Guardians add a reliever for the ALCS roster

NEW YORK -- The Guardians had one big decision to make when it came to their American League Championship Series roster: Which pitcher should they add to the bullpen?

Going from a five-game series to a seven-game series, the Guardians needed a 13th pitcher on the roster, especially because they’ve been so aggressive in utilizing their bullpen. They had Pedro Avila, Nick Sandlin and Ben Lively -- all of whom ended the regular season on the active roster and were left off for the ALDS. Ultimately, it was Avila who made the cut.

Cleveland included Avila, instead of infielder/outfielder Angel Martínez -- who was on the ALDS roster -- to officially set its ALCS roster on Monday morning.

Avila brings the most versatility to this group. He can be a long reliever, which is the role Lively would’ve filled if he would’ve been added. Avila has also shown that he can be used for shorter outings, considering 21 of his 54 appearances were one inning or less.

Mix his versatility with his steadiness this year and that’s the reason why he edged out Sandlin for the final spot. As great as Sandlin was for Cleveland to start the season, his consistency waned in the second half. And with a dangerous lineup like the Yankees’, the Guardians know they need their best pitchers to work every single inning.

Here’s the Guardians full ALCS roster:

Starters: Tanner Bibee, Matthew Boyd, Alex Cobb, Gavin Williams

Relievers: Emmanuel Clase, Hunter Gaddis, Cade Smith, Tim Herrin, Eli Morgan, Andrew Walters, Erik Sabrowski, Pedro Avila, Joey Cantillo

Catchers: Bo Naylor, Austin Hedges

Infielders: Josh Naylor, Andrés Giménez, Brayan Rocchio, José Ramírez, Daniel Schneemann, David Fry, Kyle Manzardo

Outfielders: Steven Kwan, Lane Thomas, Jhonkensy Noel, Will Brennan