CROSSROADS: Cleveland Guardians' Season at CRITICAL Juncture | Will They EMBRACE the Youth Movement?

Cleveland Guardians' playoff hopes fade as struggles mount. Can they salvage their season? Justin Lada and Jeff Ellis break down the Guardians' recent sweep by the Texas Rangers and analyze the team's diminishing postseason chances. The guys explore potential prospect call-ups, including George Valera's cycle in the minors, and dissect pitching woes plaguing both the rotation and bullpen. We also discuss Cade Smith's closer struggles, draft position implications, and the balance between developing young talent and veteran obligations. 0:00 Intro: Guardians' disappointing weekend sweep 5:00 Analyzing Guardians' inconsistent season and injuries 10:00 Bullpen struggles and Cade Smith's closing issues 15:00 George Valera's recent performance and call-up debate 20:00 Comparing prospects and potential September call-ups 25:00 Guardians' playoff chances and draft position implications 30:00 Discussing John Means and Lane Thomas returns Listener Survey We’ve put together a survey to learn more about our listeners and make your favorite podcasts even better. Go tohttps://lockedonpodcasts.com/survey/ to get started. Everyone who completes a survey will be entered for a chance to win one of ten $100 Amazon gift cards. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! 5-Hour ENERGY Tee up that trip! Enter for a chance to win a dream golf trip for two to any golf tournament* in the USA. Visit 5HEWIN.com for full rules and entry. No purchase necessary. Excludes the Master’s tournament. Ends October 31, 2025. Upside Simply download the free Upside app in the App Store or Google Play and use the promo code SEASON to get an extra 25 cents back per gallon on your first fill up. Start earning cash at the pump, today! Click Here: https://getupside.onelink.me/zlLr?af_xp=custom&pid=barrington&c=barrington_lockedon25&deep_link_value=promo&deep_link_sub1=lockedon25&af_dp=upsideapp%3A%2F%2F Monarch Money Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONMLB at monarchmoney.com/lockedonmlb for 50% off your first year. Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Football season is around the corner, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOGuardians?sid=YouTube Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More 🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnMLB #Guardians #ClevelandGuardians #MLB Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.