Cleveland Guardians STRETCH for Armstrong Cleveland Adds Top FA Reliever Shawn Armstrong #mlb #cle

Cleveland Guardians STRETCH for Armstrong Cleveland Adds Top FA Reliever Shawn Armstrong #mlb #cle

The Cleveland Guardians continue to add bullpen help. It is the market that is moving the quickest and Cleveland is grabbing everyone they can. I’m Jeff Ellis of Lockdown Guardians and let’s talk about Shawn Armstrong. To me, this is the most exciting addition so far for the Guardians and I think most people would expect that because he also got the most money at $5.5 million. Shawn Armstrong to me was the top reliever left on the market. A fascinating pitcher. If I can take it back in time, a player I had as a borderline top 10 prospect. I thought he was going to be the next Cody Allen when he was coming up through Cleveland system. But he was all velocity then. And what has made Shawn Armstrong a good reliever is the additions, the changes. You go back in the early 2020s, he was fast ball cutter and that was about it. He has added a sinker and a sweeper. The sweeper over the last two years and the sinker over the last four. Last year was the first year he really deployed that sweeper against both righties and lefties with great effect. His secondary pitches graded out really well. His fast ball graded out well. Doesn’t generate a lot of miss with his pitches, but guys just don’t hit it. He has a pitch mix that allows him to, you know, be a little deceptive for righty, but he has velocity. He was phenomenal a year ago. He is going to be 35 this year, and it is one year. He was good in 2023 and I will say in 23 and 25 41 degree arm angle. In 24 it was only at 40. I think the arm angle is helping as is the continued development of pitches. I’m very excited as you should be. Shaun Armstrong is a great addition to the Cleveland Guardians bullpen.