Cleveland Guardians remain quiet at MLB Winter Meetings, focused on bullpen help

Signings are happening all around the MLB, but the Cleveland Guardians are nowhere to be found thus far.

Dec 8, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt speaks with the media during the 2025 MLB Winter Meetings at Signia by Hilton Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

We are on day three of the MLB Winter Meetings, and the Cleveland Guardians remain one of the quieter teams both on the market and in rumors. Going into the Winter Meetings, talks were hot regarding potential Steven Kwan trades, but there has been nothing new to report there.

It has been widely reported that the Guardians, in addition to a Kwan trade, had all their sights set on improving the bullpen. Manager Stephen Vogt said as much in his managerial press conferences earlier in the week, “We need depth in the bullpen. We have four, maybe five guys in our bullpen, and we need eight.”

So, what exactly are the Guardians doing? 

So far, most of the top relievers available on the market have been signed to deals. Kyle Finnegan signed a deal with the Tigers, Devin Williams is a Met, Ryan Helsley is with the Orioles, and Raisel Iglesias signed with the Braves. 

Pitchers like Mark Leiter Jr., Kirby Yates, Luke Weaver, and Hunter Harvey are all still available, but you are not going to get the same quality with those arms as you would with the ones listed above that are already signed to other teams.

President of Baseball Operations, Chris Antonetti, said this week in Orlando that the bullpen has been the largest focus for the team the last few weeks, not days. The Rule 5 Draft is today (Wednesday), so that is an avenue the team could look to add a quality arm or two, but a trade is now the more likely scenario.

Antonetti did say that their list is “long” and it will “take some time to get through,” but fans are wondering who is on this list and when they plan on making a move. Connor Brogdon’s signing does not exactly move the needle.

There are some young arms on the farm that have potential for 2026, such as Andrew Walters and Franco Aleman. Aleman had a rough 2024, pitching to a 7.85 ERA in 37 appearances, but his stuff is off the charts. Walters had surgery on his right lat in June and will have to prove his worth in camp to stand a chance at making the roster. 

It is clear that the bullpen remains a massive hole for the team, but the front office is sitting idly by and watching deals get done right in front of their faces.

We mentioned all the relievers that have gotten signed, but big-time players like Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber have agreed to blockbuster deals. 

Alonso is a righty power bat that could play first base or DH, and the Guardians never even considered him. Will it be more of the same frugalness from the front office the entire offseason? This team has numerous areas of need, and that requires spending money, sometimes a lot of it. When you win a division, you are a contender for a World Series. Why waste this opportunity and not get the potential game changers available?

If the Winter Meetings are any indication so far, it may be safe to say the money spending will be light this winter.