Why Cleveland Guardians 2026 New-Look Bullpen Will Defy Expectations

The 2026 offseason hasn't been exciting for the Cleveland Guardians.

But it also hasn't been bad.

The front office went out, making small cap-friendly moves, to bolster the team's bullpen. They signed three new faces: Shawn Armstrong, Connor Brogdon and Colin Holderman, all of whom are expected to receive regular time out of the bullpen when the major league season rolls around.

However, they each signed relatively smaller deals, signaling that Cleveland's front office wasn't willing to commit to them long-term and that each player's market value wasn't tremendously high.

Many analysts and fans alike have been somewhat confused about why the Guardians decided to sign three players who are more likely to crash and burn than succeed, but others have looked to the track record of the team's coaching staff. Each year, they're able to develop rocky pitchers into consistent, everyday arms out of the bullpen.

Most notably, Hunter Gaddis comes to mind. In his MLB debut, he lasted just 3.1 innings, allowing eight runs on seven hits, including a grand slam. After spending time reworking his pitching and transitioning into a reliever, he became a staple out of the bullpen. In two seasons as a reliever, he threw a 2.29 ERA across 141.1 innings of action with an incredible 0.962 WHIP.

A long-time Cleveland reporter, Terry Pluto, recently backed up such a sentiment, defending the Guardians' signings. He believes that the new guys will become key members of the bullpen.

"I’m not going to deal in-depth with all these new relievers," Pluto said. "But here’s a prediction: At least two of the new relievers will become key parts of the bullpen. Cleveland is the master of reviving the careers of these types of pitchers."

Pluto has been covering the Guardians and the Cleveland sports scene for over 50 years. He's seen the Guardians' questionable decisions over time and the team's spurts of national success. His claim for just how good the coaching staff has been when developing pitchers carries a lot of weight.

The bullpen and who will end up on the mound

Cleveland is set to return several key arms to its bullpen in 2026, with Cade Smith, Gaddis, Erik Sabrowski and Tim Herrin among the most notable. While each will have to compete with newly acquired relievers during spring training, all four enter camp with an advantage due to their experience and production in 2025.

Last season, Smith posted a 2.93 ERA, while Gaddis finished at 3.11. Sabrowski was especially effective, recording a 1.84 ERA, and Herrin ended the 2025 campaign with a 4.85 mark as he looks to show improvement this spring.

Smith will likely control the ninth inning, while Gaddis, Sabrowski and Herrin are going to be options that take up one-to-two late innings before Smith comes in. The last returner, an everyday option, Matt Festa, will be the one guy Cleveland's likely to see a lot. Last year, he finished third on the team in appearances with 63, recording a 1.08 WHIP and 4.12 ERA.

Of the new arms, Armstrong is likely to work with Smith for the late ninth-inning spot or be the setup pitcher out of the bullpen. He's coming off a 2.31 ERA in 2025 with the Texas Rangers. Holdermann and Brogdon will be working for time against Sabrowski, who hasn't proved himself yet, and Herrin, who struggled last year.

None of these guys are headline-grabbers, let alone players who will draw interest from World Series contenders, but they are arms that could end up being the most important factor in whether or not the Guardians end up in a playoff position.

If Cleveland's coaching staff can continue to do what they've done in years past, the expectation is that each of these relievers end up being reliable.

A first taste of what Cleveland's bullpen is going to be like in 2026 will come in the upcoming MLB Spring Training window. The team will first take on the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday, Feb. 21, with first-pitch slated for 3:05 p.m. EST.