Tropicana Field (St. Petersburg, Fla.) The Guardians trade deadline additions set the tone in a 7-3 comeback over the Rays in ALCS Game 1, followed by a raucous but confident scene inside the visiting clubhouse.
Music thumped from the speakers and several players kept one eye on the NFL broadcast as teammates refueled after the late surge. Amid the bustle, designated hitter Jo Adell moved quietly at his locker, tidying up and slipping out to toss his gum before addressing reporters, a small act of professionalism that stood out on a youthful roster.
Guardians trade deadline additions change the equation
This summer, Cleveland departed from its typically cautious approach and bought aggressively to bolster the bullpen, rotation, and lineup. All three midseason pickups Nathaniel Lowe, Foster Griffin, and Adell figured prominently in Monday’s victory.
Rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter said the trio’s presence has mattered on and off the field. He described Lowe, Adell, and Griffin as steady voices and examples for a young clubhouse, noting their professionalism in good stretches and bad.
Lowe put Cleveland ahead for good with a two-run single in the eighth. Acquired minutes before the Aug. 3 deadline in a deal that sent right-hander Alejando Rivera to Cincinnati, the first baseman brought postseason experience from his 2023 title run with Texas.
Now 31, he is the Guardians’ second-oldest position player behind Jose Ramirez, a status that has allowed him to mentor as he contributes.
Lowe said familiarity with many Guardians players and easy rapport in the room helped him slide into a leadership role while continuing to refine his own game.
Adell delivered insurance in the ninth with a two-run double to left, scoring Ramirez and DeLauter to stretch the lead to 7-3. Cleveland landed Adell from the Angels at the deadline for catching prospect Jacob Cozart, betting that a change of environment could unlock his power after a breakout 2025 in which he posted a 115 OPS+ with 37 homers and 98 RBI.
The trade followed front-office turnover in Anaheim. After the Angels dismissed general manager Perry Minasian in June, interim executive John Mozeliak moved several pieces, including Adell, and Cleveland pounced to add his bat.
Adell acknowledged a quiet start to October but said the Guardians’ persistent, situational approach has sharpened his at-bats over the past two and a half months.
Right-hander Foster Griffin, acquired from the Nationals in a four-player deal to deepen a rotation headlined by Gavin Williams, Parker Messick, and Tanner Bibee, ground through four innings while allowing two runs against Tampa Bay.
Griffin struggled in nine regular-season starts for Cleveland with a 5.19 ERA, then answered in the ALDS with 2 2/3 dominant relief innings in Game 3 against the White Sox, striking out seven and yielding one run in an opener look. Manager Stephen Vogt praised Griffin for settling in after a rough first inning on Monday.
The postgame clubhouse looked like a group that had been together for years, even though several key contributors were nowhere near the Opening Day roster. For contenders, midyear roster shuffles can disrupt chemistry.
In Cleveland’s case, the mix has clicked, and the Guardians are reaping the rewards at the season’s most demanding stage, much like NFL teams reshaping rosters ahead of the 2027 NFL Draft as pressure mounts late in the year.