Guardians Notes: Kwan, Bullpen, Valera, Rocchio

By Anthony Franco | December 10, 2025 at 12:40pm CDT

As expected, it has been a quiet start to the offseason for the Guardians. Their only major league moves thus far have been to re-sign backup catcher Austin Hedges and add middle reliever Connor Brogdon. Cleveland rarely attacks free agency, and they seem generally unlikely to make major moves on the trade front in either direction this winter.

The Guardians heard teams out on Steven Kwan at the deadline. They didn’t find an offer to their liking, and they’re less inclined to sell after making a surprise late-season run to another AL Central title. Unsurprisingly, ESPN’s Buster Olney wrote this morning that while the Guards aren’t going to close themselves off to offers, they’re currently inclined to hold him into next season.

An offseason trade would be selling at a bit of a low point. Kwan had a .700 OPS or worse in each of the final four months. His overall .272/.330/.374 line was league average, but that was carried mostly by a fantastic April. It’s primarily a reflection of a drop in his batting average on balls in play. BABIP volatility is to be expected for a player who rarely hits the ball hard but is one of the sport’s five best pure contact hitters. The bat-to-ball skills and plus defense in left field give him a solid floor, and both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference valued him around three wins above replacement.

Kwan is under team control for two seasons. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for an $8.8MM salary. The Guardians don’t have much on the books beyond the well below-market José Ramírez contract. They’re not under any financial pressure to move him. Even if other teams value him just as highly as they did over the summer, a trade would remove the only established outfielder from Stephen Vogt’s lineup. Rookies Chase DeLauter, Petey Halpin and George Valera and the out-of-options Nolan Jones are currently in line to divide the center and right field playing time. The Guards already need to add to the outfield, and a Kwan trade would only push that further.

Cleveland is also in the market for multiple relievers, Vogt told reporters at the Winter Meetings (link via Tim Stebbins of MLB.com). “We need depth in the bullpen,” the two-time AL Manager of the Year said. “We have four, maybe five guys in our bullpen, and we need eight.”

It’s safe to assume Emmanuel Clase isn’t coming back. That keeps Cade Smith in the closer role. Hunter Gaddis is a quality setup arm from the right side. The rest of the group is in flux. Brogdon and Matt Festa are out of options and probably set to open the season in middle relief. Neither should be ticketed for leverage spots. There’s even less certainty from the left side. Tim Herrin and Erik Sabrowski have each shown promise but struggled to throw strikes. Even if a depth starter like Joey Cantillo or Doug Nikhazy ends up in long relief, they need more trustworthy arms.

Additionally, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports that the Guardians have been granted a fourth option year on both Valera and second base prospect Juan Brito. Players can typically only be optioned to the minor leagues in three separate seasons after being added to the 40-man roster. After that, teams need to pass them through waivers and outright them off the 40-man to send them down.

Exceptions are made for players who have less than five full seasons (90+ days) on an MLB or minor league active roster. That usually occurs because the player took a while to reach full-season ball — especially for international signings who signed their first contract at 16 — and/or missed chunks of a season to injury. Valera didn’t play a full minor league season until 2021 and missed most of this past season working back from knee surgery. Brito didn’t play a full season until 2022, so he’d have been eligible for the fourth option even if he were fully healthy. He missed most of the ’25 season because of thumb and hamstring issues.

Valera and Brito could each be in the mix for Opening Day roster spots. The Guardians have the flexibility to send them to Triple-A Columbus for another season, though both right field and second base are open in the short term. There’s probably more pressure on Brito to break out, as top prospect Travis Bazzana has already hit his way to Triple-A. Bazzana has the higher ceiling and is viewed as the long-term second baseman, meaning Brito might not have much runway even if he breaks camp.

Vogt told reporters that Brayan Rocchio will play a lot of shortstop during Spring Training. They’ll move Gabriel Arias around in a utility role, leaving the door open for Brito or Bazzana to play their way into the second base job early in the season. Rocchio divided his time evenly between the middle infield spots this year, though he was mostly at the keystone in the second half. He’s out of options and probably isn’t in jeopardy of losing his roster spot, but he’s a .222/.293/.327 in more than 900 plate appearances over parts of three seasons. He’s entering his age-25 campaign and in a bit of a make-or-break spot himself if he’s going to remain an everyday player.

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Former Guardians postseason hero becomes villain after signing with Royals

The Lane train has left the station.

By Henry Palattella

Dec 12, 2025

In October 2024, Lane Thomas etched his name into Guardians lore by mashing a majestic home run against Tarik Skubal in Game 5 of the American League Division Series.

It turns out that’ll be the high water mark of his time with the Guardians.

On Thursday, Thomas signed a one-year, $5.25 million deal with the Royals after lingering in the free agency market for two months after an injury-filled 2025.

Last season Thomas went through the walk year from hell, as he broke his wrist in the Guardians’ home opener after being hit by a pitch and then had two other stints on the injured list due to plantar fasciitis.

He ended up hitting .160 across 39 games with the Guardians and didn’t play in a game after July 4. He underwent foot surgery in September that was expected to keep him out for four months.

That checkered season was the biggest reason why he ended up settling for a $5.25 million contract despite having a skillset based around power and speed.

When Thomas is at his best, he’s crushing the ball to all fields while providing above average defense in center. He was doing exactly that in 2023 when his .268 with 23 home runs and 86 RBI in 156 games for the Nationals, which still stands as his best season.

It’s easy to see why the Royals decided to roll the dice on Thomas given how things went for them in the outfield last season. Last year, Kansas City’s outfielders combined for a .219 batting average, which was the second-lowest mark in the league behind the lowly Angels.

Kyle Isbel handled his own in center field (.255 average in 135 games), but rookie Jac Caglianone struggled in his first taste of MLB action in right and Drew Waters was a negative player in left.

The Royals acquired Mike Yastrzemski from the Giants at the trade deadline to handle outfield duties, but he signed a two-year deal with the Braves on Wednesday that likely led to Thomas’ deal.

Thomas had gone on record that he had some interest in returning to Cleveland, but that won't be the case.

While we don’t know if the Guardians had any interest in reuniting with Thomas, Chris Antonetti has already said that the Guardians are ready to give more opportunities to their young outfielders, and bringing Thomas back would have gone against that thinking.

Now, Thomas’ time with the Guardians is a case of “what if.”

While he had those majestic home runs in the postseason, he didn’t produce in the regular season and had to sit on the sideline last season while the Guardians went on their strong run at the end of the season to clinch the AL Central.

Thomas will get his first chance to haunt his former team on April 6 when the Royals travel to Cleveland to take on the Guardians.

( I have a feeling that this move is going to end up biting us in the arse )

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Latest revealed secret means Guardians fans don't need to fear Stephen Vogt departure

He's not going anywhere.

By Henry Palattella

22 hours ago

You can’t talk about the Cleveland Guardians’ recent run of success without talking about Stephen Vogt. Since taking over as the Guardians’ manager ahead of the 2024 season, Vogt has helped lead the Guardians to a 180-143 record with two American League Central crowns.

And he’s not going to go anywhere any time soon. On Friday, ESPN’s Jeff Passan put out a story about Vogt and Brewers manager Pat Murphy (who have both won back-to-back Manager of the Year Awards in their respective leagues), where he provided a promising update about Vogt’s future in Cleveland.

“Vogt, in fact, is not a lame duck. He signed a new multiyear contract with the Guardians following the 2024 season that was never made public, sources told ESPN,”

Passan wrote.

Vogt quietly signing an extension isn’t a huge surprise given that most managerial extensions happen in silence, but it’s still exciting nonetheless.

Stephen Vogt isn’t going to leave the Guardians any time soon

Vogt’s contract extension looks even better compared to Murphy’s situation, as Passan wrote that Murphy’s contract is set to expire after the 2026 season, which is the worst position for a manager to be in.

Most of the time managers have a contract that covers multiple seasons so that way they’re not in a “lame duck” status where everyone knows they’re going to be gone after the season.

The last time the Brewers were in a situation like this, they lost Craig Counsell to the Cubs for a record-setting deal with the Cubs, as Passan pointed out in his story.

The Guardians were in a similar situation with Terry Francona in 2023, but it was a bit of an open secret that would be his final season in Cleveland. And Francona leaving led to the Guardians hiring Vogt, which has been one of the shrewdest moves in recent team history.

Last season was Vogt at his best, as he managed multiple injuries, suspensions and trade rumors to help guide the Guardians on a record-setting comeback in the American League Central to win the division crown.

Vogt’s track record of success is even more impressive when you consider the deck he’s playing with. While he has an All-World player in José Ramírez, he’s had to navigate all that winning with a subpar lineup and a roster that’s routinely ranked near the bottom of the league in payroll.

Even if it helps that the Guardians have a stellar starting rotation and bullpen, he’s had a lineup filled with frustratingly inconsistent players, and it seems like that’s going to continue in 2026.

Still, any Guardians team with Vogt at the helm is going to be a contender, so keeping him in the fold was a clear win. It was already hard to imagine a world where Vogt wasn’t at the top step of the home dugout at Progressive Field, and now it’s even harder to imagine.


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Grading how the Guardians did during the 2026 MLB Winter Meetings

Do they need a make-up exam?

By Henry Palattella

Dec 11, 2025

he 2026 Winter Meetings featured plenty of bombshell moves. Kyle Schwarber returning to the Philadelphia Phillies. Pete Alsono defecting from the Mets to head to the Orioles. The Dodgers signed Edwin Díaz.

Last year the Guardians were one of the main players at the Winter Meetings when they traded Andrés Giménez to the Blue Jays and acquired Luis Ortiz from the Pirates (two moves we didn’t love at the time.) This year they sat out most of the fanfare outside of signing reliever Connor Brogdon and picking reliever Peyton Pallatte in the Rule 5 Draft.

While that doesn’t automatically mean that things went wrong (sometimes the best moves are the ones you don’t make), their inactivity was still a bit disappointing given how many obvious holes they have on the roster.

The Guardians’ quiet showing at the Winter Meetings was a bit disappointing

The one silver lining for Cleveland’s quiet showing at the Winter Meetings is that most of the players who would fit on their roster (and in their payroll) are still available.

While it would be better if Cleveland’s front office left Orlando with Austin Hays, Harrison Bader or Rhys Hoskins on the roster, there hasn’t really been a signing yet that’s stung in the way one of them signing elsewhere would/will.

he Guardians are already in good shape due to the fact they have José Ramírez signed to a long-term extension and have a roster filled with talented young players who are making the league minimum, but that shouldn’t stop them from taking a swing or two this offseason (or any offseason, really).

It remains to be seen whether the best way for them to make that splash is through free agency or the trade market, however.

While signing someone like Hays or Bader obviously wouldn’t require the Guardians to give anyone up in return, whichever player they sign likely wouldn’t have the potential and/or team control that a trade target would have.

The top trade target still stands as the Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan, who has the kind of utility profile that the Guardians’ front office tends to salivate over.

Donovan has played every position but center field and catcher in his career, but he’s at his best at second base and right field — two positions where the Guardians have a clear need. The Guardians would truly swing for the fences and try to acquire Lars Nootbaar alongside him, but a trade for Donovan would help make the offseason a clear win.

The Winter Meetings seemed like a logical place to make that move, but just because it didn’t happen there doesn't mean it can't happen later in the winter.

While the Guardians not making a move is a negative, there’s also a positive to it in the fact they haven’t given up any minor league talent (yet).

Along with having top prospect Travis Bazzana waiting in the wings, the Guardians also have a crop of seemingly MLB-ready prospects in Khal Stephen, Angel Genao and Kahlil Watson, among others. While none of them (outside of Bazzana) are untouchable, there’s arguably a clear path for all of them to make an impact on the roster in 2026.

Chris Antonetti opened the Winter Meetings by saying that he didn’t want to put any roadblocks in the way of the young players on the roster, and his action (or inaction) proved that.

Even though it’s going to take some time for us to see if that ends up being the right move, it’s a positive sign in that it shows that the front office is willing to give those players a chance as opposed to years prior where they signed retreads like Hanley Ramírez, Carlos Santana or Carlos Gonzalez as stopgap options.

Still, the front office had a clear path to upgrade the roster and they didn’t take it, and that’s a bit inexcusable.

Guardians Winter Meetings grade: C-

Guardians could capitalize on Orioles-Pete Alonso deal with trade for O's slugger

By Henry Palattella
|
Dec 11, 2025

On Wednesday, the Baltimore Orioles pulled off arguably the biggest surprise of the MLB offseason when they signed Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million contract that has the highest AAV ever for a first baseman.

While there’s a lot of time to figure out the long-term ramifications of Alonso joining the American League, there’s no denying that it’s turned the Orioles into one of the AL’s biggest contenders.

But that doesn’t mean that the deal won’t have ramifications on the Orioles roster, especially when it comes to the future of Ryan Mountcastle, who at one point was viewed as the Orioles’ first baseman of the future.

It’s clear that’s no longer the case, both because of Alonso’s presence on the roster and his struggles in 2025 (.250, 7 HR, 35 RBI in 89 games). But just because he’s coming off a rough season doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t be an impactful player for a team like the Guardians.

Ryan Mountcastle would be a worthwhile addition to the Guardians' lineup

Even though Mountcastle isn’t a perfect fit for the Guardians thanks to Kyle Manzardo, it would be worth it to kick the tires on his availability given they’d be able to buy-low on a player who has had some MLB success.

Mountcastle made his debut in 2020 and hit .333 in 140 at-bats, which helped him earn some down-ballot Rookie of the Year votes. But he was still able to keep his rookie status (the 2020 season was weird), which led to him getting Rookie of the Year votes again in 2021 in a season where he mashed 33 home runs.

But his production has slowly dwindled season-over-season since then, culminating with his truly subpar 2025 that has led to him being expendable. He’s also struggled with a variety of injuries, including a hamstring strain that kept him out for two months last season.

But all of that still doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s been a productive player who could bring some much-needed power to the Guardians lineup.

The Guardians opened the year with a platoon of Kyle Manzardo and Carlos Santana at first base before letting Santana go at the end of August, and the right-handed hitting Mountcastle would be an obvious upgrade — even with the obvious downside that he could potentially take at-bats away from Manzardo.

That said, the designated hitter spot is going to be open again thanks to David Fry being able to play the field, which would give Stephen Vogt a golden opportunity to shuffle both of them between first base and DH depending on the matchup.

Mountcastle also played some left field early in his career, but it didn’t go well (-6 Outs Above Average in LF in 2021). He’s ranked as a league average first baseman in recent seasons.

The Orioles are in dire need of pitching, so the Guardians could dip into their MLB-ready pitching stock to get him (Joey Cantillo) or even some of the minor league depth (Austin Peterson).

The Guardians need to do something to improve their lineup after a quiet Winter Meetings, and taking a swing on Mountcastle could be worth it.

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The Guardians made the right decision about Steven Kwan at the Winter Meetings

By Henry Palattella

The Winter Meetings have come and gone, and Steven Kwan is still a member of the Cleveland Guardians.

That’s a good thing.

While it doesn’t mean that Kwan’s set to spend the rest of his career in Cleveland, it can’t be overstated how much an offseason trade of him would’ve hurt the Guardians in 2026, regardless of what the prospect return is.

Some may say that’s a short-sighted view. And that’s fair. But it’s also important to remember that the Guardians need to add to their offense, not subtract from it.

There’s no denying that Kwan holds a ton of value on the trade market, but removing a homegrown player of his caliber from the roster at this point in his Cleveland tenure would do more harm than good.

The Guardians were smart to not trade Steven Kwan at the Winter Meetings

After Kwan’s trade buzz hit a fever pitch during last season’s trade deadline, it went into the background in the second half of the season before bubbling back to the surface ahead of the Hot Stove season.

But any potential offseason trade rumors hit a wall last week thanks to Chris Antonetti saying the Guardians would have a quiet Winter Meetings and Buster Olney reporting the Guardians’ “intention” was to keep Kwan for 2026.

And Antonetti was right, as the Guardians’ lone move during the actual Winter Meetings was selecting Peyton Pallette in the Rule 5 Draft (though they did sign relievers right before and after the meetings).

Those moves show that Antonetti and Co. feel comfortable entering 2026 with the hitters they currently have on their lineup — Kwan being one of them.

It’s also tough to determine what Kwan’s value would be, which may have made the Guardians’ front office’s decision easier. While Kwan is a four-time Gold Glove winner and three-time All-Star, he’s also coming off a season where he had an OPS+ of 98 and hit just .254 in the second half.

The Guardians made it clear at the deadline that they weren’t going to budge off their asking price of Kwan that started with one premium prospect, and it’s hard to believe that the asking price has changed.

Although the Guardians are going to need to make some kind of decision about Kwan’s future at some point, holding onto him is the right move.

Cleveland’s outfield should be in a better spot in 2026 thanks to Chase DeLauter and George Valera (hopefully) getting more time to shine, but having Kwan as an anchor in left field will be a huge help to everyone.

The Guardians made the postseason last season on the back of a shutdown starting rotation and deep bullpen, and it looks like both of those things will be true again in 2026. And it looks like their lineup will once again feature Kwan at the top of it.

Taking a look at the 3 players the Guardians added during the Winter Meetings

By Henry Palattella

16 hours ago

The MLB Winter Meetings came to an end on Wednesday, and the Guardians were (kind of) present.

While they stayed away from making a big move (which is both a good and bad thing), they brought in three relievers to help add some much-needed depth to a bullpen that lost some key figures to injuries and free agency.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the three relievers the Guardians added during the Winter Meetings and how they could help the Guardians in 2026.

The Guardians added three unheralded relievers at the Winter Meetings

RHP Connor Brogdon (signed to one-year, $900,000 deal)

The Guardians opened the Winter Meetings transaction period by signing Brogdon to a major league deal right before the start of the meetings.

He had some success with the Phillies early in his career and is coming off a disaster year with the Angels where he had a 5.55 ERA in 47 innings while navigating through numerous injuries. He’ll likely fill one of the low-leverage roles that were previously filled by Zak Kent, Carlos Hernández or Nic Enright.

While Brogdon’s counting stats aren’t great, he’s among the league leaders in extension (a stat that measures how close a pitcher is to the plate when they release a pitch), which is something the Guardians are prioritizing in their pitchers.

Brogdon still has two years of tram control remaining, so the Guardians would be able to hold onto him for 2027 if he pitches well next season.

Connor Brogdon, Wicked Changeups.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1588346451733905408

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RHP Peyton Pallette (acquired in Rule 5 Draft)

While the Guardians didn’t lose any players in the Rule 5 Draft, they added another weapon to the bullpen with Pallette, who was in the minors with the Chicago White Sox.

Pallette posted a 4.06 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A with the White Sox last year, and is a converted starter.

The Guardians selecting him in the Rule 5 Draft means that the Guardians will need to keep him on their 26-man roster all year. If the Guardians choose to remove him from their roster, they’ll need to offer him back to the White Sox.

He’s likely going to slow into an even lower-leverage role compared to Brogdon, but it’s clear the Guardians liked something enough that they decided to limit their bullpen flexibility by adding him to the roster.

The Guardians struck gold with their last Rule 5 bullpen signing when they plucked Trevor Stephan from the Yankees after the 2020 season, and they’re hoping Pallette follows that path.

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RHP Colin Holderman (signed to one-year, $1.5 million deal)

The Guardians finalized their bullpen on Thursday by signing Holderman to a one-year, $1.5 million deal a day after the Winter Meetings ended.

Much like Brogdon, the 30-year-old Holderman is coming off a rough season where he had 7.01 ERA in 25 1/3 innings with the Pirates while also navigating some injuries.

Holderman’s had some MLB success, however, as he had a 3.52 ERA in 107 1/3 innings across 2023 and ‘24 with Pittsburgh, and leans heavily on his sinker and sweeper.

Holderman’s the biggest name of the three pitchers the Guardians acquired, and he’ll likely fill the role vacated by Jakob Junis, who posted a 2.97 ERA in 66 2/3 innings with the Guardians after signing a $4.5 million contract with the Guardians in the spring.

The Guardians have done well in recent years with the budget-bin signings of Ben Lively and Junis, but they took that to a new level this offseason with their acquisitions of Brogdon, Holderman and Pallette.

Colin Holderman gets out of a jam...and is fired up.

https://x.com/i/status/1811496414549016997

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Guardians Acquire Justin Bruihl, Designate Jhonkensy Noel For Assignment

By Darragh McDonald | December 17, 2025 at 3:25pm CDT

The Guardians have acquired left-hander Justin Bruihl from the Blue Jays in exchange for cash considerations, according to announcements from both clubs. The Jays had designated the lefty for assignment earlier this week. To open a 40-man spot, the Guards designated outfielder Jhonkensy Noel for assignment.



Bruihl, 29 in June, signed a minor league deal with the Jays ahead of the 2025 campaign. He eventually earned a roster spot and had a decent season, in some ways. His 5.27 earned run average in the majors doesn’t look nice, but that came in a small sample of 13 2/3 innings. He also had a strong 27.7% strikeout rate and 46.2% ground ball rate in that time. His 10.8% walk rate was a bit high but he was really held back by a .459 batting average on balls in play. ERA estimators such as his 4.16 FIP and 3.42 SIERA were far more optimistic.

His minor league numbers look more like those latter metrics than his big league ERA. He tossed 42 innings for Triple-A Buffalo with a 3.43 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate, 9.1% walk rate and 58.4% ground ball rate.

Bruihl doesn’t throw especially hard. His two-seamer averaged just 90.2 miles per hour this year. He also mixed in a cutter at 87.5 mph and a 78.4 mph slider. He nonetheless managed to punch guys out and avoid hard contact. The Jays sent him between Triple-A and the majors this year but he was enough of a factor to be on their ALDS roster against a lefty-heavy Yankee lineup. He wasn’t carried on the roster for subsequent rounds.

Despite some intriguing numbers this year, he got squeezed off Toronto’s roster this week. He exhausted his final option in 2025 and will be out of options going forward. With the Jays also having lefties Brendon Little, Mason Fluharty and Eric Lauer on the roster, they designated Bruihl for assignment.

The Guards are intrigued enough to bring him aboard. Their southpaw relief contingent is currently headlined by Erik Sabrowski and Tim Herrin but those two each walked more than 15.5% of batters faced in 2025. Joey Cantillo could be in the mix but he’s more of a long reliever. With Bruihl’s option status, he’ll have to perform but there’s a path for him to earn a job in the Cleveland bullpen. He has under two years of service time, meaning he hasn’t yet qualified for arbitration and can be controlled for five full seasons if he can hold a roster spot.

The unfortunate side effect of adding Bruihl is that the Guards have cut “Big Christmas” from the roster barely a week before the holiday he’s named after. Noel has shown some big power in his career but also has a poor approach at the plate. In his 351 big league plate appearances, 32.8% of them have ended in a strikeout while he has only drawn a walk 4.8% of the time.

Despite hitting 19 home runs, his .193/.242/.401 batting line translates to a 79 wRC+. He’s not a good defender nor is he a burner on the basepaths, so he really needs to hit to provide value. The homers help but the overall offense has been lacking.

Like Bruihl, he exhausted his final option season in 2025. That was going to make it harder for the Guards to keep him on the roster, especially with guys like Chase DeLauter and George Valera reaching the big leagues this year.

He’ll head into DFA limbo and see if the Guards can line up a trade or if anyone wants him on waivers. If he lands somewhere else, he can be controlled for five full seasons. Since he has less than three years of service and doesn’t have a previous career outright, he will not have the right to elect free agency if he is passed through outright waivers unclaimed.

Guardians To Sign Shawn Armstrong
By Darragh McDonald | December 18, 2025 at 3:31pm CDT

The Guardians and right-hander Shawn Armstrong have agreed to a deal, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. The ISE Baseball client will be guaranteed $5.5MM on a one-year deal with a mutual option. The Guards have a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move to make this deal official.

Ex-Guardians pitcher tears Achilles on same day he was set to sign MLB contract

Updated: Dec. 19, 2025, 2:20 p.m.|Published: Dec. 19, 2025, 1:06 p.m.

By Zach Mentz, cleveland.com
Free agent pitcher John Means ruptured his Achilles tendon on Tuesday, the same day he was supposed to sign an MLB contract with an unnamed team, he announced.

“This is hard to put into words, but I’ll try,” Means wrote in an Instagram post Thursday, along with a picture of him laying on a hospital gurney with his left foot covered. “On Tuesday, while training, I ruptured my Achilles. It happened the same day I was supposed to sign with a team and be available on Opening Day for the first time in a long time.

“Yesterday, I underwent successful surgery with Dr. Vopat and his incredible team. I was finally enjoying my first healthy offseason in four years and felt better than ever. I don’t know why this happened or how this chapter will ultimately be used, but I know it’s now part of my story and God has a plan,” he added.

Means, 32, spent the 2025 season with the Cleveland Guardians while he recovered from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in June 2024 while with the Baltimore Orioles. He didn’t pitch for the Guardians, but made seven minor league rehab appearances towards the end of the season with the High-A level Lake County Captains and Triple-A Columbus Clippers. He posted a 6.08 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 22 strikeouts in 26.2 innings pitched.

In November, the Guardians declined a team option on Means’ contract for 2026, making the southpaw starter a free agent.

Means spent the first seven seasons of his MLB career with the Orioles from 2018-24, earning one All-Star appearance and finishing second in American League Rookie of the Year award voting in 2019. For his career, he has a 23-26 record, 3.68 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 334 strikeouts in 401 innings pitched.

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Triston McKenzie signs with Padres, looking to reignite career that once showed promise in Cleveland

Updated: Dec. 19, 2025, 1:02 p.m.|Published: Dec. 19, 2025, 12:55 p.m.

By Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The path to sustained success in Major League Baseball can be as fragile as it is promising. Two former Guardians pitchers, Triston McKenzie and John Means, are learning this painful lesson in real-time, as discussed in the latest Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast.

McKenzie, once viewed as a potential cornerstone of the Guardians’ rotation, has signed a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres after a disastrous 2025 campaign. The lanky right-hander appeared in just four games for Cleveland last season, posting an alarming 11.12 ERA in 5⅔ innings while walking seven batters.

“There’s nowhere else for Mackenzie to go but up compared to last season,” noted Joe Noga, cleveland.com Guardians beat reporter. “He only appeared in four games for the Guardians last season. Five and two thirds innings, four strikeouts, but posted an 11.12 ERA.”

The minor league numbers weren’t any more encouraging – an 0-3 record with a 7.17 ERA across multiple levels. McKenzie’s struggles potentially trace back to his decision to rehabilitate an elbow injury rather than undergo Tommy John surgery in 2023.

“I don’t know how big a part that has played in this because his velocity is there, but obviously his command is not,” Paul Hoynes, veteran cleveland.com Guardians beat reporter, explained. “It’s always a question of confidence, and I think that’s played into this.”

The move to San Diego reunites McKenzie with Ruben Niebla, the Padres’ pitching coach who previously served as Cleveland’s minor league pitching coordinator during McKenzie’s development. This connection could provide the fresh start and familiar guidance the pitcher desperately needs.

Meanwhile, John Means, who spent the entire 2025 season rehabbing with Cleveland after his second Tommy John surgery, faces yet another devastating setback. Means recently underwent surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered during offseason training – an injury that will likely sideline him for the entirety of the 2026 season.

“If he didn’t have bad luck, he wouldn’t have any luck at all,” Hoynes lamented. “That’s John Means right now. You feel bad for the guy.”

The parallels between these two pitchers are striking – both were once promising arms who have been derailed by injuries and setbacks. For McKenzie, the story is particularly poignant given his character and community presence.

“You will never meet a more engaging, kind, understanding, generous player in terms of his time and what he does in the community,” Noga observed. “This was a guy who the Guardians thought they could build as a franchise cornerstone around him being a high draft pick.”

The cruel nature of professional sports means that potential and personality don’t always translate to longevity. Both pitchers now face uncertain futures – McKenzie trying to recapture his form in a new organization, and Means battling yet another year-long rehabilitation process.

Their stories serve as reminders of the physical fragility underlying baseball careers, even for the most talented players. As they continue their respective journeys, both former Guardians arms will be looking to rewrite narratives that have been dominated by injury and disappointment rather than the success their abilities once promised.

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Maligned Guardians outfield just became even more essential after latest roster move

Upgrades are necessary.

By Henry Palattella

13 hours ago

On Wednesday, the Guardians made a decision about the future of their outfield on Wednesday by designating Jhonkensy Noel for assignment after a disappointing 2025 season.

While Noel has light tower power (which we got an example of during the 2024 postseason), his struggles became too much for the Guardians to ignore, especially when you consider some of the other pieces of the outfield picture.

Arguably the two biggest pieces of puzzle are Chase DeLauter and George Valera — both of whom made their debut for the Guardians late last season. Valera, who made his long-awaited debut in September after a minor league journey filled with injuries, hit .220 in 16 major league games before hitting a go-ahead home run in the postseason.

Meanwhile, DeLauter became just the sixth player to make their MLB debut in the postseason, and now seems poised to get a chance to earn everyday at-bats in 2026.

Noel was standing in both of their ways, and Cleveland’s front office made a decision to cut ties with him despite the fact that he seemed like a right-handed complement to the left-handed hitting DeLauter and Valera.

Now that distinction falls on the shoulders of Johnathan Rodríguez, who is now the only right-handed hitting outfielder on Cleveland’s 40-man roster.

Johnathan Rodríguez just became one of the most important players on the Guardians' roster

While having Rodríguez as the only right-handed hitting outfielder on Cleveland’s roster isn’t organizational malpractice, it’s close considering the 26-year-old Rodríguez has posted a career .176 batting average in 44 MLB games since making his debut in 2024.

Although was the International League MVP in 2024 and has posted a .301 average in 252 games at Triple-A, he has yet to carry that success over to the big leagues.

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But he’s now one of the most important players on the Guardians roster thanks to Noel’s DFA. DeLauter, Valera, Steven Kwan and Nolan Jones are set to get the most time in the outfield, but all four of them hit from the left side, as does Daniel Schneemann, who should see plenty of time in a relief role.

The switch-hitting Angel Martínez could be an option in center (even if he shouldn’t be) and Gabriel Arias could end up moving around the diamond, but none of them are full-time outfielders.

The last time we saw Rodríguez on the diamond, he went 0-for-3 at the plate in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series white also booting a ball in the outfield that led to the Tigers scoring their first run.

Normally, those kind of stats and defensive ineptitude would lead to a player being glued to the bench, but the Guardians are coming off a season where they had a historic platoon advantage. If they want to keep that up then it stands to reason that Rodríguez will see plenty of playing time.

And he has a track record of crushing lefties, both in the minors and in (very brief) stints in the bigs. The biggest example of that came at the end of September when he mashed a go-ahead two-run home run against the Rangers to help the Guardians clinched a postseason berth before following it up with a two-run single the next game.

Both hits came off left-handed pitchers.

Still, it’s hard to believe we’re this far into the offseason and the Guardians don’t have a better right-handed outfield option other than Rodríguez.

Even if his minor league numbers are promising (and the presence of Valera and DeLauter means Cleveland’s outfield will be better than next season), it seems like an obvious area for the Guardians to upgrade.

Sure glad Henry Palattella thinks so.

Remember about Noel.

He’ll head into DFA limbo and see if the Guards can line up a trade or if anyone wants him on waivers. If he lands somewhere else, he can be controlled for five full seasons. Since he has less than three years of service and doesn’t have a previous career outright, he will not have the right to elect free agency if he is passed through outright waivers unclaimed.

Could end up in Columbus with J Rod !

Just a bit of an overstatement: "Johnathan Rodríguez just became one of the most important players on the Guardians' roster"

Angel Martinez hits right [as well as left] and plays OF.
David Fry hits Right and has played corner OF.
JRod is less important to the team than either of those two.

Guards agree to 1-year deal with Armstrong to bolster bullpen (source)








Welcome back to the Guardians Beat newsletter. My name is Tim Stebbins, and 2025 was my first season covering Cleveland for MLB.com.

December 18, 2025

CLEVELAND -- Add another arm to the Guardians’ ever-growing bullpen mix.

The Guardians have agreed to a one-year, $5.5 million deal with reliever Shawn Armstrong, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, who also reported Thursday that the agreement includes a mutual option for 2027. The club has not confirmed the signing.

The deal marks a homecoming for Armstrong, whom Cleveland selected in the 18th round of the 2011 MLB Draft. The right-hander then spent his first three seasons in the Majors with the organization, from 2015-17.

Armstrong is coming off a stellar season with the Rangers, for whom he recorded a 2.31 ERA and a 3.07 FIP in 74 innings over 71 appearances (including two starts). Among pitchers who threw at least 50 innings, the 35-year-old’s 0.81 WHIP ranked second in the Majors, and his .157 opponents’ batting average ranked third.

The Guardians have been on the hunt for bullpen help this offseason, and they have beefed up their depth over the past few weeks. They previously signed Connor Brogdon and Colin Holderman to one-year deals, selected Peyton Pallette from the White Sox in the Rule 5 Draft and acquired Justin Bruihl from the Blue Jays.

Armstrong has the most experience of the bunch, with 370 career appearances on his résumé over 11 seasons. He will be a candidate for high-leverage work in Cleveland while also bringing versatility to the table.

This past season, Armstrong appeared in every inning other than the fourth, which included a pair of opener outings. The bulk of his work came in late innings -- the sixth (16 appearances), seventh (20), eighth (29) and ninth (19). Overall, 34 of his appearances came in high-leverage spots, during which he held opponents to a .104/.186/.169 slash line in 86 plate appearances.

You can imagine Armstrong slotting toward the back end of the Guardians' bullpen, alongside relievers such as Hunter Gaddis and Erik Sabrowski, to help bridge games to closer Cade Smith.

Armstrong featured a five-pitch mix this past season, led by his four-seam fastball (28.9% usage), cutter (24.1%), sinker (23.5%) and sweeper (23.4%). Opponents hit just .167 against his four-seamer, which averaged 93.5 mph and carried a 34.4% whiff rate.

Among other impressive underlying metrics, Armstrong held opponents to a 34.2% hard-hit rate (91st percentile) and an 88.0 mph average exit velocity (80th) in 2025. The latter helped him record a 2.98 expected ERA (90th percentile).

The Guardians’ 40-man roster is full, so they will have to make a corresponding move once Armstrong’s deal becomes official.




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Guardians add lefty Bruihl to bullpen mix, DFA Noel








December 17th, 2025

CLEVELAND – The Guardians added another option to their bullpen mix on Wednesday while alleviating some of the logjam on their outfield depth chart.

The Guardians announced they acquired left-hander Justin Bruihl from the Blue Jays for cash. In a corresponding move to clear space on the 40-man roster, Cleveland designated Jhonkensy Noel for assignment.

Who is Bruihl?

Bruihl (whom Toronto designated for assignment on Tuesday) has pitched parts of five seasons with the Dodgers, Rockies, Pirates and Blue Jays. He has a career 4.72 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP in 89 2/3 innings over 94 appearances (including two starts).

Last season, Bruihl recorded a 5.27 ERA and a 1.90 WHIP with 18 strikeouts and seven walks in 13 2/3 innings over 15 appearances with Toronto. The 28-year-old has five seasons of club control remaining, including 2026.

Bruihl relies on a three-pitch mix of a sinker, sweeper and cutter. This past season, he threw his sinker – which averaged 90.2 mph – most frequently (51.1% usage), followed by his sweeper (41.6%) and cutter (7.3%).

Opponents hit .344 and had a .438 slugging percentage off Bruihl’s sinker in 2025, though opponents’ expected batting average (.241) and expected slugging percentage (.353) against it perhaps point to some bad luck. Overall, Bruihl limited opponents to a stellar 87.2 mph average exit velocity and a 30.8% hard-hit rate.

Bruihl fits the profile of other Guardians pitchers in that he gets great extension off the mound. His average extension in 2025 was 6.8 feet, which ranked in the 81st percentile. Cleveland finished tied with Texas for first in the big leagues in average extension (6.7 feet) this past season.

More depth for the bullpen

The Guardians made it clear at the Winter Meetings last week that they are in the market for bullpen help. Bruihl is the fourth reliever they have added over the past 2 1/2 weeks.

Cleveland previously signed both Connor Brogdon and Colin Holderman to one-year deals, and it selected Peyton Pallette in the Rule 5 Draft. But each of those three throws right-handed.

With Bruihl in the fold, the Guardians now have three left-handers in their relief mix, alongside Erik Sabrowski and Tim Herrin. At the very least, Bruihl offers depth from the left side – and he has had success against left-handed hitters in his career, holding them to a .224 average and a .580 OPS.

Noel’s DFA

Noel authored one of the most memorable moments in recent franchise history, when he belted a game-tying two-run homer in the ninth inning of Cleveland’s 7-5 win over New York in Game 3 of the 2024 American League Championship Series. He had a tough ‘25 season, albeit with limited playing time.






Noel made the Opening Day roster and appeared in 69 games while slashing .162/.183/.297 with six homers, 13 RBIs and 52 strikeouts in 153 plate appearances. He was optioned to Triple-A Columbus twice before he was recalled on Sept. 1 and finished the season in the Majors.

The DFA does not officially end Noel’s time with Cleveland, as he could clear waivers. But the Guardians have a crowded outfield mix as it stands, and they want to give runway to young players who are in that mix.

Chase DeLauter (ranked as the Guardians’ No. 2 prospect, No. 58 overall by MLB Pipeline), George Valera and C.J. Kayfus can play right field and will be in the Opening Day roster mix in Spring Training.

Beyond that trio, other right-field options include Nolan Jones, Johnathan Rodríguez and potentially even David Fry -- who will return to fielding in 2026 after he was limited to hitting this past season coming off November ‘24 Tommy John surgery.


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