The Cleveland Guardians’ bullpen was nothing short of spectacular for most of last season.
They figure to be near the top of the Majors again in 2025.
And with their young players looking like rising stars, they would be wise to get them locked up for years to come.
With that in mind, Guardians insider Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com predicted that it shouldn’t take long before they sign some of their young relief pitchers to contract extensions.
Apparently, Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, and Tim Herrin could be in for big pay raises as early as this spring:
“The Guardians have a history of signing their young players to multiyear contracts to avoid arbitration. I would not be surprised if they approach Smith, Gaddis or Herrin this spring,” Hoynes said.
Unfortunately, the Guardians’ spectacular bullpen couldn’t keep it together down the stretch.
They showed signs of exhaustion with the wear and tear of a long season when it mattered the most, collapsing in the American League Championship Series vs. the New York Yankees.
Nevertheless, as pointed out by skipper Stephen Vogt, the team rallied behind the bullpen throughout the course of the entire season, and they wouldn’t have even gotten that far if it wasn’t for them.
Emmanuel Clase is still at the top of his game and might be the absolute best closer in all of baseball right now.
And if they manage to get Paul Sewald back to his former level, their bullpen should continue to pose a legitimate nightmare for everybody else around The Show.
Given how the Guardians usually operate and how they played last season, they should undoubtedly look to keep their three relievers for the long term.
NEXT: Insider Predicts Which Guardians Player Will Bat Cleanup This Season
