The Guardians announced that they have signed left-hander Kolby Allard to a minor league deal. The Excel Sports Management client also receives an invite to big league spring training and will be in camp as a non-roster invitee.
Allard, 27, has appeared in the past seven major league seasons. He has spent most of that time as a swingman/depth starter, which was the case last year as well. He signed a one-year, $1MM deal with the Phillies, with the club frequently shuttling him between the majors and Triple-A. He made four starts and three relief appearances for the big league club, logging 27 innings. He allowed 15 earned runs for a flat ERA of 5.00.
The Phils could have retained Allard via arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting a modest raise to a $1.1MM salary. But the Phils outrighted him off the roster instead, perhaps due to the fact that Allard exhausted his final option year in 2024. He elected free agency after being outrighted, which allowed him to sign this deal with Cleveland. Including his stint with the Phils, Allard has now thrown 272 big league innings in his career. He has a 5.99 ERA, 18.9% strikeout rate, 7.7% walk rate and 38.3% ground ball rate.
The Guardians had the best bullpen in baseball last year but their rotation was uncharacteristically weak. They currently project to go into 2025 with a starting mix including Tanner Bibee, Ben Lively, Gavin Williams, Luis Ortiz, Triston McKenzie and Slade Cecconi.
Bibee is a strong option but there are question marks with the rest. Lively posted a 3.81 ERA last year but with a tepid 18.7% strikeout rate. Cecconi, Ortiz and McKenzie have shown good flashes at times but with inconsistent results overall. Williams battled injuries in 2024 and had a 4.86 ERA over the 16 starts he was able to make. They will eventually have Shane Bieber in the mix, though he’ll surely start the season on the injured list after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April.
Given the uncertainty in that group, adding some non-roster depth is a sensible add. As mentioned, Allard is now out of options, meaning he’ll have a tough time hanging onto a roster spot if he gets one, but there’s a possible path back to the majors with the lack of fully established starters currently penciled in.
Back to dumpster diving.
Minor league deal don’t get excited. They have better minor league pitchers then him.
I knew that it would not take long to find a negative comment. I just don’t get why people get so upset about minor league deals. If they work out, great. If not, nothing is lost. All teams do these signings.
You can bet he said the exact same thing when Cleveland signed Ben Lively last year. And when Cleveland “dumpster dived” for Erik Sabrowski in the Rule 5 Draft last winter. The MINOR LEAGUE PORTION of the draft no less! Fans are clueless.
This is a no lose signing. Anybody think Ben Lively would be the second most consistent starter in 2024? If it works out great. If not they’ve lost nothing. Not like they were going to use the money to sign Flaherty or Alonso. They have hit on more of these deals than not.
Some people lack baseball knowledge and should stick to basket weaving.
Don’t be so hard on them. Being a Cleveland fan demands patience to learn their business model.
@hockeyjohn,
I guess it’s cathartic for some, and it does provide an opportunity for some entertaining and snarky responses.
Surprised they didn’t bring Carrasco back but signed Allard
Carrasco signed with the Yankees. Allard is a former no.1 draft choice signed to a minor league contract with spring training opt outs. He got a snow ball in h ll chance to make team.
I forgot that he is still very young; In 2023 he looked like he was going finally put it together back in Atlanta than got hurt again. He has solid minor league numbers and some flashes if good in the majors. Still in his 20s he won’t be the first guy figure it all out finally
The bottom of the barrel for minor league free agent signings has finally arrived with the Guardians’ signing of Kolby Allard to a contract.. It’s the same thing each and every spring. They’re as predictable as the sun coming up. Not if but when.
You’re clueless. Cleveland got “bottom of the barrel” Ben Lively last winter. Then they went FURTHER into the “bottom of the barrel’ and plucked Erik Sabrowski in the Rule 5 draft…the MINOR LEAGUE PORTION of that draft. Then they went out and won the division. Go ahead, continue to prove you have no clue how this works.
Dude was 3-9 with a 5.66 ERA in AA. Dumpster diving. Tigers sign Flaherty, Guards sign Kolby Allard. See the difference?
Yes flaherty got 35 million and did you noticed the dodgers signed other free agent pitchers and not him? Tigers paid for a pitcher that failed physical at trade deadline. Allard is a minor league deal around 800 thousand.
All you guys who are upset clearly aren’t reading the article. It’s a minor league depth signing, no one is asking him or expecting him to be Kershaw in his prime. He will eat some innings at best and if he is better than that, good for him. Besides, if anyone can fix pitchers, it’s Cleveland.
And you homers clearly refuse to open your eyes. Dolan is the 6th richest owner in MLB.
We know that. Doesn’t change the fact that this is a harmless depth signing. He may not even make the roster, so no one cares. He is a camp arm with potential and likely ticketed for AAA. So us “homers” do understand that is just an arm and aren’t really worried about it. Every single team has a guy or 5 on their roster for camp and AAA.
Correct. Doesn’t change a thing. This is a no risk signing. They’ve hit on these before. A depth move and maybe you get lucky. If not no loss
@windowpane
The Dolans are NOT the 6th richest owners in MLB. The Dolans are easily among the poorest in baseball. Still spinning the lie, I see.
Umm, the fact is, they are.
Is this actually true? Where does this financial revelation come from?
mlbtraderumors.com/2021/12/mlb-owners-net-worth.ht…
That money is in a family trust that can’t be touch. Most of that money is Charles dolan from new york that started Cablevision years ago. David Blitzer signed a contract to take over majority ownership in 2028. David Blitzer should invest money now like John Sherman did giving 60 million for 3 years of double e. The problem is david Blitzer and his partner josh Harris are going 50 50 on a new arena for the 76 ers. No taxpayers money. Does this mean Blitzer won’t take over majority ownership in 2028 ?
Few corrections The family trust bought the club There is no limit on what can be spent. No restrictions. The valuation does not include Charles Dolan. If it did the value would be much higher than $4 billion. Larry Dolan did own SportsOhio which he sold for $250 million. Absolutely not billions but….we can go back and forth about whose facts are more accurate but be clear the value does not include Charles. The value of the club is roughly 1.3 billion which is a 400% return on his investment. Not bad They also operate in the black every year Operating income in 2023 was $52 million more than many other teams. I’m sure I’ll hear how misguided I am and that I should just be grateful to have a team to cheer for. But can we please stop believing Larry and Paul Dolan are paupers
False. WTNY is correct. They used trust assets to buy the team. They obviously have access to it. They just choose not to spend.
I see, I gather you have access to your cousins’ money? The Dolans BORROWED from the CHARLES DOLAN family trust. They do not control it or have access to it. They have to PAY BACK the loan and whatever is left over after taxes, yes, that is theirs. But acting like they have operational funds like other owners do is ignorant. The ballclub revenues are what they have to operate, which is why the Dolans have been desperate to have minority owners with liquid assets. Keep spouting your nonsense till you’re blue in the face, but no owner in Cleveland is going to spend any more than the Dolans do in MLB’s current financial structure.
I understand facts aren’t popular in our current environment, but to your dismay, they’re still facts. Dolan had and HAS access to the trust fund. Second point, the MLBTR article didn’t not include the $4.1 billion worth of Larry and Paul Dolan in the trust fund. That is their own net worth outside of the trust fund. Facts are still facts!
@Windowpane
You are a such an obtuse fellow, in dire need of an economics lesson. Larry and Paul Dolan had a law firm in Cleveland, a simple law firm…and THAT made them $4.1 BILLION dollars? My god, man, are you that clueless?
Again, Jason Lloyd outlined the facts in The Athletic years ago (and The Athletic is not some on-line rag, as you have implied, it’s owned by the New York Times, and has many of the best sports journalists in the nation, especially covering baseball). Direct quotes from Clevelander Jason Lloyd (no fan of the Dolans, by the way) which he had to write to straighten out know-nothing knotheads who simply insisted on believing lazy research:
“Don’t conflate Cleveland’s Larry and Paul Dolan with New York father-son duo of Charles and James. Charles is Larry’s billionaire brother and the founder of Cablevision. Larry is a retired attorney. The blood may be the same, but the money sure ain’t. The Cleveland Indians are these Dolans’ primary source of income. This isn’t a family that make billions in tech or real estate. They aren’t business moguls. There is no empire of wealth. They’re Clevelanders and huge sports fans who did well as attorneys and bought a team 20 years ago when there was a little more room for mom and pop stands in professional sports. But in that time, the game has changed for ownership groups, and now baseball is pricing them out of their own neighborhood.”
Now, Windowpane, you can continue to spout your nonsense based on one thin reed of pathetic research, but if the Dolans are to be criticized at all by the nutjobs in the peanut gallery, it’s for being too poorly capitalized to run a major league team, not for being billionaire cheapskates. But then, you won’t listen to any of this because then your years of blathering won’t amount to much, now will it?
You keep quoting the same article with the same writer over and over. Still doesn’t make it true. Did he make billions as an attorney? Of course not. Is he enjoying owning one of the most notable law firms in Ohio? Yes he does. Is it value in excess of pocket change. You better believe if It’s no simple law firms to use your own quotes. That’s indisputable. Definitely shows your ignorance of the area and cluelessness of the ownership. I can quote you fifty articles to contradict your one. I can also tell you I am very familiar with the financial “wealth” of the residences of this state. I can tell you all this and you still believe what you’ll believe. That’s your right and opinion but what’s truly showing is your arrogance and personal attacks on people who don’t share your opinion or “facts” I’m sure you are some financial and sporting genius but your continued degrading of those who don’t agree with you. That in itself clearly shows your lack of education, lack of insight and more importantly lack of class. By the way The New York Times inaccuracies have on several occasions been proven and their respectability is nowhere from what it was twenty years ago. If you’re hanging your hat on that. Well try expanding your reading sources. I’m sure you’ll come back with yet another insightful response but your lack of credibility is clearly shown for anyone who lives in the Northeast.
Please, by all means, link me to the “fifty articles that contradict” Jason Lloyd, a local Cleveland scribe on The Athletic’s CLEVELAND beat who knows what he’s talking about, unlike you and all the other peanut gallery nutjobs. And make sure your sources are LOCAL, not some lazy, sorry journalism from elsewhere which is only designed to feed your fantasies.
No matter how rich he is or isn’t, it’s still his money. He can do what he wants with it.
Possibly. The SP hasn’t been the same since Blake/Niebla left though.
Pen has been fantastic but I really think Cleveland could use another SP. I doubt Lively can post an ERA around 4 again and there’s a ton of question marks. Allard is depth but the rotation does look shaky.
I agree with that. I know we will never go buy a high end Flaherty type guy. I wouldn’t mind them at least making a run at Gibson or Lynn just to eat innings at a better rate than Allard but I wouldn’t be excited about either of them.
Why is Jack Flaherty viewed as a “high end guy”? He’s a “high end guy” because some team is willing to give him $25 to pitch this year, that’s all. In his seven full seasons in the majors, he’s averaged 110 innings and pitched over 155 innings twice. He’s never pitched 200 innings. Why is he considered something special? He sure wasn’t considered special heading into 2024, that’s for sure, and no one was beating down the door to get him this year.
Really? Carl Willis has done a excellent job in his career. He has coach 5 guys to win Cy young awards in different organizations. If don’t know what your talking about don’t comment.
As of today, it’s still a free country. He can comment all he wants.
Didn’t Sabathia just credit Willis for being as successful as he was? Not a bad reference
Wow, just 27? Was drafted by the Braves 10 years ago.
Still young for a free agent, pitched surprisingly well when called upon to spot start or eat up innings out of the pen in Philly. The AAA numbers didn’t look great, but they had Weston Wilson playing SS the first 2 months of the year, with guys like Darrick Hall and David Dahl lumbering behind the Lehigh pitching staff. Having a long reliever that can start on occasion is a nice luxury to have, especially one that can neutralize left handed hitters.