The Cleveland Guardians know they’re not going to rake their way to a World Series. While they clearly have to bolster their offense and add more firepower to their lineup, that’s just not the way they’ve built their team.
The Guardians have always taken pride in their strong bullpen. That was the case again last season, and it should be their approach for as long as this front office is there. With that in mind, it’s not much of a surprise to hear that they’re looking to add more talent to that unit.
According to a report by team insider Tim Stebbins, the Guardians have spent a lot of time figuring out how to bolster the bullpen.
“In fact, president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti surmised on Tuesday that the bullpen is likely the area Cleveland’s brass has spent the most time on — not only the past few days, but the past few weeks. The Guardians have been examining multiple avenues through which they could acquire relievers, whether it be Major League or Minor League free agency, the trade market, the Rule 5 Draft (which is set for Wednesday) or otherwise,” Stebbins wrote.
The bullpen was one of the lone bright spots on this team last season. That being said, there’s always plenty of volatility between seasons, and with the way the team is built, they just can’t afford to blow games late.
Stephen Vogt’s team usually excelled in the second half of games after a slow start. They knew how to get to the opposition’s bullpen, knowing that theirs would be able to hold onto a lead.
They found a true star in Cade Smith. He proved that they wouldn’t miss Emmanuel Clase for as long as he was there, and he should be poised to be their closer for many more years to come. However, that left a big void and a major need for a setup.
And while the foundation is laid and this bullpen doesn’t need a major shakeup, it never hurts to add more depth.
NEXT: Stephen Vogt Believes Guardians Catcher Is Poised For Big Season
