Cleveland Guardians Stun MLB with Last-Minute Trade and Walk-Off Win – What It Means for the Playoff Push

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Guardians woke up Monday facing their most turbulent week of the 2025 season. Hours after Major League Baseball placed All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase on paid leave amid an ongoing sports-betting investigation, club president Chris Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff must now juggle a bullpen crisis, trade-deadline rumors and a tightly packed American League Central race. Bullpen upheaval • Clase’s paid leave removes a reliever who owns a 1.95 ERA and an MLB-leading 32 saves. • Left-hander Tim Herrin was recalled from Triple-A Columbus to fill the vacant roster spot, but manager Stephen Vogt indicated setup men Scott Barlow and Cade Smith will share ninth-inning duties until further notice. • MLB’s probe is expected to extend beyond the July 31 deadline, forcing Cleveland to plan as if Clase will be unavailable the rest of the year. Trade-deadline calculus At 52-53, the Guardians sit 3½ games out of the final AL Wild Card berth and five behind first-place Minnesota. Front-office sources say rival clubs have already inquired about Shane Bieber, James Karinchak and Josh Naylor, but the Clase suspension has complicated sell-versus-buy conversations. • Possible bullpen targets: Washington’s Hunter Harvey, Oakland’s Mason Miller. • Potential offensive upgrades: Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones, White Sox DH Eloy Jiménez. • Internal promotion watch: Double-A flamethrower Andrew Walters (0.89 ERA) could debut if no deal materializes. Clubhouse reaction Third baseman José Ramírez called the situation “a punch in the gut” but insisted the roster remains focused on a second-half push. “We’ve handled adversity before. We still expect to play in October,” he said through a team interpreter after Sunday’s doubleheader split with Kansas City. Road ahead Cleveland opens a three-game set tonight against Colorado, whose league-worst road ERA (5.71) offers a chance to reset the narrative. Rookie right-hander Gavin Williams opposes Rockies veteran Austin Gomber in the opener, while the Guardians plan a bullpen game Wednesday to keep ace Triston McKenzie on regular rest. Key dates • July 31, 6 p.m. ET: MLB trade deadline • Aug. 9-18: Ten-game West Coast swing (SEA–OAK–LAA) • Sept. 29-Oct. 1: Season-ending series vs. Twins that could decide the division Why it matters The Guardians have spent the past two seasons building around low-cost, home-grown talent and an elite bullpen. Losing Clase for any length of time threatens that formula. How the front office responds over the next 72 hours will dictate whether Cleveland reloads for a playoff chase or pivots toward 2026. Either way, the Guardians’ next moves will reverberate well beyond Progressive Field.