The Guardians are making moves to fine-tune their bullpen, acquiring left-handed reliever Justin Bruihl from the Blue Jays in exchange for cash considerations. To make room on the 40-man roster, Cleveland designated outfielder Jhonkensy Noel for assignment.
Bruihl, who turns 29 in June, quietly put together a season that was more effective than it might appear at first glance. His 5.27 ERA in the majors doesn’t jump off the page, but that number came over just 13 2/3 innings - not exactly a large enough sample to draw hard conclusions. Dig a little deeper, and the underlying metrics tell a more encouraging story.
He struck out nearly 28% of the batters he faced and induced ground balls at a 46.2% clip - both strong indicators for a reliever. His walk rate, at 10.8%, was a touch high, but not unmanageable.
What really inflated his ERA was an unsustainably high .459 batting average on balls in play. In other words, a lot of balls found grass that don’t usually.
Advanced metrics like his 4.16 FIP and 3.42 SIERA suggest Bruihl was pitching better than his ERA would have you believe.
At Triple-A Buffalo, his results were even stronger and more consistent. Over 42 innings, he posted a 3.43 ERA with a 27.8% strikeout rate, a more palatable 9.1% walk rate, and a hefty 58.4% ground ball rate. That’s the kind of profile teams love in a lefty reliever - someone who can miss bats, limit damage, and keep the ball on the ground.
Bruihl isn’t overpowering - his two-seamer averaged just over 90 mph this year - but he mixes his arsenal well. He complements the sinker with an 87.5 mph cutter and a 78.4 mph slider, and despite the modest velocity, he’s been able to generate whiffs and limit hard contact. That effectiveness earned him a spot on Toronto’s ALDS roster against a lefty-heavy Yankees lineup, even if he didn’t stick around for the later rounds.
Ultimately, the Blue Jays had a numbers crunch. Bruihl used up his final minor league option in 2025, and with other lefties like Brendon Little, Mason Fluharty, and Eric Lauer ahead of him on the depth chart, Toronto chose to designate him for assignment.
Cleveland saw an opportunity.
The Guardians’ bullpen has a few question marks from the left side. Erik Sabrowski and Tim Herrin both showed flashes in 2025, but each walked over 15.5% of the batters they faced - a rate that makes late-inning work a tightrope act. Joey Cantillo could factor in as a long-relief option, but Bruihl brings a different profile: a potential middle-innings lefty who can keep the ball on the ground and miss bats without relying on overpowering stuff.
Because he’s out of options, Bruihl will need to perform to stick. But if he does, there’s long-term value here.
With less than two years of MLB service time, Cleveland can control him for five full seasons. That’s a significant runway for a bullpen piece, especially one who fits a need.
On the flip side, the Guardians had to part ways with one of their more intriguing - if frustrating - power bats in Jhonkensy Noel. The timing is a bit ironic, as “Big Christmas” gets DFA’d just a week before the holiday that inspired his nickname.
Noel has never lacked for raw power. He’s launched 19 home runs in 351 big league plate appearances, but the rest of the offensive profile hasn’t come together.
He’s struck out in nearly a third of his trips to the plate (32.8%) and walked just 4.8% of the time. That’s a tough combo to overcome, even with the pop.
His slash line - .193/.242/.401 - translates to a 79 wRC+, meaning he’s been well below league average at the plate. And without much defensive value or speed, Noel needs to hit - and hit a lot - to justify a roster spot. The Guardians gave him a long look, but with outfielders like Chase DeLauter and George Valera arriving on the scene, the roster squeeze was inevitable.
Like Bruihl, Noel is out of minor league options, which made it even harder to justify keeping him around in a depth role. He’ll now go through waivers, and if another team sees enough upside in the power bat, he could get a fresh start elsewhere. If he clears, the Guardians could outright him to the minors, but he doesn’t have the service time to elect free agency.
This is a classic case of a team playing the roster chess game - swapping a high-variance power bat for a lefty arm who could quietly carve out a role. For Cleveland, the hope is that Bruihl’s underlying metrics carry over and give their bullpen a steadier left-handed presence heading into 2026.