Cleveland Sports Forum

Austin Peterson : Out 6-8 weeks

February 28, 2026

Out 6-8 weeks

Peterson was diagnosed with a right triceps strain Saturday and will miss roughly 6-8 weeks, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports. Peterson suffered the injury during his appearance in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers. He won't be able to make another appearance this spring and will almost certainly begin the regular season on the injured list.

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Chase DeLauter : Running Saturday

February 28, 2026

Running Saturday

DeLauter (lower body) will resume running Saturday, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports. DeLauter was a late scratch from Wednesday's contest with a lower-body injury, but after a few days of rest, he's been cleared to start up a running program. The Guardians are hopeful that he'll return to Cactus League action within the next few days, so his Opening Day availability doesn't seem to be in jeopardy.

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Guardians intrigued by Rule 5 pick Pallette as bullpen candidate


Welcome back to the Guardians Beat newsletter. My name is Tim Stebbins, and I'm heading into my second season covering Cleveland for MLB.com.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Peyton Pallette was playing golf in The Villages, Fla., on Dec. 10 this offseason, enjoying some quality time with his family. Nearby, the right-hander’s wife, Jordyn, and her sister, Taylor, were seated in a cart livestreaming some appointment viewing.

When Jordyn and Taylor suddenly screamed, Pallette knew his career was about to change. The Guardians had selected him from the White Sox in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft.

“It's definitely exciting,” Pallette said this spring. “I'm excited to be here and excited to work with the coaches -- Carl [Willis] and Joe [Torres] and Brad [Goldberg] and Caleb [Longshore]. So far, it's been absolutely phenomenal.”

Pallette, 24, was Chicago’s second-round Draft pick in 2022. He logged a 4.06 ERA with 86 strikeouts and 28 walks in 64 1/3 innings over 52 appearances last season, between Double-A and Triple-A. It was a solid campaign, certainly given it was his first exclusively as a reliever, as he continued his march to the big leagues.






Pallette's MLB debut could come as soon as next month. First, he must get through a unique Spring Training. He’s ramping up for the season with Cleveland and could be with the Guardians one month from now. Or with the White Sox. Or another team.

As a Rule 5 pick, Pallette must stay on the Guardians’ active roster for the entire 2026 season. Otherwise, they will have to place him on outright release waivers, and offer him back to the White Sox if he clears. There’s understandable pressure that could come with that territory -- certainly for a guy who’s vying to reach the Majors for the first time. The Guardians wanted to help ease that as camp got underway.

“What we told Peyton was, ‘Go show us what you can do,'” manager Stephen Vogt said. “‘You're not going to make the team on Feb. 13, 14. Just dive in. Be stubborn to who you are, but dive in with our coaches, and let's see how we can grow together over the next six, seven weeks.’

“‘Whatever decision ends up being made is not within your control. What is within your control is building yourself up for a seven-month season. Let us help you do that and show us what you can do in the process.’”






Pallette noted the Guardians also stressed that he does not have to go out and try to be perfect every day, and that they selected him in the Rule 5 for a reason. It helped him feel at ease.

“That really took a little bit of weight off my shoulders and just allowed me to breathe and really adapt to where I'm at,” Pallette said.

Adding to the uniqueness of Pallette’s situation is build-up was slowed early in camp after he experienced right shoulder fatigue following a pair of bullpen sessions. He has returned to throwing, including in live batting practice on Saturday, and could get into games in the coming days. That would leave him around four weeks for him to secure a spot on the roster.

The Guardians obviously like what they’ve seen from Pallette thus far in his career. As a former starting pitcher, he has a four-pitch mix (curveball, fastball, slider and changeup). His heater sits 94-96 mph and touches 98 mph with high spin rates, according to MLB Pipeline’s scouting report. That will play out of the bullpen.






The Guardians have a lot of competition in their bullpen this spring. There are around a dozen relievers in contention for an Opening Day roster spot, some whose spots are obviously more secured than others.

Cleveland’s message to Pallette as he takes the mound each day is simple: Have fun.

“We feel like Peyton has the skill set and the ability to impact our team in the bullpen,” Vogt said this weekend. “We need to see how Spring Training goes. But again, we’ve got a long way to go before we need to make those decisions.

“… He's been diving in with our pitching group a lot. He's been exciting to get to know. We just want to see him compete in games, and we'll see where the chips fall.”

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PAYTON PALLETTE HIGHLIGHTS

https://www.mlb.com/video/peyton-pallet ... in-the-7th

https://www.mlb.com/video/00u1p27zrvzyz ... n-pallette

https://www.mlb.com/video/peyton-pallet ... strikeouts

https://youtu.be/DKkpGj5H0tU

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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Kyle Manzardo broke out of an early spring slump with a first-inning grand slam, but the Guardians fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-4, on Tuesday at Goodyear Ballpark in Cactus League play.

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Rule 5 draft pick Peyton Pallette made his Guardians debut in the eighth after missing the start of camp with right shoulder fatigue. The 24-year-old walked the first batter he faced and allowed a hit to Logan Wagner before striking out three consecutive batters.

He recorded the final two strikeouts with runners in scoring position, fanning Yeiner Fernandez and Seby Zavala on sliders before Sean McLain took a called third strike on a 98 mph fastball.

Cleveland selected Pallette from the White Sox organization in December’s Rule 5 draft and must keep him on the opening day roster through the 2026 season or offer him back to Chicago for half of the $100,000 selection price.

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Cecconi's pitch foundation is set, now he's just 'working on the windows and the roofs'

March 2, 2026

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- What’s been one of the major differences for Slade Cecconi in Spring Training this year compared to last? For one, fewer unfamiliar faces and introductory handshakes.

Cecconi was one of the new guys in camp last year. He joined the Guardians just months prior in the December 2024 trade that sent Josh Naylor to the D-backs, and he faced a natural acclimation process ahead of his first season in the Cleveland organization.

Figuratively, Cecconi was trying to become comfortable last spring in his new home. Metaphorically, he spent last season building it. That’s the greatest difference between where the right-hander is now compared to 2025.

“We had a lot of foundation to establish last year,” said Cecconi, who struck out four over 2 2/3 innings during his second Cactus League start in Monday’s 3-1 loss to the Rangers at Surprise Stadium. “[This year], we're working on the windows and the roofs of the house rather than the bottom.

“We're just tweaking little things here and there, trying to find small ways to make certain pitches a little better, a little sharper, a little later. Just little things now, which is nice. It's much more specific.”

Last season was Cecconi’s first as a full-time starter in the Majors; he bounced between the rotation and bullpen and the Majors and the Minors in two seasons with Arizona. Given that, what we saw in 2025 was a solid starting point to his Cleveland tenure. Over 23 starts, Cecconi logged a 4.30 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP with 109 strikeouts over 132 innings.

Those numbers are also something for Cecconi to build upon this year, as he looks to take another step in Cleveland's rotation, given the work he put in behind the scenes.

Cecconi and the Guardians practically built everything from the ground up last year. They broke down his mechanics to find which positions he was best in and which were the most repeatable. They looked as far back as his collegiate career at University of Miami and landed on his most consistent, repeatable and powerful delivery after some trial and error.

Cecconi also introduced a cutter to his arsenal last season, and increased the usage of his curveball from 8.9 percent in 2024 to 16.5 in ‘25. The idea was simple: Cecconi has a deep mix of pitches, and he should throw his best ones most often. Opponents hit just .141 against his curveball this past season.

“Those adjustments were a little bit more difficult,” Cecconi said of his work last year. “The adjustments this year should not be as large. It's more like, ‘We have the meat and potatoes of the arsenal and the way I move best. Now it's just seasoning the food a little better.’”

That goes back to the idea of Cecconi using the offseason to sharpen what’s already in his tool kit. He’s made small adjustments, such as going to a harder, sharper and tighter cutter and replaced his slurvey slider with a sweeper. The idea is to have something he can consistently repeat and execute. He had good results on his cutter against Texas. It had a 50 percent whiff rate (six whiffs on 12 swings). Last year, it had a 12.5 percent whiff rate.

It’s making revisions to the house, not building it from the ground up.

“I think Slade came to us feeling like he wasn't in the place he knew he could be,” pitching coach Carl Willis said. “This year coming in, it's maintenance and maybe some little tweaks. But he doesn't have it hanging over his head that he is trying to find out 'What's the basis of my delivery, and who am I as a pitcher?’”

Cecconi threw 147 1/3 innings between his regular season in Majors, three rehab starts with Triple-A Columbus and one postseason outing. It surpassed his career high at any level (143 1/3 between MLB and Triple-A with the D-backs in 2023), and he hopes it takes him to new uncharted territory this year. Numbers such as 30 starts and 160-plus innings are on his mind.

An increased workload is one part of the next step for Cecconi. It’s taking all the work he’s done behind the scenes and growing as a big league starting pitcher.

“The house is good,” Cecconi said. “We put a new roof on it. The gutters are clean. I'm going to clean the windows.”

Tim Stebbins covers the Guardians for MLB.com.

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After setbacks and tragedy, Espino nearing ultimate goal

March 1, 2026

SCOTTSDALE Ariz. -- Daniel Espino finished his warmup routine in the bottom of the first inning at Salt River Fields on Sunday. Before he took the mound for his start against the D-backs, he bent down and drew the No. 14 in the dirt, in a nod to his late father, Danilo.

Sunday was more than a typical Cactus League game for Espino. It was another milestone moment in the 25-year-old’s journey that has been marked by multiple setbacks on the field, all while he has dealt with personal loss off it.

Espino missed most of the past four seasons due to injuries, including two right shoulder surgeries. In between, his father (who was born on Valentine’s Day) passed away after a battle with prostate cancer. Amid the physical and emotional pain he has endured, Espino has kept pushing toward his goal of pitching in the big leagues.

Espino returned to the mound in September for the first time since April 2022, for one start with Triple-A Columbus. This year, he could realize his dream of making his MLB debut.

“It’s been a roller coaster,” said Espino, who threw a scoreless first inning on nine pitches in the Guardians’ 9-6 loss to the D-backs on Sunday. “The last two years, it’s just been a lot of emotions -- not only in my career, but also my personal life. It’s just been a roller coaster.”

Espino was Cleveland’s first-round Draft pick in 2019. The right-hander (whose four-seam fastball had touched 103 mph) was ranked No. 53 overall on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list in '22, when he logged a 2.45 ERA with 35 strikeouts and four walks over four starts with Double-A Akron. But he did not pitch after April 29 due to right shoulder and right knee injuries.

Espino’s shoulder began to bother him again entering the 2023 season. He underwent season-ending surgery that May and spent the ensuing months rehabbing in Arizona, and family members visited to help keep his mind off his recovery.

Espino was going to fly home to Panama with his mom and brother the day before Thanksgiving. Danilo (who was undergoing chemotherapy) called and said he was going to the hospital for some tests. He passed away before the family made it back to him in Panama.

“Obviously, it was devastating, because he was not only my father, but my best friend,” Espino said. “He did so much in my life for me to be able to be in the spot I am. The personality that I have is because of him. So that was really rough, especially going to rehab and knowing that when I make it to the big leagues, he's not going to be there.

“It hurts, but I know that he's up there watching me.”

Danilo was a doctor for 30 years specializing in ulcers and diabetes, and he was known as “doctor de manos milagrosas,” or “the doctor with the miracle hands,” for helping patients avoid amputations.

Espino underwent a second shoulder surgery in March 2024, and while it was a tough setback, something inside told him things would be fine.

“I know he was in [the operating room] with me,” Espino said of Danilo during his second surgery.

After Espino spent the 2024 season rehabbing, it was fair to wonder where his stuff would be after two surgeries. When he got back on the mound last year, he surprised even himself. His velo remained. Sunday, his heater maxed out at 98 mph.

The Guardians are being strategic with Espino’s ramp-up this spring. He’s healthy, though they’re going one step at a time given his history. They’ll eventually determine whether it makes more sense for him to start or come out of the bullpen. But it’s easy to envision him helping the Guardians in some fashion this year.

“I'm really happy with it,” Espino said after Sunday’s start. “I think that this is only the beginning for me, as far as building up and getting back into competition. To be honest, it feels good and it gives me more confidence to continue this journey.”

Espino is taking things day by day and reminding himself to give himself some grace after what he's gone through. That was front of mind on Sept. 20 last year -- when he threw two-thirds of an inning with Columbus in his first game action in 1,240 days.

Espino recalled being emotional walking off the mound that day. He later greeted his family members who came out to support him. The only one not in attendance that day was his grandmother.

“She’s like, ‘Next time I’m coming is to watch you pitch in the big leagues,’” Espino said. “She wants the good life. I don’t blame her.”

Tim Stebbins covers the Guardians for MLB.com.

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What's J-Ram's favorite part of his viral custom belt? 'My face is everywhere'

March 2, 2026

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- José Ramírez is not only the best player in the Guardians’ clubhouse, but he also is often recognized as one of its most fashionable. That extends to the superstar third baseman’s on-field gear, which Ramírez has taken to a new level this spring.

Ramírez debuted a custom belt during Cactus League play last week adorned with images of … himself! It not only looks as cool as it sounds, but he promptly broke it in by belting a home run in the Guardians’ 9-5 win over the D-backs on Feb. 23.

There’s swagger, and there’s José Ramírez swagger.

Style and fashion are important to Ramírez, and his flow has been on point this spring. Between his belt, multi-colored batting gloves and a black mitt with red and green accents, he continually expresses himself through his gear. It boils down to a classic truism: look good, feel good.

“[Fashion and style are] important because it makes me feel comfortable,” Ramírez said through team interpreter Agustin Rivero. “As you find new things to make yourself comfortable, the bottom line, that's what you want.

“You want to be comfortable on the field. So whatever makes me feel comfortable, I'll do it.”

Ramírez’s belt went viral on Wednesday, when he took it for a spin around the bases following his sixth-inning homer in Cleveland’s 11-4 loss to Texas. He actually designed the belt last year, but he had not worn it before this spring. He wanted something with his face on it, and the end result is an almost comic book-esque design.

José Ramírez pulled up to today's Spring Training game with a custom belt of himself pic.twitter.com/YtgN8tp0xy

The belt has Ramírez’s team headshot and action photos of him at the plate adorned across the leather, while the buckle has a Dominican Republic flag design. What’s Ramírez’s favorite part of the concept, you may ask?

“My face is everywhere on the belt,” he said.

Cleveland fans would certainly have the same explanation. This isn’t the first time Ramírez has donned some sweet gear featuring his likeness that has been a hit with fans. In 2021, he rocked a pendant in-game that included a picture of him wearing a chain.

Ramírez only wears that chain going to the ballpark these days, and it has a special meaning behind it. His children’s faces are on the back side, making it one of his personal favorites.

Ramírez has hit a pair of homers wearing his new belt this spring, and he came as close as can be to adding a third. Maybe it has some good luck in it. But let’s be honest: Whatever gear the guy is wearing, he’s going to play well.

“The real luck is my mindset and my mentality in the games,” Ramírez said.

Tim Stebbins covers the Guardians for MLB.com.

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Angel Martínez is forcing the Guardians to pay attention with a spring training power surge

Updated: Mar. 03, 2026, 12:02 p.m.|Published: Mar. 03, 2026, 11:55 a.m.

By Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — He showed up 15 pounds heavier, spent his entire winter grinding in the Dominican Republic, and is now turning spring training into his personal showcase. Angel Martínez isn’t asking for a spot on the Guardians’ roster — he’s demanding one.

On the latest episode of the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, beat reporters Joe Noga and Paul Hoynes broke down what has become one of the most compelling storylines of Guardians camp: Martínez’s relentless assault on the spring training leader boards. The conversation should have every Guardians fan rethinking everything they assumed about the outfield competition heading into the season.

The numbers alone are startling. Martínez is hitting .385 with a jaw-dropping 1.500 OPS. Four of his last five hits have gone for extra bases. In Monday’s loss to the Rangers — a 3-1 defeat in Surprise — Martínez didn’t just collect hits. He punished the baseball. His solo home run off Austin Gomber in the third inning traveled 406 feet to center field at 103 mph exit velocity. He was batting right-handed. The side of the plate he spent the entire offseason trying to fix.

This isn’t a hot week. This is a player who made a decision.

“I’m not surprised,” Hoynes said on the podcast. “He came to camp, you know, 15 pounds heavier. He looks bigger, stronger. He spent the winter in the Dominican Republic working out.”

Martínez’s offseason story is as compelling as his spring numbers. He lives near Cleveland’s baseball academy in the DR, and according to Hoynes, Martínez and his father, former major leaguer Sandy Martínez, made the daily trip to that facility all winter — working specifically on the weaknesses in his game. The focus? His switch-hitting approach against right-handed pitching, historically the problematic side of the plate. That question mark is starting to look a lot like an exclamation point.

The backstory adds even more weight to this moment. A couple of springs ago, Martínez was one of the hottest hitters in Cactus League play, batting near .500 and turning heads across the league. Then a ball off his foot derailed everything. He opened the year on the injured list. Hamate bone surgery followed. Injuries have a way of stealing momentum and confidence from even the most talented players. Martínez is proving he refused to let that happen.

Now the Guardians face a genuinely fascinating puzzle. Steven Kwan’s move to center field tightens the outfield picture considerably. The roster crunch is real. But Martínez’s combination of speed, versatility, and now legitimate power is making any conversation about squeezing him out increasingly difficult to have with a straight face.

“His versatility is important to the Guardians,” Hoynes said, “It’s something that Stephen Vogt won’t forget about.”

That versatility — comfortable in center field, capable in the corners, familiar with multiple infield spots — is exactly what smart roster construction values. Add a switch-hitting bat generating this kind of power, and the case for Martínez becomes overwhelming.

Don’t miss the full breakdown of Martínez’s spring surge and everything else unfolding in Guardians camp on the latest episode of the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast. Noga and Hoynes dig deep into what it all means for the roster battle and whether Martínez can carry this momentum when the games truly start to matter.

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Why Slade Cecconi’s spring training tinkering could be a game-changer for the Guardians’ rotation

Updated: Mar. 03, 2026, 11:53 a.m.|Published: Mar. 03, 2026, 11:52 a.m.

By Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Slade Cecconi surrendered a two-run home run in his third Cactus League start. That’s the number that shows up in the box score. But on the latest episode of the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, cleveland.com beat reporters Joe Noga and Paul Hoynes made the case that what’s actually happening with Cecconi this spring is far more interesting than a line score can capture.

Cecconi isn’t just pitching. He’s constructing a more complete version of himself on the mound — tightening his cutter, sharpening his sweeper, and building out the secondary arsenal that separates pitchers who can throw hard from pitchers who can consistently win at the major league level.

The early results are drawing attention from the people who matter most. Noga reported on the podcast that after the outing, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt offered a pointed assessment:

“Vogt talked about how that was probably the best breaking ball that they had seen out of Cecconi. A pitch that “gave him fits last year.”

That matters. When a big league manager singles out measurable improvement in a specific pitch — particularly one that had been a documented problem the prior season — it signals that the offseason work is translating into real, in-game development. Vogt didn’t hedge the evaluation or couch it in spring training qualifiers. He called it the best breaking ball he’d seen from Cecconi. That’s a significant statement in a competitive camp environment.

Hoynes had the specifics on exactly what Cecconi has been working on, straight from the pitcher himself after the game:

“He said he’s been working on his cutter, trying to tighten it up, get a little more action on it. Something he can throw to both righties and lefties.”

That last element is what separates a useful pitch from a genuine weapon. A cutter that only works against one side of the plate is something hitters can game-plan around. A cutter that’s effective against both righties and lefties forces every hitter in every at-bat to account for it — it changes how they prepare, how they sit in the box, and how they process a sequence in real time.

And the cutter isn’t the only pitch getting an upgrade. Hoynes reported that Cecconi has also spent the winter developing a sweeper, specifically working to get more break on the pitch and tighten the overall action.

The overarching strategy, as Hoynes relayed from Cecconi’s own words, is straightforward: “He said he’s trying to get something in the hitters’ minds besides a fastball, just get him off the fastball.”

That’s the fundamental challenge for every starting pitcher with a dominant fastball at the major league level. Raw velocity gets you to the big leagues. The ability to manufacture uncertainty in a hitter’s mind — before the pitch is even thrown — is what keeps you there. Cecconi has always had the arm. The question heading into this season was whether he had enough to complement it.

Spring training exists precisely for this kind of work. The results don’t count. The progress does. Cecconi is using this window exactly as it’s designed to be used — refining, experimenting, and testing in a lower-stakes environment before the calendar flips and every pitch has consequences. And the fact that his manager is already noticing the improvement in real time suggests the work is genuinely paying off.

In a Guardians rotation navigating real depth questions — with Logan Allen among those away for World Baseball Classic duty — Cecconi’s development is a subplot with serious implications for Cleveland’s season.

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Guardians decision to move Steven Kwan to center could impact toolsy utility player

By Henry Palattella

1 hour ago

While the Guardians are coming off a season where their outfielders combined for a wRC+ of 77 (the second-worst mark in baseball), the only addition they made in the outfield was Stuart Fairchild on a minor league contract.

But part of the reason why they did that was because of the number of young options they have in-house.

And Stephen Vogt finally addressed that topic earlier this week by saying the Guardians have an eye-popping 14 (!!) players competing for an outfield spot this spring.

Steven Kwan took a huge first step toward figuring out that picture by saying that he’d be open to moving to center field, and the Guardians have stuck their money where their mouth is by having him play there in his last two appearances.

But every move comes with some kind of corresponding impact, and, in the case of moving Kwan to center, it means that Angel Martínez could be without a spot after leading the team in center field appearances last season.

And although there’s an argument to be made that Martínez should be nowhere near center field, his hot spring has likely changed the calculus for a team desperate for any kind of outfield production.

Guardians complicated outfield picture could cause huge ripple effect on rest of roster

Martínez’s future presents an interesting test case for what the Guardians are looking to prioritize in their outfield. As mentioned above, Martínez got the most starts in center for Cleveland (114 games), but part of that was due to necessity thanks to injuries and underperformance from other players.

If Kwan moves to center full-time, then Martínez would be relegated to one of the corner outfield spots where he’d be competing with Chase DeLauter and George Valera for playing time.

That said, there’s a case to be made that Martínez could be better suited for a corner spot since he’d have less area to cover and would be able to showcase a throwing that finished in the 96th percentile last season (average throw of 96.3 miles per hour).

He’s also swung a hot bat this spring (.385 average, two homers), which is a welcome sight.

As a former infielder, Martínez has the athleticism needed to play in the outfield, it was just clear last season that his instincts weren’t where they needed to be.

And even if there’s a chance that could be better in 2026 thanks to him spending all offseason training as an outfielder, the best way to mitigate any potential disaster is by moving him off center.

Depending on how things shake out in the outfield, Martínez could be part of a group of players fighting for one or two bench spots.

Martínez’s versatility will likely give him a leg up, but he’s not the only young outfielder proving himself this spring. Petey Halpin’s hitting .500 and has been showcasing a new-look swing, whereas Kahlil Watson’s hitting .600 with two doubles and a triple.

The Guardians clearly have no shortage of outfield options, which is a good problem to have after how things went last season.

But, for Cleveland to compete for a third straight division title, the front office is going to need to make the right decision in who to pick from that group.

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Intriguing veteran reliever could help Guardians mitigate loss of Emmanuel Clase

By Henry Palattella

11 hours ago

While the Cleveland Guardians’ bullpen was able to bounce back from the mid-season loss of Emmanuel Clase and finish 2025 with the best bullpen ERA over the final two months of the season, it was still a clear area for the front office.

So much so, in fact, that Cleveland’s front office added four bullpen arms to the fold in the offseason. One of those arms was veteran reliever Colin Holderman, who has appeared in 161 games through the first four years of his MLB career with the Mets and Pirates.

And even though he’s coming off an unsuccessful 2025 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Holderman still stands out as one of the top options in the bullpen who could quickly rise manager Stphen Vogt’s trust tree as the season goes on.

Guardians reliever Colin Holderman stands out as a top option in Guardians revamped bullpen

Last season Holderman posted a 7.01 ERA across 25 2/3 innings in a season marred by a right knee sprain and right thumb inflammation.

While Holderman finished 2023 and ‘24 with ERAs under four, he had to settle for a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Guardians in large part to those 2025 struggles.

“It was definitely a challenge,” Holderman told Cleveland.com’s Tony Carter. “Last year was one of the toughest seasons. But my mentality is not to give up today because tomorrow might be the day it’s going to take a turn.”

Even though Holderman has gotten off to a rough start this spring (eight earned runs allowed in 2 2/3 innings), it’s important to remember that spring stats don’t mean a ton. It would obviously be better if Holderman had come out and set the world on fire at the start of spring, but a couple bad outings in February don’t define a season.

Especially since Holderman should be one of the first relievers Vogt calls upon once the season gets started at the end of March. Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith are clearly the top two options in the back of the Guardians’ bullpen, but pretty much every spot behind them is up for grabs.

Of the four offseason additions, Holderman and Shawn Armstrong stand out as the top two options given their veteran status and MLB success.

When Holderman was at his best with the Pirates, he used his 97 mile per hour fastball and knee-bending sweeper to keep hitters off balance.

But last season batters hit .424 against his sweeper and he struck out just 14% of the batters he faced.

That’s not going to cut it in 2026, but it’s hard to imagine that’s going to happen again in 2026 so long as he’s able to stay healthy. And if he is able to stay healthy, it shouldn't take long for him to make a positive impression in Northeast Ohio.

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