One last chance for Triston McKenzie to stick with the Cleveland Guardians organization

When the Cleveland Guardians designated former first round pick Triston McKenzie for assignment just over a week ago, there was a possibility that he threw his last pitch as a member of this organization.

Even though the results have been underwhelming for quite some time, one would have thought a team in need of pitching or a team that could afford to let him figure things out in the majors would have either claimed him or worked out a trade to acquire his services. That did not turn out to be the case, as McKenzie cleared waivers and has subsequently accepted his assignment for Triple-A Columbus.

It has been a rough go for McKenzie in 2025, with his DFA coming after four appearances for the Guardians. In 5.2 innings of relief work, McKenzie allowed seven runs on seven hits while only striking out four. This is not remotely close to what would be considered an acceptable pitching line, and the Guardians obviously felt the same by designating him for assignment after his handful of relief appearances.

The way the Guardians were using McKenzie this season was a clear indicator of what was expected of him. Cleveland chose only to deploy McKenzie in lopsided affairs, where his pitching performance would have little to no impact on the final result. This speaks volumes about how the organization felt about what, if anything, McKenzie was going to be able to provide, with the forgetful outings being somewhat expected.

Now, with the Columbus Clippers, McKenzie will have one last chance to prove he should stick around with the Cleveland Guardians organization. With a good enough performance in Triple-A, could even find his way back to the majors. In order for that to happen, however, McKenzie will not only need to pitch better than what he did in Cleveland this year but be better than his 5.23 ERA and 1.631 WHIP that he posted in Columbus last season.