The Cleveland Guardians’ biggest accomplishment last year was reaching the American League Championship Series without Shane Bieber.

When he went down with an elbow injury after two starts, the Guardians could have folded.

Instead, they cobbled together the starting rotation the best they could while allowing the bullpen to shoulder the heavy load.

Logan Allen and Triston McKenzie were sent to the minor leagues, but the rotation kept scratching their way to the sixth or seventh inning.

WHAT ABOUT 2025?

The Guardians will need to do more of the same in order to defend their American League Central Division championship.

Cleveland’s starters have very little margin for error if they want to keep the team afloat until Bieber returns in the middle of the season.

Tanner Bibee has embraced the role as the ace. Bibee, who will turn 26 this spring, went 12-8 with a 3.47 ERA and 187 strikeouts.

Gavin Williams is looking to bounce back from a rough year. Sidelined with an injury for the first half of the season, Williams went 3-10 with a 4.86 ERA.

Ben Lively added stability to the rotation after Bieber’s injury. He made 29 starts and racked up 13 wins.

KEY NEWCOMER

Luis Ortiz is the player Cleveland received from Pittsburgh after trading Andres Gimenez to Toronto (I know, it’s complicated).

Ortiz will be an important piece of the rotation puzzle. He started 15 games for the Pirates and posted a 3.32 ERA.

Joey Cantillo may have the inside track on the No. 5 starting spot, now that Carlos Carrasco has moved on to the New York Yankees.

Allen and McKenzie will also challenge to get back into the rotation.

Slade Cecconi is a wild-card possibility for the fifth-starter spot after arriving from Arizona in the Josh Naylor trade.

If this crew can come together and keep the Guardians near the top of the standings, Bieber could provide a massive boost when he returns from the injured list.