The Cleveland Guardians rode their pitching all the way to the playoffs last season.
Now, they may have gotten even better.
They brought free-agent reliever Paul Sewald on a one-year deal, and given his experience, he might end up being one of the best pickups of the offseason.
Of course, some fans weren’t that thrilled because of his history of injuries.
Nevertheless, a report by Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com states that the team’s medical staff isn’t too worried about them, stating that they believe he’ll bounce back and health won’t be an issue:
“An MLB source told me that the Guardians consider Sewald “a great teammate and leader. They consider the injures last year to be rather minor, and they think he’ll bounce back. They are hoping for a bounce back year and they continue to work on depth for their bullpen,” Pluto said.
His deal with the organization also includes a mutual option for the 2026 campaign.
Of course, the Guardians already have an elite closer in Emmanuel Clase, but Sewald gives the bullpen another arm with closing experience in case of an emergency.
The Guardians designated Pedro Avila for assignment to make room for Sewald.
That was also a bit of a gamble, as Avila had been a consistent contributor out of the bullpen for most of the season, posting a 3.25 ERA in over 70 IP.
The Guardians have one of the best pitching coaching staffs in the game, and while it’s always scary to take a chance on a player who’s coming off an injury, the upside is just too high to ignore here.
NEXT: Insider Reveals Why The Guardians Signed Paul Sewald
