Connor Brogdon is staying in the Guardians organization, but not on the major league roster.
The right-hander cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Columbus, according to Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. Cleveland had designated him for assignment on Wednesday, and because the minor league season is already over, Brogdon will go to the club’s “stay ready” camp.
Brogdon opened the year in Cleveland’s bullpen after breaking camp with the team, spending his first six weeks in the majors. He was DFAed in May and has spent most of the season in the minors since then, though an injury cost him part of that stretch.
In 16 innings with the Guardians, Brogdon put up a 5.06 ERA. He did cut his walk rate to a career-low 4.3%, but the whiffs didn’t really follow, as his called + swinging-strike rate settled at 22.3%. His time with the Clippers wasn’t much smoother, either, with a 6.35 ERA in 12 appearances.
The 31-year-old has now pitched for four teams across a seven-year big league career, with most of his MLB work coming in Philadelphia. Cleveland signed him to a one-year, $900K deal in the winter after a difficult 2025 season with the Angels. He’ll be back on the free-agent market this offseason.
Meanwhile, the Guardians’ bullpen remains one of the team’s biggest strengths. With All-Star closer Cade Smith at the front, Cleveland’s relievers lead the majors in SIERA and rank fourth in xFIP. Manager Stephen Vogt is expected to lean on that group hard in the postseason, and the Guardians enter Friday a game ahead of the White Sox in the AL Central.
In Other News...
Guardians Survived A Wild Royals Fight And Kept Control Of The Central
The Guardians walked into Kauffman Stadium and found plenty of resistance from the Royals, but they still left with a 12-9 win and their grip on first place in the AL Central intact. It was the kind of game that had swings throughout, with Cleveland answering Kansas Citys punches and getting important production from Angel Martinez, David Fry and Jose Ramirez to stay in front of the division race.
Gavin Williams did not have a smooth night on the mound, which only added to the tension in a game that kept changing hands. Cleveland will have to keep sorting through the pitching side as the series moves on, with Michael Wacha and Tanner Bibee scheduled to face off in the next game and another chance for the Guardians to protect that narrow lead. [Read more 🡒]
Chase DeLauter Gives Guardians Fans One More Reason To Believe
Chase DeLauter has given Cleveland plenty to like in his first full season in the majors, turning his 2026 campaign into one of the brighter developments in the Guardians lineup. After debuting in the 2025 postseason, he has settled in as a central piece of the offense, leading the club in batting average and OPS while staying on the field for 131 games. For a team that has leaned on steady production all year, his rise has become one of the clearest reasons for optimism.
Now the Guardians are heading toward a familiar late-season question: can they hold onto first place in the AL Central and line up an ALDS berth? If they do, DeLauter will be back in the October spotlight for his second playoff run, but this time with a full season behind him and a much larger role in what comes next. For Cleveland, that combination is exactly the kind of young-core momentum that can make a postseason path feel a little more real. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Survived A Wild Scare With The AL Central At Stake
The Guardians spent most of the night trying to turn a messy, walk-heavy game into something manageable, and the offense finally did enough late to keep the division race alive. Cleveland outlasted the Kansas City Royals 12-9, a result driven by patience at the plate and a rally that changed the shape of the night in a hurry. Jos Ramrez, Chase DeLauter, Petey Halpin and Angel Martinez all helped fuel an attack that kept the pressure on from start to finish.
What made it so important was the timing. Cleveland drew 13 walks overall and six more in the ninth, then cashed in with five runs in the frame to protect a win that keeps the Guardians firmly in the AL Central picture with two games left and a magic number of two. It was the kind of escape that can swing a pennant race, and now the Guardians have put themselves in position to see whether this kind of stubborn offense can finish the job. [Read more 🡒]