The top 6 questions facing the Guardians heading into the final month

CLEVELAND — Thirty-four games remain. And it feels like the Guardians have just about 34 questions that need to be answered.

Technically, the Guardians are still in the American League Central race — somehow. They're eight games below .500 and, thanks to the sorriest division in baseball by an absolute mile, they're still only 5.5 games out of first place.

But the odds are severely stacked against them. They have the youngest roster in baseball. They're without three starting pitchers and Josh Naylor, all on the injured list. The recently claimed Kole Calhoun and promoted Oscar Gonzalez were immediately put into the middle the lineup. FanGraphs has Cleveland's playoff chances at 2.8 percent.

The Aaron Civale trade made sense from a value standpoint — the Guardians acquired six-plus seasons of a top-40 prospect for 2.5 years of the oft-injured Civale — but it certainly didn't help their chances of tracking down the Minnesota Twins in 2023.

With the Guardians' chances of playing postseason baseball severely dwindling, and several players hoping to carve out roles moving forward, here are the top questions Cleveland can answer over the final five weeks of the regular season.

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What can Bo Naylor, Will Brennan, Oscar Gonzalez, Gabriel Arias and Tyler Freeman show as young hitters in the lineup?

The Guardians' 2023 lineup has left much to be desired. And there are plenty of questions left unanswered when it comes to the order in the foreseeable future.

Bo Naylor's season hasn't really gotten off the ground, as he's hitting .194 with a .627 OPS one year removed from a 20-homer, 20-steals season in the minors.

Will Brennan is hitting just .257 with a .649 OPS, and hasn't been able to grab hold of an outfield spot. It'd be beneficial for the team to move him into the starting center field job, thus pushing Myles Straw to a defense-speed role, but the pieces haven't aligned.

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Oscar Gonzalez has been better since returning from Triple-A and a disastrous start to 2023, but he's still just hitting .250 with a .661 OPS since July 27.

The Guardians like Gabriel Arias' defense, but the offense hasn't been there. He's hitting .198 with a .616 OPS this year.

Tyler Freeman has cooled off as of late, hitting just .118 over the last month. The Amed Rosario trade opened the door for at-bats and a bigger role in the lineup, but the results haven't been there.

That's two outfielders, two middle infielders and one catcher. And the Guardians need to see as much as they can.

What can Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie give, if anything, and can they avoid further issues?

The Guardians wouldn't have been pushing Shane Bieber or Triston McKenzie to return from the injured list before they're fully ready either way. But if the Guardians continue this backslide, there will be zero incentive to bring them back anytime soon.

Bieber and McKenzie are both on the injured list, out at least a couple more weeks. It remains possible that neither returns this season. Bieber is out until at least Sept. 10, as he's on the 60-day IL. McKenzie is hoping to avoid Tommy John surgery.

Will Terry Francona be retiring after this season?

Terry Francona hinted that the 2023 season could be his last as he continues to deal with health issues. He revealed Thursday he needs a shoulder replacement and two hernia procedures.

Francona is nearing the end of his 11th season and is already the franchise's winningest manager. For more than a decade, Francona has provided the messaging and tone of the club. The announcement hasn't been made, but it seems likely the Guardians will be searching for a new manager this winter.

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How will Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen and Xzavion Curry jockey for position in the starting rotation?

The biggest source of optimism with the Guardians remains the young starting pitching.

Gavin Williams (3.02 ERA, 9.5 K/9) and Tanner Bibee (3.01 ERA, 8.9 K/9 rate) have both enjoyed electric rookie seasons. Logan Allen (3.31 ERA, 8.7 K/9 rate) and Xzavion Curry (3.24 ERA, 6.2 K/9 rate) have been terrific as well.

Those four rookies seem to give the starting rotation a very bright future in Cleveland, along with Bieber — if he isn't traded — and Triston McKenzie — if he's healthy — as options moving forward.

Their strong rookie seasons were badly needed with Bieber and McKenzie hurt, Cal Quantrill struggling and hurt, Zach Plesac struggling and Civale now in Tampa Bay.

What can James Karinchak show after a rough season?

James Karinchak was sent to Triple-A after seemingly losing his command. He has returned and appeared to be in a better spot, throwing two scoreless innings with two strikeouts and two walks.

It appeared that Karinchak and Emmanuel Clase would give the Guardians one of the best one-two punches in any bullpen in baseball. For the most part, Clase has held up his end of the bargain. Karinchak has struggled to hold down such a high-leverage role.

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It would be a major boost if Karinchak can rediscover his top form. But it's been a while since it was displayed.

Can Ramon Laureano win himself a role moving forward?

Ramon Laureano was brought in and has a chance to carve out a role as a hitter who can knock around left-handed pitching while providing above-average defense in right field.

The defense is there. The offense has not been, so far. Since coming to Cleveland, Laureano has a .177 average and .479 OPS. While batting lineup handedness can at times be overblown, the Guardians do possess a left-handed-heavy order, and that doesn't yet include Kyle Manzardo, now a key piece to their future at first base.

Laureano has always hit left-handers hard, and the Guardians know they'll be getting nearly every left-hander an opposing team has on a nightly basis. Laureano will again be eligible for arbitration this winter.

Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Twitter at @ByRyanLewis.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians 2023 season: Top questions heading into September