Bold Move To Sign Matthew Boyd Makes Sense For Cleveland Guardians

How much help will Matthew Boyd bring to the Guardians' rotation?

Jun 26, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Matthew Boyd (48) pitches in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Guardians have agreed to sign left-handed starting pitcher Matthew Boyd, giving them a rather interesting piece to potentially add to their rotation.

Boyd entered 2024 without a team after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year, but for a Guardians squad that is in desperate need of starting pitching, adding Boyd can't hurt.

Boyd isn't an ace. He never has been. He may have displayed frontline stuff at various points of his career, but his results (lifetime 4.94 ERA) suggest otherwise.

So what exactly will Boyd bring to the table for Cleveland? Well, I guess the key here is that he couldn't possibly be a whole lot worse than the horrendous the trio of Logan Allen, Triston McKenzie and Carlos Carrasco has been this season.

Allen and Carrasco both lay claim to ERAs over 5, and McKenzie sits at 4.66 with an alarming 6.16 FIP and 1.5 WHIP. Allen was shelled by the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night, halting the Guardians' seven-game winning streak.

With Shane Bieber sidelined for the year, Cleveland will need to add some help alongside of Tanner Bibee and Ben Lively if it truly wants to make a deep playoff run.

Boyd can potentially provide some assistance.

With the Detroit Tigers in 2023, Boyd went 5-5 with a 5.45 ERA over 15 starts. I know, I know. Another 5+ ERA guy, but on the bright side, he averaged 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings, and he actually registered a respectable 4.35 FIP.

Back in 2019, Boyd racked up 238 strikeouts across 185.1 innings, so, again, the stuff is there.

It makes sense for the Guardians to at least take a flier on the 33-year-old. Worst-case scenario, he bombs, and Cleveland releases him. Best case? He pitches well and provides the Guardians with a nice back-of-the-rotation piece for the remainder of the season. They could then add another starting pitcher before the July 30 MLB trade deadline to fortify the staff.

Cleveland's starting rotation needs some sort of boost, so it's good to see the Guardians making an effort to improve it. They'll need to if they are serious about winning a World Series.