May 24, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Matthew Boyd (48) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Who Is Newest Cleveland Guardians Pitcher Matthew Boyd?

Originally posted on Cleveland Guardians on SI
By Tommy Wild | Last updated Jun 27, 2024 3:38 PM ET

Starting pitching is something that the Cleveland Guardians have needed since the season began. Finally, reinforcements are on the way as it’s been reported the organization has agreed to a Major League deal with LHP Matthew Boyd.

Who is this newest Guardians pitcher and what does he bring to the roster?

Boyd was drafted out of Oregon State University by the Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth round of the 2013.

The Cleveland Guardians have agreed to a deal with LHP Matthew Boyd. (per @JonHeyman)#Guardians | #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/KxUCm2l6S9
— Cleveland Baseball Insider (@CBI_FanNation) June 27, 2024

He made his debut with the Blue Jays in 2015 but was traded to the Detroit Tigers later that season. He found a home with Detroit where he would be in and out of the team’s starting rotation for the next six years and became a free agent after the 2021 season.

The Seattle Mariners signed Boyd heading into the 2022 season where he appeared in 10 games out of the bullpen. He returned to the Tigers ahead of the 2023 season and started in 15 games.

Over Boyd’s nine-year Major League career, he’s appeared in 174 games with 160 of those being starts. He has a career ERA of 4.94 and a 1.32 WHIP.

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Boyd has always been a pitcher who throws a lot of balls in the zone as 64 percent of the pitches he’s in his career have been strikes and his overall strikeouts percentage is 22.7. That has come at a cost in his career though as he led the American League in home runs given up in both 2019 and 2020.

The only unknown left with Boyd when it comes to the Guardians is what his role will be. Will he step into a struggling Cleveland rotation or will he be a long reliever out of the bullpen?

This article first appeared on Cleveland Guardians on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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