2025-26 MLB Offseason Recap: Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland made an incredible run to the AL Central title last season. It was yet another example of the Guardians being able to build a strong team on a budget. And heading into 2026, the Guardians didn’t make many splashy adds like their peers in the division. However, Cleveland did add more reliever depth to an already-strong core group of relievers.

Additions

• RP Shawn Armstrong
• RP Connor Brogdon
• RP Colin Holderman
• RP Peyton Pallette

The Guardians have built themselves a strong, deep bullpen over the years, thanks to homegrown talent and smart additions. However, with closer Emmanuel Clase on leave, and his MLB career hanging in the balance thanks to a betting scandal, that depth was tested in 2025.

Heading into 2026, the Guardians will have some fresh faces in the bullpen.

The big addition was Shawn Armstrong, the veteran Major League reliever who started his career with the team over a decade ago. Last season, Armstrong was one of baseball’s most valuable relievers with the Rangers, and he posted one of the top five opponents’ wOBA figures in the game.

Several pitchers on the Guardians’ reliever core have fastballs that work very well, including closer Cade Smith and left-hander Erik Sabrowski. The same can be said for Armstrong, who routinely posted 30+% Whiff% rates on his four-seamer, which plays off the rest of his arsenal.

He received a one-year deal with Cleveland in December.

The Guardians added a second explosive fastball pitcher with Peyton Pallette, a 2025 Rule 5 Draft pick from the White Sox.

In terms of volume, most of his swings-and-misses were up, thanks to a booming four-seamer that sat in the mid-90s. However, that pitch can also work well off a slider, which Pallette has used it with effectiveness. Last season in Triple-A, his slider had a Whiff% just a shade under 45%, good for the top-60 in Triple-A.

Cleveland also took fliers on two relievers, Colin Holderman and Connor Brogdon. Both Holderman and Brogdon had up-and-down seasons last year.

Brogdon can touch 98 MPH and get swings-and-misses but was hurt badly by the home run ball. Holderman, like Brogdon, was hit around last season with the Pirates. However, the ex-Pirate does have a good background as an effective middle reliever/setup man.

Additionally, the Guardians re-signed Dom Nunez, Kolby Allard, and Ben Lively to Minor League deals. Rhys Hoskins also joined Cleveland on a Minor League deal.

Losses

• OF Will Brennan
• RP Nic Enright
• RP Sam Hentges
• RP Jakob Junis
• RP Zak Kent
• SP John Means
• OF Jhonkensy Noel
• OF Lane Thomas

The Guardians parted with several familiar faces over the winter, including “Big Christmas” Jhonkensy Noel and Will Brennan.

Brennan, a good prospect in the Guardians system in the early 2020s, failed to secure a regular role in the Cleveland outfield. He signed with the Giants in February. That move came weeks after Sam Hentges, who missed all of last season thanks to shoulder and knee surgery recoveries, signed with San Francisco.

Jakon Junis joined Shawn Armstrong’s old team. Junis took a one-year deal with the Rangers over the offseason.

Lane Thomas joined the Royals in December after what was an injury-shortened year. Thomas had bouts with plantar fasciitis and ultimately had his season ended thanks to foot surgery.

Nic Enright, who pitched well in his rookie season with Cleveland, was not retained after he required UCL reconstruction surgery. The Blue Jays signed him to a multi-year deal in January.

Overview

Aside from an extension given to Jose Ramirez, it was a very quiet offseason for Cleveland.

That’s not out of character for the Guardians, as the team has been more known to be cautious and avoid big deals in free agency. Instead, the MO of the Guardians has been to build through the draft and international free agency, lock up key pieces when possible, and then sell high if necessary.

Over the last decade, that process has led to the loss of several big-name pieces. And yet, the Guardians still compete.

And given that players like Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana, two premier hitting prospects, are in the system, that process may yield even more rewards in the future.