A couple of days ago, a group of quality MLB players were waived by their respective teams in an attempt to shed some salary.
Harrison Bader, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Matt Moore, and other players became available for claims, following a specific order.
The Cleveland Guardians, five games behind the Minnesota Twins for the AL Central lead, made sure to make some moves to strengthen their bid for the postseason.
“The Guardians added pitchers Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Matt Moore from the Los Angeles Angels. September, here we go. Tito deserved one last push,” Guardians insider Hayden Grove tweeted.
The Guardians added pitchers Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Matt Moore from the Los Angeles Angels.
September, here we go.
Tito deserved one last push. #Guardians
— Hayden Grove (@H_Grove) August 31, 2023
It’s odd that a team with a 64-70 record has concrete playoff chances as we enter the final month of the season, but such is life in the AL Central.
And if life gives you an opportunity, you should do whatever it takes to seize it.
These moves carry little to no risk, and significant reward for Cleveland.
After the failed Noah Syndergaard experiment, the Guardians could use another starter and Giolito is a proven pitcher.
He hasn’t had the finest performance this year (4.45 ERA between the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Angels) but he is a good pitcher who can benefit from better coaching in Cleveland.
With a 2.66 ERA in 44 innings this season with the Angels, Moore is a fine addition for the bullpen, as is Lopez.
With these new, unexpected reinforcements, Cleveland has the potential to take first place away from the Twins at some point in September.
They just need to find some consistency and take advantage of direct matchups against Minnesota.
NEXT: The Guardians Are Clinging To Slim Playoff Hopes
