Mike Maher told listeners to sneak Cade Smith onto their benches before the Guardians officially shift roles in the ninth. Emmanuel Clase has been "a little fatigued and banged up," resulting in Smith grabbing two of Cleveland’s last three save chances. Smith’s four-seam/slider combo has produced a 35 percent strikeout rate and a sub-2.00 ERA since the start of 2024, metrics Maher believes make him more than a placeholder. He compared the situation to last year’s Carlos Estevez run in Anaheim—managers who reacted first banked 20 early saves. Even if Clase rebounds, Maher expects Terry Francona to lighten the All-Star’s workload after he led MLB in appearances in 2023. Smith is available in over 90 percent of leagues, so Maher urged anyone in need of saves or ratios to grab him now before the fantasy world notices.

Halterman advised adding or stashing Cade Smith with Emmanuel Clase dealing with shoulder discomfort after a noticeable drop in strikeouts (24 % → 17 %) and ground-ball rate (60 % → 45 %). Smith already has two saves this week while Clase sits. Since last season he’s logged 88.1 IP with a 1.83 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 35 % K-rate, 6 % BB-rate, and just one homer allowed—no other reliever pairs that strikeout punch with that level of control. Even if Clase rebounds, Halterman believes Smith is rosterable for elite ratios; if the shoulder issue lingers, fantasy managers could luck into five months of top-tier closer production.

Chris Welsh said fantasy managers in 15‑team leagues should immediately grab Cade Smith as a speculative saves play while Emmanuel Clase deals with shoulder discomfort. Smith has now closed out two straight opportunities because Clase threw 30 pitches two nights ago and the Guardians do not want to push him. Welsh emphasized that Cleveland historically rides the hot hand in the ninth and noted Smith’s 98 mph fastball plus a 35% whiff slider that has produced 33 strikeouts and just nine walks in 31 innings. Even if Clase reclaims the job, Welsh believes Smith is one more sore‑arm report away from taking the role outright, making him a priority add in any format that rewards saves or holds.