Cleveland Guardians Make Sneaky Minor League Signing

The Cleveland Guardians sign RHP Riley Pint to a Minor League contract for the 2025 season.
Aug 8, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Riley Pint (41) pitches in the seventh inning against the New York Mets at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Aug 8, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Riley Pint (41) pitches in the seventh inning against the New York Mets at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
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On Wednesday afternoon, the Cleveland Guardians made a fairly significant roster move by signing free agent reliever Paul Sewald to a one-year Major League contract.

However, that wasn't the only move they made. The Guardians also signed RHP Riley Pint to a Minor League contract with an invite to Minor League Depth camp this spring.

Pint's name may be familiar because he was one of the top players in his draft class. The Colorado Rockies selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2016 draft, and he spent the next eight seasons in the organization.

The 27-year-old finally made his big league debut in 2023 but has only made his five big league appearances over the last two seasons. It's only a small sample size, but Pint's Major League outings haven't gone great.

However, he still could have the stuff to be a solid pitcher. Pint finished the 2024 Minor League season with a 4.12 ERA and a 1.627 WHIP. His biggest issue was clearly his command.

The righty had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.74 and averaged nearly one walk per inning. But one bright spot in last season's stats is that Pint finished with a SO/9 of 15.1.

However, as Guardians Prospective on X noted, Pint added a cutter to his mix for the 2025 season.

This may reduce the velocity of his heater (which reached triple digits a few years ago), but it could also help him locate his pitches better and establish better command.

Pint will certainly be a project for the Guardians during his time with the organization. However, with Cleveland's reputation as one of the best pitching development systems and baseball and their overall reliever depth, signing a

Whenever the Guardians identify a pitcher they like, the rest of MLB should take notice of it. The same can be said for Pint, and it'll be interesting to watch his progress as the year goes on.


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