Why the Guardians Should Reunite With This Recently Released Young Pitcher

The Cleveland Guardians may have a chance to snag another former Guardian this offseason.

On Wednesday, Jan. 28, the Washington Nationals decided to claim shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng off waivers from the New York Mets to bolster the infield.

In a corresponding move, the Nationals' front office designated Pilkington for assignment, giving him a chance to find a new home for the 2026 season. The 28-year-old is approaching a critical point in his career when he needs to become more reliable out of the bullpen, especially as teams become less willing to take a flyer on a raw reliever who is slowly approaching 30.

The Nationals have claimed shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng off waivers from the New York Mets. In a corresponding move, LHP Konnor Pilkington was designated for assignment.
— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) January 28, 2026

Just last season, he looked decent across Triple-A and major league action. He posted a 4.10 ERA and 1.200 WHIP in Rochester across 41 innings. He struggled with a bit of control, allowing 5.0 hits and 5.8 walks per nine innings.

In the majors in 2025, he threw a 4.45 ERA and 1.376 WHIP, with an average of 7.0 hits and 5.4 walks per nine innings. That lack of reliability to keep guys off the base paths isn't something new, though, as his entire career has been defined by high walk and hit rates. Across seven seasons in the minors and three seasons in the majors, he's averaging roughly eight hits and five walks per nine innings.

One thing he did improve on was his strikeout rate, jumping to 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings in both levels last season.

So, while he is somewhat a work in progress still, should Cleveland bring him in?

The short answer: yes.

But the longer answer is that the 28-year-old deserves another chance. He's shown glimpses of slow growth, and a minor league deal would give the Columbus Clippers extra depth out of the bullpen with an addition of Pilkington.

A former third-round pick by the Chicago White Sox back in 2018, Pilkington's slowly been transitioned into a reliever. He used to be a starter, but moving to this role has allowed him to jump his fastball to a career-best 94.5 mph, a sign he's trending in the right direction.

During all three of his seasons in Cleveland, Pilkington was a starting pitcher. Obviously, the team wasn't able to develop him the way they wanted to, but now that other organizations have transitioned him into a reliever, the Guardians' coaching staff might be able to work with him better. The team's track record is much more positive with relievers, especially rebuilding their careers and working them back to the big leagues.

After all, he does still have one minor league option year remaining, and an uptick in his velocity last season should be enough for the Guardians to at least take a look.

The Nationals will have a five-day window to either release him to waivers or trade him.

This offseason, Cleveland has added a few major-league relievers to the bullpen, so adding Pilkington to the minors with the ability to promote him to Progressive Field would give them a little insurance.

The Guardians will get a chance to test their new-look bullpen on Saturday, Feb. 21, in the first game of spring training. They'll take on the Cincinnati Reds with the first pitch set for 3:05 p.m. EST.