The Guardians lost a pair of experienced bullpen arms this week, with Carlos Hernández and Connor Brogdon both electing free agency on Thursday after finishing the season in the minors.
Neither pitcher was likely to play a major role in Cleveland’s plans for 2026, but their departures still trim a little more from the club’s pitching depth heading into what could be a significant offseason.
Both men ended the year as non-40-man players in the system, which gave them the ability to test free agency before the season officially wraps up.
Brogdon opened the year on the Guardians’ roster after signing a $900,000 deal in the offseason, but his stay was short. He was designated for assignment after more than a month on the big league club, where he put up a 5.28 ERA in 15 1/3 innings. After that, he spent two months at the team’s Arizona Complex before landing at Triple-A.
He was in Columbus for a little more than a month before Cleveland called him back up late in September as injuries thinned the pitching staff. He logged one appearance for the Guardians during that stretch, then was DFA’d again.
Hernández’s path was messier. He came back on a minor league deal last offseason, but his season got delayed after he fractured his right leg and left arm in a car crash in Venezuela over the winter. He didn’t return to the mound until July, when he pitched in the Arizona Complex League.
From there, he got a 72-hour look with Cleveland at the start of September after rosters expanded. He gave up one run in three innings before being designated for assignment and ending the year with the Clippers.
For all the movement, neither pitcher made much of an impact in the majors. Still, losing both of them leaves the Guardians with a little less cover at a time when the team’s leadership may not have a clear read on how pitchers are holding up during the lockout.
That matters because at least one or two arms are likely to come back a bit sore or banged up after throwing on their own during the lockout, and Hernández and Brogdon would have been useful spring training bodies to help absorb innings.
The Guardians can still bring both back if they want to, and any reunion would likely come later in the offseason. As depth fliers go, there are worse ones to consider.
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