After optioning Cantillo, how will Guardians fill open rotation spot?

CLEVELAND -- The Guardians optioned lefty Joey Cantillo to Triple-A Columbus on Sunday, creating a sudden opening in their starting rotation as the season enters the stretch run.

Cantillo was slated to start for the Guardians on Wednesday against the D-backs. Cleveland assistant general manager Matt Forman said Sunday that the team is “actively discussing” how they will handle the open rotation spot.

For what it’s worth, the Guardians have an opening on their 40-man roster, and lefty Parker Messick (their No. 12 prospect) has put himself on the map for a potential callup with his strong season in Columbus.

Cantillo, 25, opened the season in Cleveland’s bullpen before the Guardians optioned him to Columbus to stretch out on May 27. They summoned him back to the big leagues on July 3 to take the rotation spot of Luis Ortiz after the right-hander was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave amid an MLB investigation.

“We’ve asked a lot of Joey this year,” said Forman, noting Cantillo’s back-and-forth trips to the Minors and role changes. “Really, by and large, Joey came up and helped us win games in the rotation. At the same time, we think there's more in there for Joey. He's got swing-and-miss caliber stuff, and when he's in the strike zone with his swing-and-miss stuff, he can be a really effective Major League starting pitcher.

“When he's paired the strike-throwing with the best stuff in the strike zone, he's had really good outings. I think that's really what the next step will be in Joey's continued development as he goes back to Columbus.”

In eight starts, Cantillo recorded a 4.03 ERA with 22 walks and 44 strikeouts over 38 innings. After his start against the Braves on Friday, he acknowledged that he needs to do a better job of challenging guys and not beating himself.

To his credit, Cantillo showed progress in that regard after he joined the rotation. His walk rate was 14.6 percent in July (five starts), compared to 11.4 in August (three). All the while, he recorded a 33.7 percent whiff rate over his eight starts. That trails only the Padres' Dylan Cease (33.9 percent) among the 180 starters who have induced at least 300 swings this season.

When asked if the Guardians envision Cantillo remaining stretched out the rest of the season, Forman said the club views him as a starter.

“He's obviously proven capable of contributing in different roles,” Forman said. “But as he goes back to the Minor Leagues, we expect he'll continue starting. I think with any move like this, there's a lot to balance. There's winning, development and other factors, so things like this are tough.

“But we continue to believe Joey can be a capable, effective Major League starting pitcher.”

Messick, 24, has recorded a 3.47 ERA in 98 2/3 innings over 20 starts for Columbus, with 119 strikeouts and 42 walks. He was Cleveland’s second-round pick in the 2022 Draft out of Florida State, and he represented the Guardians at the All-Star Futures Game last month.

Forman noted the Guardians “have a range of options” for the rotation opening but said that lefty John Means is not an option quite yet.

Means (who is recovering from June 2024 Tommy John surgery) made his first rehab start with High-A Lake County on Friday. He tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings and threw 38 pitches (30 strikes). The Guardians anticipate his next rehab start coming early this week, with a similar load of three “ups” while adding five to 10 more pitches.

“Where he is, from a volume standpoint, wouldn’t make him a Major League option at this point,” Forman said. “But [we’re] excited about the progress he's making. He's doing really well.”