When the Cleveland Guardians were bounced from the 2026 American League Championship Series, questions began flooding in.

Not only were fans and media members alike curious about what was next for the organization at large, but they were also curious about the status of manager Stephen Vogt and starting pitcher Tanner Bibee in the navy blue and red. Both individuals were under the spotlight the moment the team left the postseason.

On Thursday, Oct. 22, the Guardians held a season-recapping press conference, closing the gate on the 2026 campaign and opening the barn doors for 2027. During such an event, Vogt confirmed that he would not be leaving the Guardians, while also providing an update on Bibee.

The 27-year-old appeared in just 0.1 innings in the Guardians' postseason race, casting doubt on his future with the organization.

Vogt, though, tried to blow those dark clouds away.

"When we look at Tanner Bibee's year, we have to consider a lot of different components," Vogt began. "Opening Day starter, he was the rock, took the ball over 30 times for us. Started every five or six days for the entire year. No run support in the first half. That can really be a tough thing to do, and Tanner went through a few different times where he was just kind of battling himself on the mound with his mechanics.

"And it was just kind of that inconsistent year that you talked about, and that we have talked about with Tanner... He was our rock in that rotation, and I don't see that role changing in '27. He's going to be a big part of our team and a big part of our rotation moving forward"

"He was our rock in that rotation, and I don't see that role changing in '27. He's going to be a big part of our team and a big part of our rotation moving forward"#Guardians Stephen Vogt on Tanner Bibee#GuardsBall @WEWS pic.twitter.com/XMFbCxc0Ql

— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) October 22, 2026

The Playoff Usage

Bibee has every right to question his future with the Guardians, even if he won't publicly come out and say so.

He is currently sitting on a five-year, nearly $50 million deal that makes him the highest-paid pitcher on the roster. After all Vogt said he did in 2026, serving as one of the Guardians' go-to arms on the mound, they turned away from him in the postseason.

And frankly, Vogt didn't really have a good explanation for it when asked.

“Had we advanced [to the World Series] the usage could have looked different... we wanted Tanner to pitch, but the spot never presented itself,” Vogt said following the Guardians' Game 6 loss in the ALCS

Stephen Vogt on Tanner Bibee sitting out the ALCS: “Had we advanced the usage could have looked a lot different…. We wanted Tanner to pitch, the spot never presented itself” #Guardians

Video courtesy #MLB pool feed pic.twitter.com/orBmKFbqxq

— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) October 20, 2026

If that truly is the case, one has to think that Bibee won't be a rock in the starting rotation in the 2027 campaign. Because if he were that important to the team, why did he get so little time on the mound in the postseason?

An Offseason To Reset

The Guardians will likely need to address the situation behind closed doors, determining not only whether Bibee can remain with the organization amid potential frustrations but also how to establish a more stable role for him moving forward.

He won't be the Ace anymore, at least for now, after struggling through the last few months of the season.

From July 5 through Sept. 26, Bibee posted a 5.15 ERA across 15 starts. He gave up 90 hits, 51 runs and 26 walks, all while allowing 12 home runs as well. Those numbers aren't good enough to have a long-term spot locked down.

And while Vogt's comments are certainly reassuring, how Bibee progresses and continues to develop in the offseason will tell the full story.

If he comes into the 2027 campaign with his feet back underneath himself and a reset headspace, there is very little doubt that the Guardians would move on from him.

But if these issues persist and his postseason usage remains stuck in his head, the two sides may end up having to part ways.