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The Cleveland Guardians won the AL Central and made it all the way to the ALCS last season thanks mostly in part to their historically great bullpen, and while the entire pen was terrific all year, there were really three relief pitchers who were the bread and butter of it.
Emmanuel Clase, Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis.
Clase was baseball's most dominant closer in 2024, and Smith and Gaddis did a phenomenal job bridging the gap to Clase in the later innings.
Gaddis made 78 appearances, pitching to the tune of a 1.57 ERA while allowing just 43 hits and registering 66 strikeouts over 74.2 innings of work. He logged minuscule 0.763 WHIP and was electrifying throughout the entire campaign.
However, Fangraphs' projections do not seem to like the chances of the right-hander replicating his success in 2025.
Quincy Wheeler of Covering the Corner took an average of all of Fangraphs' projection systems to most accurately predict the production of the Guardians' players heading into the coming season, and when it came to Gaddis, the numbers were fairly concerning.
The 26-year-old averaged a 3.97 ERA across all projections, and his best mark was a 3.91 ERA. That isn't bad for a No. 3 starter, but it's not what you want from one of your top relievers.
In order for Cleveland to have another strong campaign, it will likely have to lean heavily on its bullpen again, as its starting rotation remains a major question mark.
Gaddis was largely unhittable for much of 2024, so if he suddenly becomes more mortal this year, it could pose a rather significant problem for the Guardians.
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Alex Cora appeared to tamper with Kyle Schwarber
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora appeared to tamper with Kyle Schwarber on Tuesday. Cora’s Red Sox were in the middle of a three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies, which is why the subject of Schwarber came up. Phillies Nation reporter Destiny Lugardo asked Cora about Schwarber’s upcoming free agency. The Red Sox manager said he would be “very, very intrigued” to see how Schwarber’s free agency plays out. Lugardo took that to mean that Cora will be advocating for the Red Sox to try to sign Schwarber. However, Cora acknowledged that Philadelphia has been great for the slugger. "I hate to say it, but (Philly) is a perfect place for him,” Cora said, via Lugardo. Schwarber, 32, was a trade-deadline acquisition by the Red Sox in 2021. He batted .291 with a .957 OPS in 41 regular-season games with the team. The Red Sox lost in the ALCS that year with Cora as the manager. During that offseason, Schwarber signed a four-year, $79 million contract with the Phillies, which has worked out well. Schwarber has slugged 164 home runs over his four seasons with the Phillies with an .849 OPS. He has been such a good fit with the Phillies that the team might not want to let him go. The problem is, Cora even just describing himself “intrigued” over Schwarber’s free agency may be enough to be considered tampering with a player who is under contract with another team.
Matthew Stafford news highlights potential need for Rams
Matthew Stafford's latest injury raises concerns about the depth of the Los Angeles Rams' quarterback room. Stafford suffered a back injury last season, and it's bothering him again at training camp. Rams head coach Sean McVay said the medical concern will force the QB to miss five practices, but it's not season-ending. "He's been throwing, feeling good. It's not necessarily anything that's new. Something that he's dealt with before," the coach told the media. "Going into year 17, we were going to take a modified approach with him, kind of similar to what we did in the offseason program. And so we'll allow him to kind of just work off to the side, on his own, getting himself feeling as good as possible." Stafford's durability has already been waning. The 37-year-old QB missed eight games because of a spine injury and concussion during the 2022 season. The following season, he missed one game because of a right thumb injury. The Rams have a capable backup QB, Jimmy Garoppolo. He has a 43-21 starting record in the regular season in 11 years with the San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots and Rams. Garoppolo, however, is injury-prone. He has battled foot, ankle, knee and shoulder issues over the course of his career. Rams QB Stetson Bennett — a fourth-rounder in the 2023 NFL Draft — has yet to throw a pass in a regular-season game. Plenty of solid free-agent QBs are still available, including one-time Pro Bowler Carson Wentz. He would be a more trustworthy option than Bennett and already knows the Rams' system. The 2016 first-rounder played for the team during the 2023 season. The Rams hope to win their third Super Bowl after consecutive playoff appearances. Injuries at the most important position could derail their aspirations. McVay doesn't seem too concerned about Stafford's health, but L.A. should still consider adding another QB as a precaution.
Maple Leafs get unfortunate news about acquiring Flames veteran
The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to explore ways to upgrade the roster following Mitch Marner's departure in free agency. The Leafs front office has been trying to fill in the gaps along the roster, and they have been searching on the trade front. One name that has been heavily connected to the Maple Leafs in recent weeks is Calgary Flames star Nazem Kadri. Kadri could replace Marner very well in the lineup, but it seems that a deal could be complicated to complete. According to NHL insider Nick Kypreos of SportsNet, Toronto has tried to land Kadri multiple times this summer, only to be rebuffed each time. Kypreos believes that a deal involving Kadri returning to the Maple Leafs could be unlikely at this point in the summer. Last season, Kadri posted 35 goals and 32 assists for the Flames. His presence has been steady on the ice for years, and Calgary could probably get a lot on the trade market for him. The Maple Leafs will likely continue to explore ways to pry Kadri from the Flames. But Calgary likely won't trade him unless it receives an offer that it deems too good to be true. But Kadri is the leader of this team, and he was the best player for them last season. Toronto doesn't have a lot of tradable assets to work with, which could be what is holding things up between the two sides. The veteran could give Toronto a nice boost, but unless the Maple Leafs up the offer, he isn't returning to town.
Chicago Blackhawks reportedly set to trade 25-year-old goaltender to Stars rival, Edmonton Oilers
Is Giants' Joe Schoen already having second thoughts about Jaxson Dart, Shedeur Sanders decision?
The New York Giants were routinely linked with quarterback Shedeur Sanders leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, but the Giants ultimately traded back into the first round to select Ole Miss signal-caller Jaxson Dart at pick No. 25. For a piece published on Monday, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News revisited how Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll ended up with Dart instead of Sanders earlier this year. "Members of the Giants’ staff had fawned over Shedeur Sanders," Leonard wrote. "Giants brass had spent a lot more time with Sanders during the fall. Then, Daboll’s increased participation after the NFL season steered the process in a different direction." Sanders allegedly had a rough visit with Daboll ahead of the draft, and a report from early May revealed that "Sanders openly acknowledged during the predraft process that he didn't hit it off with Giants coaches." A different story claimed that Schoen "shifted his preference to Dart this spring as head coach Brian Daboll warmed to Dart as a player and person and Schoen rounded out his own evaluation" before the draft got underway. That said, Schoen raised some eyebrows when he said during a May interview that he knew the club would select Dart over Sanders as of "the week of the draft." Schoen also said the decision was the result of a "collaborative process." According to Leonard, those comments were seen by some as "not exactly a firm endorsement of a player standing out above the rest" as it pertains to the quarterbacks. "...Schoen’s lukewarm rhetoric and reluctance to stick his neck out about Dart caught the attention of some people around the league," Leonard added. "And it has put the rookie in a strange position: trying to validate support that almost sounds conditional." Meanwhile, Sanders fell to the draft's fifth round before the Cleveland Browns traded up to grab him at selection No. 144. As of Monday afternoon, FanDuel Sportsbook had Sanders (+870 odds) and Dart (+1060 odds) as significant betting underdogs to serve as Week 1 starters in September. Cleveland is expected to go with Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett for its regular-season opener, while Russell Wilson is on track to start for the Giants against the Washington Commanders on Sept. 7. In short, fans may have to wait a long time to learn if Schoen has any buyer's remorse about possibly being talked into drafting Dart when Sanders was on the board.
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