adell and Nathaniel Lowe. 

But at least one of their tenures in the minors could come to an end on Monday when rosters expand for September, giving the Guardians two extra roster spots to play with. 

Most of the time, teams dedicate those roster spots to one pitcher and one hitter. While both Schneemann and Manzardo have had some big league success in the past, it seems like there’s not going to be enough room in the inn for both of them on the Guardians’ roster (if one of them is called up at all). 

One of Daniel Schneemann or Kyle Manzardo could be on wrong side of Guardians roster expansion

Although both player’s demotions were a bit surprising, Manzardo’s stood out a bit more given he was a former top prospect and entered the year on the back of a 27 homer season in 2025. 

He got plenty of playing time this year (102 games before his demotion), but had only hit 13 homers and was 7% worse than league average by measure of OPS+. 

He’s hit .281 with four home runs in 17 games since getting demoted. 

Meanwhile, Schneemann entered the season coming off a year where he played in 131 games with the Guardians while bouncing all over the diamond. 

He did the exact same thing this season and turned some heads when he got off to a hot start, but his time on the roster came to an end in large part to the fact he hit just .155 in 57 games after the end of April. 

Schneemann's hit .325/.455/.538 with three home runs and 10 RBI in 22 games in the minors. 

All that sets up what could be a huge roster decision for the Guardians.

While Manzardo brings more power to the table, it would be a bit of a surprise if he gets added to the roster considering Nathaniel Lowe has done a good job filling in on the left-handed side of the first base platoon. 

It’s a lot easier to imagine Schneemann getting the call-up since he can play all over the diamond and doesn’t need everyday at-bats. 

The Guardians also have Cooper Ingle, Khalil Watson, Cooper Ingle and Blake Perkins as the other position player options in the minors on their 40-man roster, but none of them would be as good fits on Cleveland’s current roster as Schneemann.

But no matter what decision the Guardians end up making about Schneemann and Manzardo's current roster status, it seems like there's a chance they both could be approaching the end of their time on Cleveland's roster.

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