The Guardians don’t need to tear their bullpen down to the studs, but the last few Octobers have made one thing obvious: this group could use a different kind of answer in the late innings.
For a while, Cleveland has leaned almost entirely on arms it developed itself. A Shawn Armstrong here, a Jakob Junis there, but the backbone of Stephen Vogt’s high-leverage relief work has largely come from inside the organization. After the way recent postseason games have unfolded, that formula looks ready for a shakeup.
If the Guardians are going to make that move, Hunter Gaddis is the most logical place to start. He’s reaching arbitration for the first time, and his value is as high as it’s likely to get.
That’s the uncomfortable part, because Gaddis has been a steady presence in the Cleveland bullpen for three seasons. He’s also been on the mound for some of the franchise’s most painful late-game moments lately: in 2024 when Juan Soto drilled a go-ahead homer in the ALCS, last season when the Tigers pulled ahead late in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series, and on Monday when Yandy Díaz added insurance with a two-run homer in the ninth inning.
His regular-season track record is strong enough to explain why he’s been trusted there. Since moving full-time to the bullpen, Gaddis has put up a 2.50 ERA in 201 2/3 innings over the past three seasons. The problem is that postseason relievers live under a harsher spotlight, and every slip gets burned into memory.
That’s especially tricky for the Guardians, because they’ve repeatedly proven they can develop bullpen arms from scratch. Gaddis himself is a good example: a fifth-round pick who began his career as a starter before becoming a reliever.
Cade Smith is another, going undrafted in 2020 before turning into a real weapon. And there’s still depth in the pipeline, with Austin Peterson, Justin Campbell and others among the top pitching prospects starting out as starters.
Cleveland has also gotten quality work from Erik Sabrowski and Daniel Espino in high-leverage spots last year.
Free agency doesn’t offer much relief help this winter, but that may not matter much for the Guardians anyway. They were never likely to shop at the top of that market. A trade involving Gaddis, paired with the club’s usual internal pitching development, would give Cleveland a way to refresh the bullpen without blowing it up.
In Other News...
Guardians May Need A Painful Trade To Become A Real Threat
After pushing all the way to the American League Championship Series, the Guardians are heading into the offseason with a familiar question in front of them: how do they turn a strong young core into a roster that can survive the best teams in October? One path runs through the trade market, where Cleveland could look to add real impact rather than just depth, and the Los Angeles Angels loom as a possible match with infielder Zach Neto and pitcher Reid Detmers both drawing attention.
Neto would give the Guardians a versatile infield piece with upside, while Detmers offers the kind of arm that could deepen the rotation and change the shape of the staff. The problem is cost, and that is where things get complicated for a front office that has to weigh short-term gain against long-term control. A deal of that size could force Cleveland to put real prospect value on the table, with names like Ralphy Velazquez and Cooper Ingle among the kinds of assets that could come up in talks. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Bullpen Depth Just Got Murkier Heading Into Next Season
Clevelands bullpen picture for next season already had plenty of moving parts, and now two more names are back on the open market. Connor Brogdon and Carlos Hernandez have elected free agency after each was designated for assignment and spent time in the minors, leaving the Guardians with a little less certainty as they sort through relief options for the winter.
Brogdon logged 16 innings for Cleveland with a 5.06 ERA, while Hernandez worked three innings and posted a 6.00 ERA. Neither stint changed the broader conversation much, but both remain the kind of depth arms teams often keep in the pipeline, and there is still a chance the Guardians could bring one or both back on minor league deals depending on how the market develops. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians ALCS Exit Exposed A Problem Cleveland Cant Ignore
The Guardians ALCS loss to the Tampa Bay Rays left the same uncomfortable truth hanging over their winter plans: the offense simply did not do enough when the stage got bigger. Cleveland had trouble scoring consistently throughout the series, and the final three games underscored how quickly the lineup could stall when pressure mounted.
Several hitters finished the matchup with low averages, a reminder that the margin for error was thin once the pitching matchups tightened. If Cleveland wants to turn that October trip into something more lasting, the front office is staring at a clear to-do list that goes beyond one area, with the club expected to look for more help in the lineup, the bullpen and the rotation. [Read more 🡒]