The Cleveland Guardians have not made any headline-grabbing additions this offseason, notably failing to improve their offense. Most of the moves they made were to reinforce an existing strength, as they acquired multiple relief pitchers.
Shawn Armstrong, Colin Holderman, and Connor Brogdon will join a unit that is led by closer Cade Smith and top setup man Hunter Gaddis. This depth is impressive, especially with some pitchers taking on new roles after All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase was lost last season, perhaps forever, to an MLB gambling investigation.
Of course, not all of these newcomers will work out and perform at a high level, but insider Terry Pluto is making a big prediction about the Guardians’ bullpen, saying at least two of them will find success.
“I’m not going to deal in-depth with all these new relievers. But here’s a prediction: At least two of the new relievers will become key parts of the bullpen. Cleveland is the master of reviving the careers of these types of pitchers,” Pluto wrote.
Armstrong is returning to the Guardians after serving as the Texas Rangers’ closer at times last season. In 71 appearances, he had nine saves with a 2.31 ERA and finished 22 games.
He made his major league debut with Cleveland in 2015, and in three seasons with the franchise, he appeared in 39 games with a 3.53 ERA. He then moved on to seven other teams, appearing in the most games with the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles.
Holderman signed with the Guardians after he was non-tendered by the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates. After two competent seasons, in 2025, he posted a 7.01 ERA over 25.2 innings in 24 appearances.
Brogdon arrives after pitching for the Los Angeles Angels last season. In 43 appearances, he had a 5.55 ERA, but that was after a terrible 2024 season when he was eventually sidelined by plantar fasciitis.
The trio will be counted on to provide support to Smith, who excelled down the stretch, taking over for Clase, and was a key reason the Guardians were able to rally to win the AL Central. In addition, Gaddis has emerged as one of the top middle relievers in the game.
With a solid starting rotation and this deep bullpen, the Guardians may not need a huge offensive boost to remain successful.
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