![\"Shawn](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/TOLBR7KEMFC3LORYU3ZA3I2USU.jpg\")
Shawn Armstrong is newest member of the Guardians bullpen. APAlways need more relief<\/p>\nCLEVELAND, Ohio \u2014 Pitchers & Catchers Report \u2026 <\/p>\n
The exact date is February 10 as the Guardians open spring training in Goodyear.<\/p>\n
For the Guardians, it was a quiet winter. Most of them are because the team is seldom active in free agency, and this year is more of the same. They will once again have one of the youngest rosters in the majors and one of the lowest payrolls.<\/p>\n
But the Guards are also back as the two-time defending American League Central champions. They\u2019ve also won the title in three of the last four years. I mention this because it\u2019s tempting to fall into the \u201cYeah, but they don\u2019t spend any money \u2026 \u201d mindset. <\/p>\n
The bigger point is they have been successful.<\/p>\n
Here are the five winningest (percentage) MLB teams in the last 10 years:<\/p>\n
Dodgers .621.<\/p>\n
Astros .587.<\/p>\n
Yankees .574.<\/p>\n
Guardians .556.<\/p>\n
Brewers .550. <\/p>\n
The biggest question is can they do it again? Can they win the Central Division, make the playoffs \u2014 and this time, advance a few rounds in the postseason?<\/p>\n
With that, let\u2019s look at what the Guardians have done this winter \u2026 <\/p>\n
Shawn Armstrong is newest member of the Guardians bullpen. APAlways need more relief<\/p>\n
I thought Terry Francona loved going to the bullpen until I saw Stephen Vogt as manager. He treasures relievers. I\u2019m still adjusting to the fact most teams have 13 pitchers on their 26-man roster. <\/p>\n
Furthermore, the Guardians have to replace Emmanuel Clase. Even if the team\u2019s closer is cleared of all gambling charges, my sense is Cleveland doesn\u2019t want him back.<\/p>\n
That said, guess what American League team\u2019s bullpen pitched the fewest innings in 2025? <\/a>Yep, the Guardians.<\/p>\n Shows what I know.<\/p>\n Their bullpen had a 3.44 ERA in 2025. Only Boston (3.41) was better.<\/p>\n How about this stat? After three-time All-Star Clase was placed on paid leave on July 28, 2025, the bullpen had a 2.92 ERA. That was the best in the American League.<\/p>\n Cade Smith has emerged as a premier closer. Hunter Gaddis, Erik Sabrowski and Matt Festa were strong last season.<\/p>\n The Guardians keep finding arms, as if they go to the baseball version of Walmart and shop the bullpen aisle. They know how to pick \u2018em. <\/p>\n The main bullpen addition is Shawn Armstrong, originally picked by Cleveland in the 18th round of the 2011 draft. Armstrong is now 35. He\u2019s pitched for eight teams, including Tampa Bay and now Cleveland twice.<\/p>\n In his 11-year MLB career,<\/a> he has a 3.82 ERA. Last season, he was 4-3 with a 2.31 ERA for Texas.<\/p>\n Cleveland went bargain shopping, adding these relievers: Connor Brogdon, Colin Holderman and Codi Heuer. All of them have been up and down from the minors to the majors with several teams. <\/p>\n The Guardians also spent $100,000 to select Peyton Pallette from the White Sox in the Rule-5 draft. He was a second-round pick in 2022 despite having Tommy John surgery that forced him to miss his final college season at Arkansas. <\/p>\n Pallette started his pro career as a starter, then moved to the bullpen. The right-hander throws 96 mph. He had a 4.06 ERA splitting last season between Class AA and AAA. He struck out 86 in 64 innings, something that impressed Cleveland. He has to stay on the MLB roster for the entire 2026 season, or the White Sox will have the right to take him back. <\/p>\n I\u2019m not going to deal in-depth with all these new relievers. But here\u2019s a prediction: At least two of the new relievers will become key parts of the bullpen. Cleveland is the master of reviving the careers of these types of pitchers. <\/p>\n In the last few years, the successful bullpen reclamation projects have been Pedro Avila (now back on a minor league contract), Enyel De Los Santos, Kolby Allard and Festa. Allard has yet to sign with anyone. I\u2019d like to see Cleveland add him for the spring on a minor league deal. <\/p>\n Since Cleveland\u2019s relievers threw the fewest innings in the American League, that means their starters chewed up the most.<\/a> That\u2019s one of the reasons they can repeat as Central Division champions.<\/p>\n They have six key starters: Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen, Slade Cecconi, Joey Cantillo and Parker Messick. Cantillo also can pitch in relief.<\/p>\n The impressive aspect of Cleveland\u2019s starters pitching the most innings in the American League is their ages. <\/p>\n Allen is 27. At 26 are Bibee, Cantillo, Cecconi and Williams. Messick is 25. It\u2019s not like a veteran staff delivered all those innings. <\/p>\n In the minors, they have Austin Peterson (8-6, 3.21 ERA between Class AA and AAA) and Josh Hartle (10-3, 2.54 ERA, mostly in Class A). These are two of my favorite prospects. <\/p>\n The Guardians traded Shane Bieber to Toronto for Khal Stephen, who will open the season at Class AA Akron. Stephen was 9-2 with a 2.53 ERA, mostly in Class A in 2025. <\/p>\n The Brewers traded All-Star starter Freddy Peralta and pitchers Tobias Myers to the Mets for prospects Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams.<\/p>\n Peralta has one year left on his contract and then he\u2019ll be a free agent. Peralta and Dylan Cease are the only pitchers with at least 200 strikeouts in each of the last three seasons. Peralta was 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA for Milwaukee in 2025.<\/p>\n Before the 2024 season, the Brewers traded three-time All-Star Corbin Burnes to Baltimore for several prospects. Before the 2025 season, they sent two-time All-Star reliever Devin Williams to the Yankees for prospects. <\/p>\n R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports wrote:<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThis is what the Brewers do. They take impending free-agent pitchers and convert them into package deals, usually involving an unheralded, if near-ready player. They usually get more mileage than expected from that player too. They did it with Joey Ortiz in 2024 (after netting him in the Corbin Burnes<\/a> trade). They did it with Caleb Durbin<\/a> last year (following his inclusion in the Devin Williams<\/a> deal). That doesn\u2019t ensure the Brewers will succeed with either Sproat or this other Williams, but it does suggest their front office has a handle on how to successfully navigate these situations.\u201d<\/p>\n Milwaukee\u2019s Pat Murphy was the NL Manager of the Year in the last two seasons. Cleveland\u2019s Stephen Vogt won the same award the last two seasons in the American League.<\/p>\n While the Guardians have won the AL Central three times in the last four years, the Brewers have won the NL Central four times in the last five years. <\/p>\n As the story says \u2026 it\u2019s what they do.<\/p>\n It\u2019s probably why the Guardians will trade Steven Kwan at some point in 2026 if they don\u2019t sign him to an extension before opening day, just as they traded Bieber in the middle of the 2025 season. <\/p>\n Fans in Milwaukee and Cleveland usually don\u2019t like what their team is doing in the offseason, but it usually comes out right during the regular season. <\/p>\n NEXT WEEK: I\u2019ll look at the Guardians\u2019 every-day lineup. <\/p>\n Hear me talk:<\/p>\n![\"Cleveland](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/FGUKPRYXCRAFRCP7AJELVTETCU.JPG\")
At the age of 27, Logan Allen is Cleveland’s oldest starting pitcher. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.comThey\u2019re young, they\u2019re good<\/p>\n![\"Freddy](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/POIZ4PVLTNEUDEMAT4KG3M2S4E.jpg\")
As free agency loomed, Milwaukee traded its All-Star pitcher Freddy Peralta.APThat\u2019s what they do<\/p>\n