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Three players the Guardians should think twice about extending

By James Mastrucci |
Division Series - Cleveland Guardians v New York Yankees - Game Five
Division Series - Cleveland Guardians v New York Yankees - Game Five / Elsa/GettyImages
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The Cleveland Guardians have been proactive in signing players to extensions the past few years. That leads to wondering exactly who the team will sign to an extension next. It is best for the team to be selective in their process in deciding who to extend. Just as important as deciding who to extend is determining who they are better off not extending. There are three names in particular that the Guardians should think twice about extending.

3. James Karinchak

The stumbles that James Karinchak has experienced cannot be ignored. Even when Karinchak is locked in and pitching his best, he is only one pitch away from implosion. It has become clear rather quickly that the pitch clock and Karinchak are not friends. Until/unless a complete overhaul of Karinchak's pre-pitching routine and mechanics comes, it is hard to justify handing him an extension of any type.

Even though Karinchak has three more years of arbitration remaining, it is worth noting that Cleveland has bought out arbitration years in the past. Going down this path with Karinchak could prove to be a problem in the future.

There is also the fact that team signed Emmanuel Clase, their closer, to an extension prior to 2022 that could keep him with the team until 2028 if both club options are exercised. Considering Karinchak's struggles and the fact he will at best will be a setup man, it is best to spend their financial resources elsewhere. It is also worth noting that relief arms are extremely volatile and investing in them is a big risk, a risk that Cleveland would be wise to avoid. Any additional volatility from Karinchak down the line is surely to blow up in their face if signed to an extension.

2. Amed Rosario

Amed Rosario is a perfectly capable shortstop and an above-average player overall. That being said, this is not the type of player that the Guardians should sign to an extension. Cleveland has to be very careful in regards to who they sign to extensions and Rosario simply does not fit that mold.

As a player Rosario is a floor raiser and not a ceiling raiser, while the former can be valulable the latter is not exactly a player type that should be extended. The harsh reality is that Rosario is the type of player that is acquired via trade or signed to a short-term contract in free agency.

The Guardians can get production out of Rosario during his final year of his current deal, but at year's end it is time to turn the page at the shorstop position barring any type of major defensive improvement and increased patience at the plate. Considering that it is highly unlikely both of these occur, it may be best to expect a new starting shortstop in Cleveland next year.

Other players considered

Two other players that were considered for this list reside in the starting rotation, Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale.

Plesac has fallen off a cliff as his 2020 campaign appears to be the outlier for the five-year veteran. Things have simply not gone well for Plesac and keeping him beyond his final arbitration eligible years would be unwise.

Civale has dealt with injuries and inconsistent performance since making his debut in 2019. At this point relying on Civale to be anything more than he is seems like a foolish endeavor. Like Plesac, Civale has two arbitration eligible years remaining and it is hard to imagine either player still being in Cleveland beyond 2025, that is if they make it that long.

1. Shane Bieber

This is the most controversial and perhaps unpopular name on this list. This is not about what Shane Bieber has done and it is certainly not personal.

Bieber is a very good pitcher, but he is not the Cy Young Award Winner from 2020. Strikeouts have dropped every season since then, from 14.2 in 2020 to 8.9 last season with 2023's 6.5 strikeouts per nine innings through five starts represents a career-low.

Then there is the topic of velocity. Like strikeouts, Bieber's velocity has also dropped, from 94.2 in 2020 to the current 90.9 in 2023. Even though Bieber's control has drawn comparisons to Greg Maddux in the past, it is hard to be that type of pitcher in 2023. Control is great, but there is a certain velocity that is almost required nowadays that appears to be escaping Bieber as his career progresses.

With just one more arbitration eligible year remaining and the potential contract Bieber could receive from a new team following a trade or via free agency, it would not be surprising to see some rather unpopular discussions coming following this season. The combination of what Bieber could/should get on a new deal and the continued decrease in velocity and strikeouts would make any front office tentative about signing him to an extension.

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