5 keys for the Guardians in the second half

The defending Central Division champion Guardians begin the second half in fourth place, trailing the first-place Tigers by 12 games and 4½ games behind the Mariners for the final American League wild card spot. Catching the Tigers, the majors' best team in the first half, appears to be beyond possibility, but contending for the postseason isn't out of reach. Here are five keys for Cleveland in the second half. Bigger bats: The offense was average at best prior to the All-Star break and abysmal during a 10-game losing skid that saw Cleveland get shut out five times. Too often, it was Jose (Ramirez), (Steven) Kwan and pray. Outside of Carlos Santana, the Guardians got little production from anyone else in the lineup. They did get hot at the end of the first half, winning six of their final seven games while averaging six runs. For their sake, it better be a sign of things to come, because rattling off wins and getting back into the wild card race is going to take some offense. Healthy stars: Speaking of Ramirez and Kwan, each battled nagging injuries throughout the first half — Ramirez a bad ankle and Kwan a sore wrist. The All-Stars are pivotal to the Guardians enjoying any offensive success. They need both to be as close to 100% as possible for Cleveland to have a chance of making its second straight postseason appearance. Dangerous arms: Outside of an early stumble from three-time All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase and a handful of poor starts from the rotation, pitching wasn't an issue for the Guardians in the first half. For the most part, Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Slade Cecconi, Logan Allen and Luis Ortiz gave their team a chance to win on a consistent basis. Clase turned it around and the bullpen has been its usual effective self. That's good, because regardless of what happens offensively, pitching is going to dictate how far Cleveland goes. Clean it up: It wasn't just the offense that struggled for the majority of the first half. The Guardians ranked near the bottom of the majors in nearly every defensive category, playing some downright sloppy games, including one in which first baseman Kyle Manzardo committed three errors in one inning. That can't continue in the second half. As of now, the Guardians don't have enough firepower to give opposing teams runs. Vogt of confidence: During his debut season last year, reigning American League Manager of the Year Stephen Vogt pulled all the right levers in guiding the Guardians to the ALCS. His moves haven't worked as well this year. Though performance issues have played a big part, Vogt has failed to figure out the situation in right field while searching all season for an effective No. 2 hitter. He needs to find the 2024 magic again in the second half to get his team back in contention. Probably the biggest question confronting the Guardians in the second half will be answered soon at the July 31 trade deadline: Will Cleveland buy or sell? In the midst of the 10-game skid, it appeared a foregone conclusion that the Guardians would be sellers, but after getting hot at the end of the first half, it's at least debatable whether they go a different direction. Still, this isn't a franchise known for making big splashes at the deadline, or any time for that matter, which is what may be required. It's more likely Cleveland tears it down and trades veterans, which could include Santana, Lane Thomas, Shane Bieber and even Clase if it doesn't come out of the break hot. Contact Chris Assenheimer at (440) 329-7136. Follow him @CAwesomeheimer on X.