Cleveland Guardians sign relief pitcher to one-year deal

Holderman has struggled the past couple of seasons, especially last year. His ETA was 7.01, but, on the bright side, his expected ERA (xERA) was 5.70. This tells us Holderman was getting unlucky while on the mound at times last year.

The righty has a six-pitch mix, but heavily relies on three of them. He uses the sinker more than 37% of the time, his Sweeper is used 27% of the time, and his cutter is used 24% of the time. Holderman also features a Four-Seam Fastball, a Splitter, and a Slider. 

In 2024, Holderman had a 3.16 ERA, in 2023, he had a 3.86, and in his first year (2022), he had a 3.81. 

Holderman has a history of being a successful reliever in the league, but last year may look rough on paper. This is where pitching coach Carl Willis can work his magic, helping Holderman return to form. 

Last season, Holderman only appeared in 24 games for the Pirates. In 2024, he appeared in 55 games, and in 58 games in 2023. 2023 and 2024 were two of the better years of his career.

The 24 games in 2025 were largely due to a right thumb injury he suffered last season, and he was placed on the Injured List. He worked rehabs all year long and had a few chances at the major league level, but he could never find solid ground while working through his issues.

Willis will have some things working in his favor when coaching Holderman, mainly his velocity. Holderman was in the 90th percentile in fastball velocity last season, according to Baseball Savant. 

With his increase in sinker usage in 2025, his ground ball rate was the highest he has had since the 2023 season, at 52.8%. Being able to keep the ball not only in the park, but on the ground is massive for a reliever that will likely find themselves entering the game in sticky situations. 

Signing Holderman may not move the needle for many fans, or even the front office. He will be a project for the team to get him back into his previous years’ form. If he can get his ERA down closer to 3.50, that is something the Guardians will certainly take, especially on a low-risk contract.

Manager Stephen Vogt said at the MLB Winter Meetings that they only have about five bullpen arms and they need closer to eight. This is one of those three to four arms he was asking for. Where the Guardians go next remains a mystery. They have been largely quiet all offseason long on the free agent market, but there is still the possibility of a Steven Kwan trade that can bring in some heavy artillery.

The Guardians are just getting started filling their pen; hopefully, that leads to more proven arms being added, and hopefully leads to the front office focusing their attention next on the lineup that was one of the worst in baseball last season. This signing should start to push the momentum in the Guardians’ front office.