The Guardians have selected their squad for their ALCS game against the Yankees, with only one alteration from the ALDS roster: infielder/outfielder Angel Martinez has been replaced by right-handed reliever Pedro Avila.
Martinez, 22, joined the ALDS roster in the middle of the series, replacing Tyler Freeman, who had sustained a left oblique strain. Freeman did not play in a game but was injured during a simulated game in preparation for the postseason. Martinez made the roster but only saw one plate appearance. With a best-of-seven series ahead of them, the Guards will go with an extra arm in the bullpen over a switch-hitting utilityman off the bench.
Avila, 27, was acquired from the Padres in exchange for cash in April, after San Diego designated him for assignment. He went on to play a significant role as a multi-inning option out of Stephen Vogt’s bullpen, appearing in 50 games and throwing 74 2/3 innings for Cleveland. Along the way, he pitched to a 3.25 ERA, struck out 23% of his opponents, walked 9.4% of them, and kept 43.1% of his opponents’ hit balls on the ground.
Avila was mostly deployed in lower-leverage situations and will likely perform similarly if called upon in the ALCS. In 2024, he made many appearances that lasted more than one inning, including a few three-inning performances.
The ALCS will begin Monday night in New York at 7:38 p.m. ET, when the Guards’ veteran righty Alex Cobb takes the mound against Yankees lefty Carlos Rodon. Neither has performed very well in the postseason so far. Cleveland’s young Tanner Bibee will face Gerrit Cole, the 2023 Cy Young winner, in Game 2. Clarke Schmidt will take the mound in Game 3 on Thursday. The Guardians have not yet announced a starting for Game 3. Matthew Boyd and Gavin Williams are the only other starters on the team.
