Lots of words, nothing much new. I don't when we have signed questionable people; Guardians if anything overdo it on 'character". Clase turned out to be a lot worse than would have had any reason to suspect. It sounds like he talked Ortiz into joining the effort.
IF Stuart Fairchild is our most significant acquistion,that tells you how little we acquired. In fact, Armstrong should be better placed to help the pen this year than Sewald in 25 and the similar vet we signed in 24, both of whom were on downward trajectory.
No question the Gs had the quietest offseason in MLB.
Therefore they are picked to drop from 1st to 4th in the ALCentral with almost exactly the same team. Why? Logically they should get just about the same results from the same team, shouldn't they? Certainly Detroit has boosted itself up. But don't see why the Guardians shouldn't finish ahead of the rest of the Central unless injuries intervene.
Maybe, just maybe, a couple of the young guys will both hit well and stay healthy all year which could create an average offense anyway to go along with a pitching staff that is for some reason vastly underrated.

I doubt we will see another "September to remember" but I certainly hope we don't see a repeat end of July thru Aug.

Guardians Prospective
@CleGuardPro
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Big news today that #Guardians Gold Glove LF Steven Kwan will see time in CF this spring. The move would allow the team to move Chase DeLauter to RF and open up LF for others like Valera, Kayfus, Martinez etc...

Kwan has only four career starts in CF at the MLB level all coming during his rookie season in 2022.

In three seasons in the minor leagues, he made 152 career starts in CF.

After breakthrough '25, Williams 'wants to be one of the best'

February 18th, 2026

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Guardians pitching coach Carl Willis didn’t want to label what the next level could look like for starter Gavin Williams. The last thing Willis wants is for the big right-hander to feel like there is an expectation hanging over him that he must live up to.

But the 2025 season showed us something.

“At the end of the year last year, for the second half of the season, he was one of the best starters in the American League,” Willis said. “I think he can continue to climb the ladder in that regard.”

Williams sounds like a guy with more to show.

“There’s definitely another step I can take,” said Williams, who logged a 3.06 ERA and 173 strikeouts in 167 2/3 innings over 31 starts last season, all of which were personal bests.

Williams entered Spring Training in a much different spot this year compared to last. One year ago, he was looking to bounce back and reestablish himself in Cleveland’s rotation, following an injury-riddled 2024 season. This year, he is firmly positioned as a staff anchor -- and with another step, he could assert himself as one of the AL’s top starters this year.

Williams recorded a 2.18 ERA over 12 starts after the All-Star break last year, which was tied with Tarik Skubal for first among qualified American League starters. Only Paul Skenes (1.89) was better in the Majors. Coming off that performance, Williams entered camp with a strong mentality.

“In the three years I've known Gavin, I've never seen him this focused or determined. He had a tremendous offseason,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “The last few months [of 2025], I don't think we could have drawn up a better stretch than what Gavin Williams did for us.

"I’m really thrilled to see him come in ready to go. But there is a different determination about him. He wants to be one of the best. He knows he's one of the best, and that's a really good feeling for us.”

The first few months of 2025, of course, were a struggle. Williams pitched less than six innings in eight of his first 11 starts, while dealing with elevated pitch counts and command issues, and logged a 4.27 ERA and 32 walks over 52 2/3 innings. But things began to click in June.

Williams made a subtle mechanical adjustment on June 16, during an off-day bullpen session at Oracle Park in San Francisco. He raised the position of his hands from resting at the belt to his chest, and the goal was to create a longer arm path so he could locate his pitches better. He said it was "night and day," from that point on.

Williams also implemented a sinker into his arsenal for the first time in the Majors last season. It gave him an additional pitch he felt confident throwing for strikes, beyond his four-seamer and curveball. It helped him feel like he didn't have to be perfect with his four-seamer’s location.

Williams threw his sinker just 6.6 percent of the time in 2025. But the five games he featured it most came after the All-Star break -- when opponents hit .224 against his four-seamer. Meanwhile, his walk rate was 13.5 percent before the All-Star break and 9.2 percent afterward.

When Williams talks about taking another step, this is one prime area he's looking. He made strides but still led the Majors with 83 walks in 2025

“Nobody wants to see that," Williams said of the free-pass title. "I definitely didn’t want to see that. It kind of sucked. Every time I went out, I felt like I was walking three, four people. That was the most frustrating part on my end.”

Williams noted a few benchmarks for a successful season on an individual level. He wants to match the 31 starts he made in 2025, reach 200 innings for the first time and consistently give the team length. He's set a foundation for which he can build off of.

If Williams was able to achieve what he did in the second half last year, when he had tinkered on the fly as much as he did, imagine what this year could deliver.

“I think we've seen Gavin grow tremendously as well,” Willis said, "and become somewhat of a different type of leader, a quiet leader. He controls his emotions very well. He's very stoic.

“There's still a decent amount of upside there for Gavin from what we saw last year.”

Tim Stebbins covers the Guardians for MLB.com.

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I read Zack Meisel's article on Kwan in center field. Seems like Kwan wants to be the full time center fielder. Team just improved by a lot !

In games I watched when Gavin Williams was pitching, honestly can't remember seeing a power pitcher, quickly get 2 strikes, and then nibble to a 3-2 count.

Now that you mention it. He's not the only one.

Steven Kwan is risking his Gold Glove legacy on a center field experiment — and it might be the best move of his career

Updated: Feb. 20, 2026, 1:02 p.m.|Published: Feb. 20, 2026, 12:56 p.m.

By Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Steven Kwan has spent years building one of the most sterling defensive reputations in baseball. Four Gold Gloves. Two All-Star appearances. A legitimate argument as the best defensive left fielder in the game. And now? He’s blowing it all up.

Well, not exactly — but the four-time Gold Glove winner’s willingness to move from the comfortable confines of left field to the uncharted territory of center field is the kind of bold, calculated risk that could reshape both his career and the Guardians’ future. On the latest episode of the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, reporters Joe Noga and Paul Hoynes broke down exactly what this experiment means — and why it’s a much bigger deal than it first appears.

Let’s start with the stakes. Hoynes laid them out plainly: “This is a gamble on his part, at least in my way of thinking. And he admitted as much and he said he was up for the challenge.”

That’s not a minor adjustment. That’s Kwan stepping away from a position where he has already achieved greatness and putting himself in a classroom all over again — learning new routes, new angles, new instincts. In center field at the major league level, there is no margin for error. The position demands elite reads off the bat, superior range, and split-second decision-making that simply isn’t required in left.

For Kwan, who has mastered one set of skills over years of grinding work, starting over at the highest level is a genuine, legitimate risk.

Noga didn’t sugarcoat it on the podcast: “Steven Kwan is putting his reputation on the line. He could look silly at points during the season if this plays out and he’s out there at Progressive Field patrolling the outfield in center. But there’s also the potential that this could work out really good for him and for the Guardians.”

That potential upside is enormous. The Guardians’ motivation here isn’t just curiosity — it’s strategy. Moving Kwan to center opens left field for additional offensive options, giving Cleveland lineup flexibility they haven’t previously had. It also repositions Kwan into a role that, according to Hoynes, actually fits his offensive profile far better than left field ever did.

“If he can show he can play center field on a daily basis or a semi regular basis,” Hoynes explained, “This really more aligns with his skill set as a lead off hitter, a center fielder. In left field, you’re usually looking for a little more power than he produces. But in center field, if he can play that position he’s the ideal leadoff hitter.”

Think about what that means. Kwan’s profile — elite contact, elite on-base skills, excellent wheels — was always slightly misaligned for a corner outfield spot. Teams expect corners to carry more pop. But at center field? He becomes a prototype. The kind of player organizations build entire lineups around. And with Kwan two years from free agency, this experiment carries serious financial stakes too. A Gold Glove-caliber center fielder who gets on base at an elite clip with emerging power? That’s an entirely different player than a left fielder with the same numbers — and the market will pay accordingly.

The key factor, as Noga stressed, is buy-in. Kwan isn’t reluctantly going through the motions here. He’s embracing the challenge, volunteering himself for the learning curve, and approaching it with the mentality of a player who is hungry to be more than what he already is.

Will it work? That’s the question the Guardians are betting on this spring. But as Noga and Hoynes made abundantly clear on the podcast, the potential rewards far outweigh the risks — if Kwan can make it happen.

Want the full breakdown of the Kwan center field experiment, including what it means for the Guardians’ lineup construction and Kwan’s long-term future? Listen to the latest Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast now.

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The Guardians are already running reps with robot umps — and they’re winning

Updated: Feb. 20, 2026, 12:52 p.m.|Published: Feb. 20, 2026, 12:45 p.m.

By Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Baseball is on the verge of one of the most significant rule changes in the modern era, and the Guardians aren’t sitting around waiting to figure it out. While the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system is set to fundamentally alter how every team approaches at-bats, Cleveland is already deep in the lab — and early returns from Goodyear suggest they might be ahead of the entire league.

On the latest Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, reporter Paul Hoynes was on the ground to witness something genuinely fascinating: live batting practice with the ABS system fully integrated and operational. What they saw wasn’t a gimmick or an afterthought — it was a team taking a new competitive tool seriously from very early in camp.

Hoynes described the scene in vivid detail: “If an umpire called a ball or strike and the hitter disagreed, he tapped the helmet. And then you’d hear a voice from behind a home plate ... He would say, you’re right or you’re wrong or, you know, ball or strike ... Steven Kwan and David Fry tapped their helmets and they both got calls overturned. It was interesting to watch.”

Let that sink in. In live batting practice — with college umpires calling pitches — Steven Kwan and David Fry were already successfully challenging calls and winning. The system worked. And the Guardians were learning in real time exactly how and when to deploy it. Manager Stephen Vogt acknowledged the team typically brings umpires in closer to the start of Cactus League play, but pushed it up this year specifically to begin working on ABS strategy. That’s not routine spring training programming. That’s a deliberate competitive decision.

Of course, not every player will be equally trusted with challenge responsibilities. One of the most compelling strategic debates the new system creates is the question of pitcher involvement: should pitchers be encouraged — or even allowed — to challenge calls from the mound? Based on what Hoynes reported, the Guardians’ front office has a pretty clear philosophy on this, and it points heavily toward keeping pitchers out of it.

Hoynes relayed the thinking from Vogt and president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti: “Every time a pitcher lets the ball go his head is down and he’s not looking at the plate. He doesn’t have a great angle at home plate. And besides, every pitch a pitcher throws, he thinks it’s a strike. So, I think that’s going to be the message from Vogt and the front office.”

It’s an airtight argument. Pitchers are structurally biased — by definition, they believe every pitch they throw deserves to be called a strike. Stack that on top of a compromised sightline from 60 feet away, and you have a reliable recipe for wasted challenges at the worst possible moments. The smarter allocation? Leave challenges to catchers and hitters, who are positioned to actually see pitch location clearly and make rational, data-informed decisions in real time.

But the ABS conversation on the podcast went even deeper. It’s not just teams trying to gain edges — Major League Baseball itself is already working to prevent anyone from exploiting the system. As reporter Joe Noga noted: “Major League Baseball taking steps to make sure that nobody has an advantage over anybody else with this new ABS system.”

That includes altering on-screen pitch-tracking graphics so balls and strikes appear identical on broadcasts, eliminating the visual cue that previously distinguished them. There will also be an extended broadcast delay to prevent anyone from watching a stadium feed and relaying pitch location information to a hitter in real time. It’s a fascinating chess match between innovation, competitive strategy, and institutional oversight — and it’s only going to get more complex as the season unfolds.

The bottom line? ABS has arrived, and it will reward the teams that crack the code fastest. Based on what Hoynes witnessed in Goodyear, Cleveland is treating this like the competitive opportunity it is — right from day one of spring training.

Hear more on-the-ground reporting — including the moment Kwan got his first challenge overturned — on the latest Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast.

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Stephen Vogt is learning to play the long game: Guardians takeaways

Updated: Feb. 20, 2026, 5:33 p.m.|Published: Feb. 20, 2026, 5:26 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — This is Stephen Vogt’s third year as manager of the Guardians and he’s learned a few things. One of them is to guard against making quick decisions on players.

“I have to live day-to-day with a very zoomed out perspective,” said Vogt.

He said he needs a big-picture view because it’s too easy to label a player after a brief evaluation.

“I’ve learned that I need to rely on my own journey and own development because I didn’t really come into my own until I was 30,” said Vogt, who played in the big leagues 10 years. “You just don’t know when that’s going to click for someone.”

Vogt was very much talking about the Guardians, who have fielded one of MLB’s youngest teams over the last several years. It is one of the reasons he believes the Guardians’ offense will be better than last year’s.

“Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez have been consistent,” said Vogt. “We saw Kyle Manzardo really emerge last year into a power threat, and he hasn’t developed into a complete hitter.

“CJ Kayfus, Bo Naylor, Gabriel Arias, Brayan Rocchio — these guys are learning who they are as major league hitters. Sometimes it takes a year or two or three to lock in. Our position players are very young."

The Guardians won the AL Central in 2025 despite scoring just under four runs per game. They finished the season with a negative run differential, but Vogt sees signs of improvement.

“There are a lot of exciting pieces in our offense,” he said. “David Fry is healthy. We got a taste of George Valera. We got a taste of Chase DeLauter. Looking at these guys going through camp with a ton of competition around them it’s going to be fun to see how it all shakes out.”

Lead the way

Vogt likes to talk about leaders on the Guardians. He says the Guardians have a lot of them, including Fry.

“Last year David could have easily said I just want to make sure that my elbow comes back and I’m ready to play in 2026,” said Vogt, referring to Fry’s surgically repaired elbow that cost him the first half of the 2025 season. “No, he couldn’t wait to get back in that clubhouse and contribute at the plate.

“It’s a very selfless act. To have him back healthy and being able to catch is a huge boost. When he joined us in New York last year (after being activated), we noticed a big change. It was a huge lift for our guys.”

Pitching reset

The six-man starting rotation that the Guardians ended last season with will be on display in the first five days of the Cactus League season.

Logan Allen and Joey Cantillo will face the Reds and Brewers, respectively, in Saturday’s split squad games. Parker Messick will start against the A’s on Sunday followed by Tanner Bibee vs. Arizona on Monday, Gavin Williams vs. the Dodgers on Tuesday and Slade Cecconi vs. Texas on Wednesday.

Don’t be afraid to challenge

The Guardians want their hitters and catchers to challenge the ABS strike zone when the Cactus League season starts Saturday.

“We want our guys to challenge often during spring training,” said Vogt. “It is going to help them know where the strike zone is. It’s going to help them know where their strike zone is. We’re all learning a new strike zone.”

The Automatic Ball and Strike challenge system will be implemented by MLB this season. Each team’s pitchers, catchers and hitters will get to challenge two calls during a game.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how umpires adjust,” said Vogt. “It’s going to be a learning curve for everybody because every zone is going to be different.”

Vogt said he wants his players to challenge as much as possible to gather information on the system.

“If somebody challenges a pitch, we’ve got to talk about it,” said Vogt. “Is this the right pitch to use it on? Is it the right situation? We want to educate ourselves. This isn’t about individuals; it’s about the team. How do we leverage this to get more wins?”

Finally

Jose Ramirez was facing Cecconi in batting practice Friday. The umpire called a third strike on him, but Ramirez thought it was a ball and tapped his helmet to see if the guys running the Guardians’ simulation of the ABS agreed.

In unison several combined voices yelled, “Strike three.”

Ramirez shook his head and went back to the bench.

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4 things to watch as Guards kick off Cactus League slate

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- If you’ve been itching for the start of the 2026 Guardians’ season, manager Stephen Vogt is right there with you.

“I’m ready for practice to be over,” Vogt quipped on Friday. “I want to watch baseball.”

The practice-only portion of Spring Training is complete. The Guardians will return to play on Saturday, when they kick off their Cactus League slate with split-squad action vs. the Reds and on the road against the Brewers.

There are five weeks of Spring Training games ahead of us, but as things get underway, here are some of the top storylines and things to watch.

A new center fielder

You likely won’t see it in Game 1, but Steven Kwan will see time in center field this spring. The Guardians have a flurry of outfielders under consideration for their Opening Day roster, and want to evaluate who could comprise their best alignment. That may mean Kwan, a four-time Gold Glove Award winner in left, slides over to center on occasion (or more) this season, to provide Vogt flexibility with the corner spots.

Kwan playing center this spring indicates he’ll be an option there during the regular season. That means the Cactus League will be crucial as he reacquaints himself with the position, where he's made 152 appearances in the Minors but just eight in the Majors.

Kwan in center is just one wrinkle to the larger outfield camp competition. He’s the only outfielder you can pencil into the mix. Cleveland will get long looks at Chase DeLauter (No. 2 prospect, No. 46 overall), George Valera, Nolan Jones, Angel Martínez, Johnathan Rodríguez and non-roster invitee Stuart Fairchild -- all of whom will get reps in left -- among others.

“If you’re an outfielder in our camp,” Vogt said, “you’re probably going to touch multiple outfield positions.”

Who’s in the rotation?

The Guardians are reverting back to a five-man rotation this season. The one thing we can safely assume is Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams will be their first two starters, in some order. Who comprises the final three spots (between Slade Cecconi, Logan Allen, Joey Cantillo and Parker Messick) is what Cleveland must determine the next five weeks, and the competition will quickly commence.

Allen and Cantillo will take the ball Saturday, vs. the Reds and Brewers, respectively, and Messick, Bibee, Williams and Cecconi are tentatively scheduled to follow from Sunday-Wednesday. Don't read too much into the initial order. It may be Allen’s only outing before he departs camp to join Panama for the World Baseball Classic, and Cantillo has been in Arizona longest among the starters getting ramped up.

Cecconi may be on solid footing following a 2025 debut with Cleveland, in which he recorded a 4.30 ERA over 23 starts. The question may boil down to which of the three lefties is the odd man out. Cantillo is out of Minor League options, Messick has three and Allen has one.

ABS in action

The Automatic Ball-Strike system was featured during Spring Training last year, but not the regular season. It’s coming to MLB full-time in 2026, and you may get plenty of chances to see the Guardians’ hitters and catchers use it in the Cactus League as they prepare for its arrival on Opening Day.

“We want our guys to challenge often during Spring Training,” Vogt said. “It's going to help them know where the zone is. It's going to help them know where their zone is, because they're all learning a new strike zone.”

The Guardians have been training for the new normal this week. Hitters have had opportunity to challenge pitches during live batting practice sessions. They received instant feedback from team staffers stationed behind home plate with live access to the strike zone on whether an offering was correctly called.

An extended look at Bazzana

Travis Bazzana (the Guardians’ No. 1 prospect and No. 20 overall, per MLB Pipeline) is in big league camp as a non-roster invitee. He was limited to 84 games this past season by injuries to each of his obliques, and will likely open the season with Triple-A Columbus. But the Guardians want to get a long look at him, certainly given his time missed last year.

Bazzana will leave camp on Feb. 26 to join Australia in Japan for the World Baseball Classic. In the meantime, expect him to receive plenty of playing time. He will play at least three of the first four days, Vogt noted, as Cleveland looks to get him built up for the Classic.

“We’ll see Travis when he’s here, and we’ll see him when he gets back,” Vogt said. “I’m really excited just to get to watch him play.”

Tim Stebbins covers the Guardians for MLB.com.

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Guardians GM speaks for fanbase when talking about Emmanuel Clase allegations

By Henry Palattella

3 hours ago

While the Guardians' lack of external additions was arguably the biggest story of Cleveland’s offseason, the status of Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz’s paid leave was a close second.

And it looks like that’s not going to go anywhere soon, as recent court documents have made it seem like there’s a chance the trial could be moved to October.

Not only has Clase become public enemy No. 1 in Cleveland due to his alleged pitch rigging, but the Guardians are also on the hook for his salary (for now) which adds some extra insult to injury.

And it’s not just Guardians fans that feel that way.

Earlier this week, Guardians general manager Mike Chernoff had an interview with the “Foul Territory” podcast and was asked about Clase. He didn’t wait long to give a pretty emphatic response.

"Still, every time I read anything about it, I'm cringing," Chernoff said. "It makes my stomach unsettled just to see some of the stuff that's been written about, and yet our guys never gave up."

Guardians general manager Mike Chernoff speaks for all Guardians fans with latest comments about Emmanuel Clase

Chernoff’s comments are the harshest words that anyone in the Guardians organization has (publicly) had for Clase.

While manager Stephen Vogt and president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti both acknowledged that they didn’t think Clase would throw another pitch again for the Guardians, Chernoff’s comments were a little more direct than that.

“When something like that happens it’s a knock to the whole organization,” he said. “I think what I would say (is) how our guys bounced back from something like that tells you everything you need to know. Our guys were pissed.”

The Guardians’ post-Clase bounce-back was incredibly impressive, as they went from hovering around .500 to tearing off a magical September that ended with them winning the second-straight American League Central title.

One of the biggest reasons why they were able to rip off that winning streak was due to some incredible pitching from their rotation and revamped bullpen and just enough timely hitting.

The bullpen’s performance was arguably the most impressive thing from that time considering Cleveland relievers combined for a 2.50 ERA after Clase was suspended, which was the best mark in baseball over that time span.

Cade Smith played a huge part in that by seamlessly stepping into the closer’s role, but the Guardians also got above-average production from unheralded pitchers like Kolby Allard, Matt Festa and others.

But just because those performances took away some of the sting from Clase’s allegations doesn’t mean they’ve gone away forever, and Chernoff’s comments showed that.

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