Now that Emmanuel Clase has officially been indicted, it is likely we will never see him pitch not just for the Cleveland Guardians but in MLB ever again.

Now the question remains, who will close out games for the Guardians in 2026?

Let us dive into some of the options.

Let us start with someone the Guardians used regularly in the closer role when Clase had to leave the team. Cade Smith notched 16 saves last year and pitched to a 2.93 ERA in 76 games.

Obviously, the usage and trust factor is there with Stephen Vogt and the coaching staff, but do they want to dedicate him to the closer role? He has shown versatility in his two seasons, only saving one game in 74 games in 2024, and was not the closer in the first half of this past season. For now, Smith is the leader in the clubhouse when it comes to the Opening Day closer.

Another familiar face. Hunter Gaddis only collected three saves last season, but he did pitch in 73 games to a 3.11 ERA. In 2024, he threw in 78 games and had a 1.57 ERA. He did regress this season, but he was still clearly a reliable arm for Vogt to turn to. Unfortunately for Gaddis, he has slightly more control issues than Smith does, making him more likely to remain in his 7th and 8th inning roles.

Headlining the list of free agent closers is former Padre Robert Suarez. Suarez racked up 76 saves the last two seasons combined. This includes a National League-leading 40 last season.

Things are a bit murky in San Diego, which traded for All-Star closer Mason Miller at the trade deadline and gave up their top prospect to do so. Suarez will likely test the market after a career-best season and a cluttered bullpen in San Diego.

Kyle Finnegan has quietly been one of the most reliable bullpen arms in baseball. Acquired from the Nationals, the Tigers used Finnegan in 16 games in the regular season.

In those 16 games, he gave up three runs and nine hits. He had 20 saves before the deadline for the Nationals, and four with the Tigers, despite them not using him predominantly as a closer. Finnegan also had a career year in 2024, racking up an impressive 38 saves.

Ryan Helsley was dominant with St. Louis, but could not get through a save when he got traded to the Mets. His struggles with New York may decrease his price tag, which would interest the Guardians.

Helsley won NL Reliever of the Year in 2024, when he notched a whopping 49 saves for the Cardinals. His ERA with the Cardinals in the first half of last season was 3.00. After the trade to the Mets, it jumped to 7.20. Before last year, the last season Helsley had with an ERA over 3.00 was 2021.

One of the game’s most popular closers hits the market. Edwin Diaz has been a New York Met since 2019 and has racked up save after save for the team.

Last year, Diaz had 28 saves. He had 20 in a volatile 2024. He had 32 in both 2021 and 2022. And let us not forget the 57 saves he had for the Mariners way back in 2018. Diaz is an accomplished and reliable closer, but he could carry a more expensive price tag than the others mentioned. 

The master of the airbender changeup had an interesting year as a New York Yankee. He collected only 18 saves and had an ERA of 4.79. He started to show flashes of his old self later on in the season, but when Williams struggled, he could not get an out.

He is another big name that will likely require a big price tag. There will be plenty of suitors for Williams’ services, but the Guardians are not likely to be one of them.

Pete Fairbanks is known for his candidness and eccentricity. He also has a hell of an arm. He had been used as a closer only in the last three seasons, so maybe he is looking for other roles, but when he was a closer, he was solid, racking up 75 saves in three years. A smaller name from a small market team could fit the Guardians’ budget.