The Cleveland Guardians have one of the best bullpens in the game. Nevertheless, that usually varies from year to year, and while they’re usually near the top in that regard, they can’t leave anything to chance.
That’s especially the case after losing their star closer. And while Cade Smith did an outstanding job to replace the now-infamous Emmanuel Clase, this team still needs to add another setup to the mix. With that in mind, team insider Paul Hoynes firmly expects them to be very active in the market for more bullpen arms.
In fact, they’ve already made a potentially impactful signing there:
“While the Guardians may not add the kind of bat that fans want, they will try and add pitching, especially in the bullpen. Just before the meetings, they signed right-hander Connor Brogdon, a free agent from the Angels, to a big-league contract worth $900,000. The loss of Emmanuel Clase, indicted along with Ortiz, has left the Guardians thin in late-inning arms. Trevor Stephan could help, but he’s been slow come back from Tommy John surgery and was taken off the 40-man roster despite the Guardians owing him $3.5 million for 2026,” Hoynes wrote.
The Guardians have one of the best pitching coaching staffs in the game. They’ve usually struck gold when it comes to either finding or fixing players on a cheap deal and maximizing their value on the mound, and this season shouldn’t be the exception to the rule.
That being said, they did turn to their bullpen early and often last season, and that can be quite taxing on any unit. They need fresh arms to make sure they won’t collapse down the stretch next season.
Of course, the Guardians will never be the type of team that will just throw money out of the window. They will look for value and cheap contracts as opposed to making a big splash.
But, given some of the options available and their history of success in that regard, it’s easy to feel excited about this team’s chances in 2026.
NEXT: Insider Makes Case For Guardians To Address Key Unit
