Spring Training Should Have Guardians Considering Xzavion Curry Reunion

The first game of spring training is under a week away.

And the Cleveland Guardians seem to be all set.

Throughout the offseason, the front office remained calm and quiet, signing a few new faces while leaning on internal development to shape the 2026 roster. This strategy isn't anything new, as in recent years, the Guardians have been attempting to rebuild internally, rather than going out and making a splash in the free agency or trade market.

However, there's room to add in a bit of competition right now, particularly in the bullpen.

One name that could make sense as a low-risk addition is former Guardian reliever Xzavion Curry. He wouldn't cost much and is familiar with Cleveland's system. At 27 years old, he's still got a healthy arm and more time to give to the league.

Curry's Last Stint in Cleveland

Drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the seventh round of the 2019 MLB June Amateur Draft, Curry's first chance to show the organization what he's got in the tank came back in 2021. He jumped quickly through Single-A, High-A and Double-A, posting a season ERA of 2.58 across 19 starts.

Nearly overnight, he became one of the most exciting prospects in the Guardians' system.

In 2022 and 2023, he suffered a few bumps in the road, just because of how quickly he went from being just drafted to high in the minors. The 2022 season was marked by a 4.06 ERA across Double-A and Triple-A, while also posting a 5.79 ERA in two appearances in the majors.

For the 2023 season, he spent the entire year playing in the big leagues, moving from a starter to a reliever. He tacked on a 4.07 ERA and a rough 1.347 WHIP. He was also giving up more hits than strikeouts per nine innings.

But what did Cleveland expect?

After all, they pushed him from Single-A in 2021 to the big leagues in 2022. That's an unreal jump up the ladder.

In 2024, the Guardians moved on from Curry after 19 total games across the majors and minors, leaving him to end up with the Miami Marlins. His career began trending downward from there, struggling to find his footing with them, before jumping from Miami to Colorado in 2025.

As spring training is just days away, Curry still remains a free agent and he's been unable to snag a contract with anyone yet.

Why a Reunion Works

Curry's value is at an all-time low. He's going to cost the team practically nothing, so signing him to a minor league deal may be the perfect way to try and get him to return back to that early career form that made him so special.

The Guardians are expected to try and work out many different prospect arms in the majors this season, and if they falter or flutter, the organization could be comfortable knowing that Curry's able to keep the Triple-A team intact.

And, if push comes to shove, they could put him on the 40-man and use him to eat up major league innings if the team is struggling.

Curry presents a similar pitching style to that of current inning-eater, Matt Festa. Having two guys like that who can relieve the young, unpolished arms that will be starting in 2026 may not be a bad thing for the front office to consider.

As spring training rolls on, this window of time will give the Guardians a good look at what they've assembled, and if they need a bit more competition, Curry could be the perfect addition.