Who could come up from Triple-A for playoffs?

This story was excerpted from Mandy Bell’s Guardians Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CLEVELAND -- Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said he’s trying to not think about building his playoff roster until the last out of Game 162 is made. But it’s hard to ignore what’s coming up.

Not only will active rosters drop from 28 players back to 26, but Cleveland still has a handful of players in Triple-A Columbus who could be used at some point during the postseason, depending on how long the Guardians’ run lasts.

Let’s look at five options the Guardians have that are not currently on the active roster.

INF/OF Tyler Freeman
Positives: Freeman has defensive versatility, as he is able to play second base, shortstop, third base and center field. He’s recorded at least one hit in each of the six games he’s played with Columbus since he was optioned on Sept. 14, including a 5-for-6 night with two doubles and one homer on Sept. 21.

Negatives: Freeman wasn’t producing offensively at the level the Guardians would’ve liked in the second half of the season (.486 OPS in 35 games). Would he turn it around in the playoffs? Would he be a reliable option off the bench for a team that utilizes pinch-hitting as often as possible?

INF Gabriel Arias
Positives: Defense. The Guardians currently have Daniel Schneemann as their utility man. Arias’ defense is a step up from Schneemann, especially at shortstop. He can also play third base and first base (if needed), and he's gotten some reps in the corner outfield spots.

Negatives: Like Freeman, Arias’ bat wasn’t much of a threat when he was in the big leagues (.608 OPS in 53 games). Cleveland has to determine if Schneemann’s bat is more beneficial to have on the bench.

CF Myles Straw
Positives: Defense and speed. Lane Thomas has manned center field well for the Guardians, but having him there means that either Will Brennan or Jhonkensy Noel is in right. For a late-game defensive substitution, Straw going to center and Thomas moving to right (with Steven Kwan in left) is Cleveland's best defensive alignment in the outfield. Plus, Straw could be a pinch-running option.

The Guardians wanted to make sure Kwan (mid-back inflammation) was activated from the IL early enough so that Straw would spend enough days in Triple-A to be allowed to be recalled for the ALDS roster, if Cleveland chooses to carry him. Kwan was activated on Wednesday, and Straw was optioned to Columbus in a corresponding move.

Negatives: Straw hasn’t improved enough offensively to be an everyday player in the big leagues. He wouldn’t be a tremendous pinch-hitting threat off the bench, which limits him to late-game baserunning or defensive help.

RHP Triston McKenzie
Positives: This is a long shot, but the Guardians at least have McKenzie as an option to add another arm to the bullpen. They had him pitch in relief with Columbus three times to be ready if the opportunity arises. In the first, on Sept. 10, he threw three scoreless innings. In the second, on Sept. 15, he went another 2 2/3 scoreless innings. It wasn’t until his last appearance, on Sept. 20, that he gave up four runs (three earned) in 1 2/3 innings. But he’s ready, and he has experience that the Guardians may be looking for.

Negatives: McKenzie’s command was sporadic in the first half of the season in the big leagues (49 walks in 75 2/3 innings over 16 starts), and it didn’t become more consistent after he was optioned to Triple-A (33 walks in 53 1/3 over 13 appearances, including 10 starts). Although McKenzie could be more of a weapon in shorter stints in relief than he was as a starter looking to eat up six innings, the Guardians may not want to figure out that answer at the most pivotal point in the season.

RHP Franco Aleman
Positives: All right, this, too, is a long shot, but we had to highlight the work that Aleman did this year. His numbers alone are enough to make him an emergency option later in the postseason, should the Guardians make a run and need another arm. Aleman posted a 1.99 ERA in 24 relief appearances with Columbus, and he hasn’t given up an earned run since May 8.

Negatives: Aleman is inexperienced. It’s a big ask to have a pitcher make his Major League debut in the postseason. It’s a big enough ask for the Guardians to rely on rookies Andrew Walters or Erik Sabrowski, if they make the ALDS roster. Cleveland would have to be in a pinch if Aleman got the call. But he’s earned the opportunity if that situation occurs.