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Angel Genao Angel Genao Rebounds in winter ball
Thu, Feb 5, 2026, 7:10 AM
Genao showed more full extension on his swings while with Aquilas in the Dominican Winter League, Keith Law of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Genao suffered a right shoulder injury during spring training last year, and the effects of the injury lingered throughout the regular season. After a boffo 2024, the 21-year-old shortstop dropped to a .259/.323/.359 slash line over 77 games at Double-A Akron. In winter ball, Genao improved to .325/.387/.386 over 26 games for Aquilas, suggesting he regained strength and confidence in the shoulder. He might eventually move to second base in the majors, but his improved defense at Akron in 2025 suggest shortstop is still a possibility. Genao's a bounce-back candidate for 2026 and expected to reach Triple-A Columbus. |
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Joey Cantillo Joey Cantillo Competing for rotation
Tue, Feb 3, 2026, 8:11 AM
Cantillo will compete for a spot in the rotation this spring, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Cantillo spent the second half of the 2025 season in the Guardians' rotation but apparently will have to win a spot this spring. The left-hander had a 2.96 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 72:28 K:BB over 13 starts (67.0 innings). He and prospect Parker Messick are the frontrunners for a spot on the back end of the rotation. If Cantillo loses out, he could break camp with a bullpen role. In 21 appearances as a reliever in 2025, the 26-year-old posted a 3.81 ERA and 1.38 WHIP while limiting batters to a .229 batting average. |
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Kolby Allard Kolby Allard Back with Guardians as NRI
Mon, Feb 2, 2026, 3:06 PM
The Guardians re-signed Allard to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training.
Analysis: Allard elected free agency after being outrighted off the Guardians' 40-man roster back in November, but he's ultimately found his way back into the organization. The left-hander was effective as a multi-inning reliever in 2025, posting a 2.63 ERA and 1.20 WHIP to go along with a 42:14 K:BB across 65 regular-season frames. Allard will have to win a roster spot but could fill a long relief role again. |
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Jose Ramirez Jose Ramirez Signs seven-year extension
Sat, Jan 24, 2026, 8:39 AM
Ramirez signed a seven-year, $175 million contract extension with the Guardians on Saturday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Analysis: Ramirez still had three years left on the seven-year deal he signed with Cleveland prior to the 2022 season, but his new contract will ensure he remains with the Guardians through 2032. The 33-year-old third baseman has proven to be well worth the investment, as he's reached 150 games played in each of the past five seasons while averaging 31.6 homers, 102.4 RBI, 101 runs and 32 steals per year in that span. |
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Carter Kieboom Carter Kieboom Nets NRI pact from Guardians
Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 10:09 AM
The Guardians signed Kieboom to a minor-league contract Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training.
Analysis: Kieboom went 2-for-8 during a brief stint with the Angels in 2025 but spent most of the year at Triple-A Salt Lake, where he slashed .319/.368/.449 with nine homers in 93 contests. The 28-year-old will compete for a reserve role in Cleveland but is likely ticketed for Triple-A Columbus to begin the season. |
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Steven Kwan Steven Kwan Settles at $7.725 million
Thu, Jan 8, 2026, 1:20 PM
Kwan signed a one-year, $7.725 million contract with the Guardians on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Analysis: Kwan's .704 OPS during the 2025 regular season marked a new career low for him, though he was still fairly productive at the plate while batting .272 and driving in a career-high 56 RBI. He'll bring in a $3.55 million raise for the 2026 campaign and figures to continue playing in left field every day for the Guardians. |
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Dom Nunez Dom Nunez Returns to Cleveland as NRI
Wed, Jan 7, 2026, 8:53 AM
The Guardians re-signed Nunez to a minor-league contract Wednesday that includes an invitation to spring training.
Analysis: Nunez went 2-for-7 at the plate during his brief time with the Guardians in 2025 and slashed .176/.330/.349 at Triple-A Columbus. He's likely headed back to Columbus to begin the 2026 season. |
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David Fry David Fry Ticketed to play defense in 2026
Fri, Jan 2, 2026, 7:34 AM
Fry (face) is expected to resume playing on the field in 2026, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports. An elbow injury limited Fry to designated hitter and pinch hitting duties in 2025.
Analysis: During the winter meetings, Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt had an encouraging update on Fry, who underwent surgery to repair nasal fractures after taking a pitch from Tarik Skubal off his face Sept. 23. "I'm just excited that David is going to be healthy," Vogt said. "David healthy, him being able to catch and play the field a little bit, too, probably, it just adds a completely different dynamic to our team." With more time removed from the UCL surgery he underwent in November of 2024, Fry is expected to resume playing defense as a third catcher while also getting time at the corners in the infield and outfield. Fry's ability to hit lefties -- he had a .996 OPS against southpaws in 2024 -- should provide a boost to Guardians, who ranked 27th (.647 OPS) against left-handers in 2025. |
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Pedro Avila Pedro Avila Returning stateside
Sun, Dec 28, 2025, 9:34 AM
Avila agreed to a one-year split contract with the Guardians on Sunday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.
Analysis: Avila pitched in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball in 2025, logging a 4.04 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 61:30 K:BB in 82.1 innings while primarily working as a starter. The split contract means he will earn a higher salary for whatever portion of the season he spends in the majors. Given his poor 17.8 percent strikeout rate and middling 43.9 percent groundball rate in Japan, Avila will likely be used as a low-leverage reliever if he makes the big club out of spring training. |
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Codi Heuer Codi Heuer Latches on with Guardians as NRI
Mon, Dec 22, 2025, 12:10 PM
The Guardians signed Heuer to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Heuer got into three games between the Rangers and Tigers in 2025 but spent most of the season at the Triple-A level, where he held a 3.14 ERA and 62:17 K:BB over 48.2 innings. The 29-year-old reliever will compete for a spot in the Guardians' bullpen but is likely headed to Triple-A Columbus to begin next season. |
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Stuart Fairchild Stuart Fairchild Gets NRI from Cleveland
Sat, Dec 20, 2025, 2:01 PM
Fairchild signed a minor-league contract with the Guardians on Saturday and received an invitation to spring training.
Analysis: Finger and oblique injuries kept Fairchild on the sidelines for the majority of the 2025 season, and he posted just a .606 OPS over 55 plate appearances with Atlanta when healthy. The 29-year-old outfielder will have a chance to win a job on Cleveland's bench during spring training, but he's likely destined to spend most of the upcoming season at Triple-A Columbus. |
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Shawn Armstrong Shawn Armstrong Gets one-year deal from Cleveland
Thu, Dec 18, 2025, 3:37 PM
The Guardians signed Armstrong to a one-year, $5.5 million contract with a mutual option for 2027 on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: The 35-year-old Armstrong had arguably the best season of his career in 2025 with the Rangers, putting up a 2.31 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 74:20 K:BB over 74 innings. It's a return to the organization that drafted him and where he debuted back in 2015. Armstrong should be used in a setup role ahead of closer Cade Smith. |
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Justin Bruihl Justin Bruihl Traded to Cleveland
Wed, Dec 17, 2025, 2:58 PM
The Guardians acquired Bruihl from the Blue Jays on Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations.
Analysis: Bruihl held a 5.27 ERA and 18:7 K:BB across 13.2 frames at the major-league level during the 2025 season. The left-handed reliever does not have minor-league options remaining, so he should have a good chance to crack the Guardians' Opening Day bullpen. |
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Jhonkensy Noel Jhonkensy Noel Booted from 40-man roster
Wed, Dec 17, 2025, 2:56 PM
The Guardians designated Noel for assignment Wednesday.
Analysis: The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of Justin Bruihl. Noel has slugged 19 home runs across 351 plate appearances at the major-league level, but that's come with a .193/.242/.401 batting line, 32.8 percent strikeout rate and 4.8 percent walk rate. That said, he's just 24, and with his power potential, Noel should trade interest via trade or waivers. |
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Kyle Manzardo Kyle Manzardo Adds offseason muscle
Fri, Dec 12, 2025, 6:45 AM
Manzardo has gained 14 pounds of muscle since the end of the 2025 season, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: The Guardians want Manzardo, who played a career-high 142 games last season, to hold up better physically and be a candidate for more reps at first base in 2026. He mostly served as a designated hitter in 2025, when he appeared in 84 games as a DH and 55 at first base. With Carlos Santana no longer around, Manzardo and C.J. Kayfus are primed for more work at first, although Kayfus might be a better fit in the outfield. While holding up physically over the course of a season is one goal for the 25-year-old Manzardo, becoming a legit threat against left-handed pitching should be another. He slashed .186/.253/.419 over 95 plate appearances against southpaws in 2025. |
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Colin Holderman Colin Holderman Nets one-year deal with Cleveland
Thu, Dec 11, 2025, 2:52 PM
The Guardians signed Holderman to a one-year, $1.5 million contract Thursday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Holderman was non-tendered by the Pirates in November following a disastrous 2025 season that saw him collect a 7.01 ERA and 18:16 K:BB over 25.2 innings. The 30-year-old reliever entered the season with a career 3.58 ERA and 23.8 percent strikeout rate, so he's a good bet to bounce back to some degree in 2026 in a new setting. The Guardians will have multiple years of control, as Holderman will be eligible for salary arbitration in 2027 and 2028. |
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Connor Brogdon Connor Brogdon Grabs MLB deal from Guardians
Wed, Dec 3, 2025, 2:35 PM
The Guardians signed Brogdon to a one-year, $900,000 contract Wednesday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Brogdon made 43 appearances for the Angels in 2025, putting up a 5.55 ERA and 49:18 K:BB over 47 innings. Slated to turn 31 next month, Brogdon hasn't had much success at the big-league level since 2022, but the Guardians felt the right-handed reliever was worthy of a major-league deal. Brogdon will have an additional year of arbitration eligibility in 2027. |
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Matt Festa Matt Festa Avoids arbitration
Fri, Nov 21, 2025, 5:57 PM
Festa agreed to a one-year, $1 million contract with the Guardians on Friday to avoid arbitration, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Analysis: Festa pitched a career-high 54.2 innings in 2025 while also maintaining a solid 1.08 WHIP with a 56:15 K:BB. He also racked up 12 holds and should line up for a high-leverage role out of the bullpen once again in 2026. |
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David Fry David Fry Lands contract from Cleveland
Fri, Nov 21, 2025, 5:52 PM
Fry (face) agreed to a one-year, $1.38 million contract with the Guardians on Friday to avoid arbitration,Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Analysis: Fry had a tough 2025 season, initially sidelined until the end of May while recovering from an elbow injury. His season ended in late September after being hit in the face by a pitch, though that isn't expected to affect his 2026 campaign. In between, Fry struggled to a .171/.229/.363 line across 157 plate appearances. |
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Nolan Jones Nolan Jones Agrees to deal
Fri, Nov 21, 2025, 5:45 PM
Jones (oblique) agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract with the Guardians on Friday to avoid arbitration, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Analysis: Jones' season regular-season ended a few days early due to an oblique injury, an issue that also sidelined him for the postseason. He spent the entire 2025 season in the majors and accrued 403 plate appearances, though he managed only a .600 OPS with five homers and eight stolen bases. |
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