The Cleveland Guardians have plenty of work to do this offseason to get the team over the hump after consecutive disappointing playoff losses in 2024 and 2025. For a team that rarely spends big money, the Guardians are going to have to get creative to improve in the areas that need it the most.
One of those areas is the bullpen, which is going to have to have to figure out a solution to deal with the loss of star closer Emmanuel Clase, who is knee-deep in an alleged gambling scandal. There is a legitimate possibility he has thrown his last pitch in MLB, and while one of the team’s newest additions won’t be tasked with replacing the former All-Star, he can help recreate him in the aggregate.
The Guardians recently acquired left-handed reliever Justin Bruihl from the Toronto Blue Jays for cash, and designated power-hitting outfielder Jhonkensy Noel for assignment to make room for him on the roster.
Tim Stebbins of MLB.com wrote about the move recently and pointed out how Bruihl could be a sneaky addition to this bullpen as a lefty specialist.
“Bruihl fits the profile of other Guardians pitchers in that he gets great extension off the mound. His average extension in 2025 was 6.8 feet, which ranked in the 81st percentile. Cleveland finished tied with Texas for first in the big leagues in average extension (6.7 feet) this past season,” Stebbins wrote. “With Bruihl in the fold, the Guardians now have three left-handers in their relief mix, alongside Erik Sabrowski and Tim Herrin. At the very least, Bruihl offers depth from the left side – and he has had success against left-handed hitters in his career, holding them to a .224 average and a .580 OPS.”
Bruihl has had mixed results in his five years in the league, posting a 4.72 career ERA across 94 appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Toronto Blue Jays. He had a 5.27 ERA in 15 appearances for Toronto in 2025.
Even lefties did some damage against him in 2025 with an .873 OPS and two home runs in just 31 plate appearances, so the Guardians will work with him to tap back into the approach that helped him dominate lefties to the tune of a career .580 OPS against. It’s certainly not a trade that will create many headlines, but these are the types of moves teams have to make when they don’t plan on spending money.
Cleveland’s bullpen depth isn’t an issue. While the depth may be adequate, the Guardians would benefit greatly from one more arm emerging as a consistent and reliable option, and we’ll see if Bruihl has that in him.
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