MLB’s 2025 Winter Meetings have come and gone, and even though the Cleveland Guardians’ front office members were in Orlando for the event, the organization made practically no moves, outside of a few Rule 5 selections.
After a quiet Winter Meetings, here’s what we learned about the Guardians.
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Chris Antonetti said earlier this offseason that the Guardians needed to add depth to the bullpen. Then, Stephen Vogt reiterated Cleveland’s need for more relievers during his media availability at the Winter Meetings earlier in the week.
“Yeah, we need a lot. We need we need depth in the bullpen,” admitted
The organization clearly isn’t shying away from ned for more bullpen help. It’s a little shocking to see the team so open about needing to address a position group. To Cleveland’s credit, they have made some moves to improve the reliability, but not enough for the team to feel great about the position group.
Dec 8, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt speaks with the media during the 2025 MLB Winter Meetings at Signia by Hilton Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Cleveland has added a few relievers to the mix since the beginning of the offseason. So far, the Guardians have brought in RHP Connor Brogdon (free agent), RHP Colin Holderman (free agent), and RHP Peyton Pallette (Rule 5 Draft).
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Each pitcher has promising metrics, particularly in swing-and-miss potential and extension. But with how honest the team has been about needing more relievers, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team add one or two more relievers this winter.
It’s no secret that the Guardians have one of the best pitching coaching staffs in baseball, led by Carl Willis. That said, the Guardians are putting a lot of faith in the idea that they can help turn some of these underwhelming arms into consistent bullpen pieces.
Cleveland had one of the worst offenses in baseball last season, and while teams around them added firepower through free agency and trade, the Guardians did nothing. Maybe that’s because a deal never materialized, or it could be because the front office is that confident in the young core they’ve assembled.
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Antonetti said last week, “The thing we’re balancing – especially on the position-player side – is whoever we bring in, what opportunities does that take away from the group that we have?”
Of course, the exciting up-and-coming group consists of Chase DeLauter, George Valera, CJ Kayufs, Kyle Manzardo, and, at some point, Travis Bazzana and Juan Brito.
It remains to be seen if the Guardians add any position players this winter, but the front office and coaching staff are clearly high on the group of young hitters emerging in the organization.