Guardians Offseason Signing Could Make a Quick Jump to the Major League Roster

The Cleveland Guardians bolstered the bullpen quite a bit this offseason.

Prior to the start of the 2026 season, the Guardians' front office went out and brought in numerous relievers for both the major and minor league rosters. The offseason began with a familiar face, right-handed pitcher Shawn Armstrong, being signed, with righties Colin Holderman and Connor Brogdon following just behind.

They'll likely come out of the major league bullpen for 2026, as Cleveland looks to gain consistency in late-game situations.

But although those three grabber headlines this offseason, there were other small signings that Cleveland made that flew under the radar, one of which was Pedro Avila. He signed a one-year split deal with the organization he played for just a few years ago, back in 2024. His contract included a non-roster invite to spring training.

He took the 2025 campaign off from MLB action, playing overseas for Japan's Yakult Swallows, earning a second chance to play in the United States for 2026.

There really was no reason why teams should've overlooked Avila after his 2024 season. He looked sharp, tossing a 3.25 ERA across 74.2 innings of play in Cleveland, but for whatever reason it was, the doubts about him must've dissipated enough to earn another opportunity.

Spring Training and Future Excitement

The spring training window is a perfect situation for Avila to show the Guardians and the rest of the league what they missed out on ignoring him for over a year.

By getting a non-rostered invite, while being on a split deal, he'll get a chance to play with veterans and established players on the Guardians. He'll also have the chance to suit up and compete against MLB-level talent, something that should help him when it comes to his time in Triple-A to start off 2026.

Avila and the Guardians have already made their way to spring training, with a recent workout being posted showing the 29-year-old working on his throwing mechanics and getting stronger.

Cleveland #Guardians RHP Pedro Avila putting in work out at Goodyear getting ready for spring training action.

Avila signed a minor league contract for the 2026 season after he spent 2025 pitching in Japan. #GuardsBall #InningsEater pic.twitter.com/1aJJoWRtkB
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) February 5, 2026

It's obviously going to take him some time to get re-adapted to playing in the States, but jumping right into spring training is a perfect way for him to get his cleats back underneath him.

The initial reason for his departure from the big leagues was due to being out of options, so that's why a split contract is perfect for him this season. This type of contract allows the Guardians to now use him as an up-and-down player, allowing the right-hander to make a salary above the minor league rate and a larger sum in the majors.

The Guardians also don't have many candidates in the bullpen currently that can be optioned, so being able to pull him up and down will be nice.

Another positive to an arm like his is that he's no stranger to high-intensity situations, as the last time he was in the league, he tossed four scoreless innings over three postseason appearances in 2024. That's a good sign for a team that's, hopefully, going to be in a similar situation by the end of 2026.

With the team set to have many raw, questionable arms out of the bullpen this season, there's a real scenario where Avila ends up being a regular face in the majors and serving as the team's safety net.

Avila's first chance to suit up for the team in spring training will be on Saturday, Feb. 21, against the Cincinnati Reds. First pitch between the two teams is set for 3:05 p.m. EST.