Top 5 things learned from Cleveland's 2021 season

The final game before the Guardians name change takes place has been played, a 6-0 Cleveland win, putting a cap on the 2021 regular season and the team name the franchise has used since 1915.

For Cleveland baseball, it signals a new era heading into the 2022 season. Progressive Field will undergo an overhaul of construction to be ready for Opening Day. And the front office will evaluate one of baseball's youngest rosters that could be set up well moving forward, albeit with several difficult decisions still needing to be addressed.

End of an era:Progressive Field sees its last home game before Guardians name change

Here are the top five things that were learned from the 2021 season.

It's true what they say: You can never have enough starting pitching

When Zach Plesac went down with a shirt-related injury, it presented a problem for Cleveland's starting rotation. When Shane Bieber followed him to the injured list a few weeks later, that problem became dire. When Aaron Civale walked off the mound 10 days later with a finger injury, it transformed into an all-hands-on-deck, five-alarm fire.

Cleveland has a wealth of young starting pitching talent on the 40-man roster, a positive sign for the team's long-term outlook. But much of that talent was untested at the major league level and not ready to be thrown into the fire so early. J.C. Mejia, Sam Hentges and Eli Morgan attempted to shoulder the burden of not only giving Cleveland significant innings while trying to contend, but also having to develop on the fly against major-league hitters. To make the injuries even more significant, Triston McKenzie and Logan Allen both struggled early on and Cal Quantrill began the season in the bullpen after a rough spring.

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It left Cleveland in an unprecedented pitching predicament, with President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti, manager Terry Francona and pitching coach Carl Willis effectively having to regroup nearly every night to piece together the next few days.

Cleveland was able to withstand the problem for a few weeks, but eventually, it took its toll. The club's hope is that the silver lining is that several young starting pitchers gained some valuable experience at the major league level.

The 2022 rotation is cemented — if healthy

Through all of that pitching adversity, it did become clear that there is a top five for the 2022 rotation set in stone, barring any injuries between now and next spring.

Assuming there are no hiccups, Shane Bieber will throw the first official pitch in the Guardians era at Progressive Field on March 31 against the Kansas City Royals. He'll be joined by Plesac, Civale, Quantrill and McKenzie, with the last two in that grouping proving that they must be given those innings next season. It'll form a young, but high-ceiling rotation.

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Among qualified pitchers, Quantrill's 1.94 ERA in the second half was the best in the American League and the second best in baseball over that time, behind only Max Fried of the Atlanta Braves at 1.74. McKenzie finished with a 4.95 ERA, but made significant steps forward and squashed his command issues that plagued him earlier in the season. He showed his ceiling is about as high as any, so while he's still searching for extended consistency, McKenzie surely will have a spot in the rotation, barring a horrific spring or an injury.

While the 2021 rotation was thrown into turmoil for much of the season, it was through that fire that the 2022 rotation was forged.

The outfield is still Cleveland's biggest question mark, but progress was made

The Browns spent years trying to figure out their quarterback situation, rolling through one potential candidate after another. The Guardians hope they're closer to finding some answers entering 2022, though there is much left to figure out.

Since Michael Brantley left, Cleveland's outfield has been among the league's worst as a group. Eddie Rosario was signed to help stabilize left field, but the type of production the front office envisioned never materialized, and he was shipped to the Braves at the trade deadline.

Harold Ramirez, a waiver-wire addition in the spring, didn't hit enough to make up for some defensive miscues. Oscar Mercado struggled and still hasn't regained anywhere close to his 2019 form, when he hit 15 home runs and stole 15 bases. Daniel Johnson again struggled to bring his minor-league success into the majors.

But there was some progress. Bradley Zimmer didn't light the world on fire at the plate in 2021 (.224 average, eight home runs, nine doubles, 13 stolen bases), but he did start to show some signs that he had unlocked the power of his lengthy frame, slugging four home runs more than 440 feet in the last several weeks of the season. Just before he turns 29, Zimmer might have done enough to keep Cleveland chasing the idea that he might have finally figured it out.

Josh Naylor had also shown signs that he had found a rhythm just before he sustained a gruesome ankle injury that required surgery and ended his season. The damage was substantial enough that the team still doesn't have a timeline on his return, putting his Opening Day status for the 2022 season in doubt. When healthy, he's another young outfielder who will be given at-bats. But for now, his status is murky.

Myles Straw was acquired at the trade deadline as the club's hopeful, long-term answer in center field. A superb defender, Straw has speed and hit .286 with a .365 on-base percentage after being dealt to Cleveland. He'll man center field, with Cleveland having to figure out the other two spots. It could again be a core focus for the front office this winter.

Cleveland won the Corey Kluber trade and Emmanuel Clase is the real deal

The Corey Kluber trade was a difficult one for Cleveland fans, seeing a two-time Cy Young Award winner and one of the best pitchers in franchise history being sent off to the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers got all of one inning for Kluber. And in return, they dealt outfielder Delino DeShields (who offered about as much value as one inning of pitching) and Emmanuel Clase, who put together a strong rookie season after serving a P.E.D. suspension in 2020.

Clase finished the season with a 1.29 ERA, a 2.10 FIP and a 9.56 K/9 rate in 69⅔ innings, and he got better as the year progressed. He controlled his slider a bit better in the second half, which kept hitters off his cutter just a bit more.

James Karinchak struggled and was eventually optioned to Triple-A for a few weeks, and Clase took charge of the closer's role. Manager Terry Francona doesn't always set roles in stone, but Clase will certainly, at the very least, handle a lion's share of the high-leverage or closing situations as a key focal point to the long-term bullpen. The idea has been to pair him and Karinchak to form one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball for years to come. Clase, at least, has held up his end of the bargain.

Kluber has since moved on to the New York Yankees, for whom he threw a no-hitter this season. Clase figures to be a staple in Cleveland's bullpen through at least 2026.

The goals remain steadfast: win today and plan for tomorrow

If anything became clear with how Cleveland operated at the trade deadline, it was that the dual goals of winning today while setting up tomorrow have remained in place.

Cleveland sent away second baseman Cesar Hernandez, Rosario, outfielder Jordan Luplow, relievers Phil Maton and DJ Johnson, catching prospect Yainer Diaz and cash considerations.

In return, Cleveland received Straw, left-handed pitching prospect Konnor Pilkington, and right-handed pitching prospect Peyton Battenfield.

Hernandez, Rosario, Luplow, Maton and Johnson weren't under long-term control or entering arbitration. Relievers Bryan Shaw and Blake Parker and catcher Wilson Ramos are left as the only players on the roster eligible for free agency.

To take it back to last offseason, the Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco deal with the Mets led to the acquisition of Andres Gimenez (the team's hopeful, long-term answer at shortstop), Amed Rosario (a short-term answer, but one under club control for a few more years who had a positive 2021 season) and two prospects. There is much left to figure out there, especially with how both Gimenez and Rosario will be used in 2022.

Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Indians at www.beaconjournal.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at @ByRyanLewis.