The Guardians’ bullpen picture starts with a few arms that look locked in, then gets a lot more interesting after that.
Cade Smith, Erik Sabrowski, Daniel Espino and Franco Aleman are the names that stand out right away as the group’s clear long-term keeps. Smith has already established himself as a dominant closer, while Sabrowski has been especially valuable in high-leverage spots against left-handed hitters. Espino and Aleman don’t have a huge sample to work with, but both carry enough upside to project as future high-leverage pieces.
From there, the conversation shifts to the pitchers who look usable, but probably in narrower roles. That group includes Herrin, Gaddis, Holderman and Yoho.
Herrin’s numbers against lefties are solid enough that he fits best in matchup-heavy situations. Gaddis, Holderman and Yoho have been much stronger against right-handed hitters, which makes them better fits for earlier-game work or specialized right-on-right spots.
Ideally, the Guardians would keep one or two of those right-handed options, then pair them with a more balanced arm for the final bullpen slot.
That’s where Armstrong comes in. He fits the profile of a more even-split option, and if the timing lines up, he’d be eligible to return from the IL in the last week of the 2026 regular season.
Still, because of his age and contract, looking beyond that gets murky. The other path would be to search for a similar or better free-agent answer to fill that role in future seasons.
If the club keeps two of Gaddis, Holderman and Yoho, there’s still one more bullpen spot to sort out. One safe route would be a pitcher like Allen or Cecconi, someone who can handle multiple innings in a pinch and maybe even make a spot start.
Another option would be to target a more complete middle-relief arm, or simply add another left-handed matchup option. The bullpen doesn’t have many lefties, so that kind of addition would help balance things out.
There’s real upside here, especially if Aleman and Espino keep getting work and developing. In all, the group includes four obvious keepers and four more pitchers who can plausibly belong in a big league bullpen if they’re deployed the right way.
A few others look like organizational depth who could be called up when needed. For the MLB level, though, the clearest remaining need is another pitcher who can handle left-handed hitters.
Outside of that, the foundation looks pretty strong for the near future.
In Other News...
Kyle Manzardo Is Facing A Big Test In Triple A
Kyle Manzardos latest assignment in Triple-A came after the Guardians brought in Nathaniel Lowe, pushing the young first baseman back down to keep his bat and approach in focus. He has responded with some pop, putting up a .264/.339/.547 slash line with four home runs in 62 plate appearances, which at least shows the kind of impact Cleveland wants to see from a player whose power has never been in doubt.
The challenge, though, is the same one that has followed Manzardo for stretches of his rise: the swing-and-miss that keeps his production from looking as complete as it could. His strikeout rate remains high and the contact percentage low, so this stint looks less like a simple detour and more like a targeted development stop, with the organization trying to sharpen specific parts of his game before the next call comes. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Are Climbing But One Doubt Still Follows This Run
The Guardians latest surge has made the American League Central race feel a lot more relevant than it did just a few days ago. After sweeping a three-game set against the Rockies, Cleveland is now within 3.5 games of first-place Chicago, and the timing matters as the club tries to keep pace in a division that still feels open. The additions of Jo Adell and Foster Griffin have also helped steady the roster, giving the team some much-needed lift as the stretch run approaches.
Still, the big-picture question has not gone away because Cleveland is one game under .500 with 31 left and sitting tied for the final AL Wild Card spot. The schedule ahead offers a real path, since the Guardians have one of the easiest remaining slates in the league, but they are also living in the margin now. The recent run has created opportunity, yet it has not answered the one doubt that continues to shadow this push. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Lineup Is Finally Sending A Promising Deadline Message
Stephen Vogt finally got to write the same lineup card twice in a row, and for a club that has spent much of the season juggling roles, that alone carried some meaning. The Guardians used that look against the Rockies and came away with wins, with trade pickups Jo Adell and Nathaniel Lowe settled in as everyday pieces and giving the offense a steadier shape as Cleveland keeps searching for consistency at the plate.
The bigger message may be the way Vogt is using these final weeks to test fit as much as production, mixing in player positioning and matchups against right-handed pitching while the season heads into its last month. For a team still making adjustments, back-to-back games with the same group offered a small but noticeable sign that some of the deadline additions are starting to define the picture rather than just fill it. [Read more 🡒]