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Guardians To Sign Pedro Avila

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The Guardians are in agreement with right-hander Pedro Avila on a one-year, split contract, according to Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extrabase. The deal is a split contract, though the exact salary figures he’ll make in the majors and minors are not yet known.

Avila, 29 next month, was designated for assignment by the Guardians less than a year ago. He caught on with the Yakult Swallows of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball not long after that, and went on to make 15 appearances for the Swallows in Central League play. Avila posted the results of a back-end starter in those outings, with a 4.04 ERA in 82 1/3 innings of work. While he struck out just 17.8% of his opponents, he generated a solid 43.9% ground ball rate and held opponents to an 8.7% walk rate. None of those numbers jump off the page on their own, but an impressive ability to limit home runs and hard contact allowed Avila to post a 3.09 FIP with a 3.38 xFIP during his time overseas.

Now that he’s returning stateside, Avila will get the opportunity to establish himself at the big league level. The righty signed with the Nationals out of Venezuela as an amateur back in 2015, but came up primarily through the Padres’ system and made his big league debut in San Diego back in 2019. He spent most of his career with the Padres, but didn’t get a significant look at the big league level until 2023, when he pitched to a solid 3.22 ERA with a 3.67 FIP in 50 1/3 innings of work as a swing man for San Diego. A rough start to the 2024 campaign saw the Padres cut Avila loose, however, and he was acquired by the Guardians in the middle of April 2024 as part of a minor trade.

Upon arriving in Cleveland, Avila served as a solid long relief option. The right-hander soaked up 74 2/3 innings of work across just 50 appearances with a 23.0% strikeout rate against a 9.4% walk rate. All told, his work in Cleveland was good for a 3.25 ERA and 3.76 FIP, and both those figures landed a solid amount above league average. That seemed likely to make Avila an easy choice to keep in the fold for 2025, but the Guardians made the surprising call to cut him loose last winter. Perhaps that was in part due to the fact that Avila was out of options, and as a result would have to be exposed to waivers in order to option him to the minor leagues.

This split contract offers a potential avenue towards using Avila as an up-and-down player this year despite his lack of options. By guaranteeing the right-hander a salary above the minor league rate and a larger sum of money for time in the majors, the Guardians make Avila a somewhat less attractive possible waiver claim for rival clubs. That should make Avila more likely to clear waivers if passed through, while also making Avila less likely to elect free agency if he successfully clears waivers. That’s because the right-hander would have to leave his guaranteed money with the Guardians on the table in order to depart via minor league free agency, something the righty is unlikely to be inclined towards doing. In other words, the split nature of the contract affords Avila a 40-man roster spot and a more significant salary than he otherwise would have made in both the major and minor leagues, while for the Guardians it creates additional roster flexibility that should be valuable to a club with a deep bullpen that lacks many candidates to be optioned.

Players In DFA Limbo

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When a team designates a player for assignment, he is removed from that club’s 40-man roster. The team then has a period of time with some ability to impact what is next for that player. This is colloquially referred to as “DFA limbo”.

The team can trade the player to another club, unless the trade deadline has passed and the new offseason has not yet begun. The team can also place the player on outright or release waivers. This limbo period can last as long as seven days. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the team has a maximum of five days to work out a trade.

Or at least that’s the case for most of the year. It’s different around the holidays, with several instances in recent years of players being in DFA limbo for longer than two weeks. For instance, catcher Sam Huff was designated for assignment by the Rangers on December 23rd of 2024. He stayed in DFA limbo until he was claimed off waivers by the Giants on January 8th of 2025, 16 days later.

There has never been an official announcement made about what the rules are but it’s clear there’s some sort of freeze on the DFA clock around the holidays in late December and early January.

In this morning’s edition of The Opener, MLBTR mentioned two players who had been designated for assignment on December 17th, expecting those situations to be resolved today. There have been no updates as of the publication of this post. It’s possible the situations have been resolved but just haven’t been reported publicly because of media/communications people taking time off for the holidays. It’s also possible that those players have had their DFA clocks frozen and will remain in limbo into January.

Below is a list of players who have been designated for assignment in the past week without resolution, listed chronologically.

December 17th

December 19th

December 20th

December 22nd

December 23rd

Photo courtesy of Ken Blaze, Imagn Images

Guardians, Codi Heuer Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Guardians are in agreement with reliever Codi Heuer on a minor league contract, according to the MLB.com transaction log. The righty will be in camp as a non-roster invitee.

Heuer resurfaced in the majors this year for the first time since 2021. The righty was on a minor league deal with Texas that got selected onto the MLB roster in June. He pitched once before being optioned back to Triple-A. That was his only appearance with the Rangers, but they managed to find a taker for him at the trade deadline. They flipped him to the Tigers for cash. Heuer made two appearances with Detroit before being released in September.

The 29-year-old pitched 4 2/3 innings of three-run ball overall. He struck out five while walking two batters. The former sixth-round pick pitched quite well in Triple-A. Heuer combined for a 3.14 earned run average while striking out more than 30% of batters faced across 48 2/3 frames. He kept the ball on the ground at a 48.3% clip with a league average 8.4% walk rate.

Heuer looked like a potential high-leverage bullpen piece early in his career with the White Sox. He posted a 1.52 ERA with a 27% strikeout rate while sitting around 98 MPH during his 2020 rookie season. His stuff backed up the following year, especially after he was dealt to the Cubs at the ’21 deadline. That was a precursor to a series of significant elbow injuries. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022, then broke his elbow while rehabbing in June ’23. He made all of 15 minor league appearances between 2022-24.

A healthy ’25 season itself counts as a major achievement given that history. Heuer’s stuff unsurprisingly wasn’t as electric as it’d been before the injuries. His fastball was in the 94-95 MPH range and he averaged around 84 MPH on his slider, four ticks below where it had once sat. Heuer nevertheless showed he’s capable of succeeding against Triple-A competition, so he’s a sensible addition for a Cleveland team attacking the bullpen with depth signings.

Guardians Seeking Right-Handed Hitting Outfielder

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So far this offseason, the Guardians have focused on the bullpen by signing free agents Shawn Armstrong, Connor Brogdon, and Colin Holderman. On the offensive side, the only move of significance thus far has been re-signing catcher Austin Hedges. Going forward, the club may look to add a right-handed hitting outfielder, according to Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. who adds that Cleveland was interested in a reunion with Lane Thomas before he signed with the Royals.

In 2025, the Guardians outfield was led by left-fielder Steven Kwan, who batted .272/.330/.374 with a 99 wRC+ with exceptional defense, including 22 Defensive Runs Saved. That was good for 3.2 WAR according to FanGraphs, but unfortunately for Cleveland, Kwan was the only solid performer among the team’s outfielders, with the rest posting replacement-level numbers on offense. Nolan Jones and Angel Martinez made 384 and 371 plate appearances, respectively, but both only posted a 73 wRC+ and got on base less than 30% of the time. Meanwhile, Kwan and Jones are both left-handed hitters, while Martinez is a switch-hitter who does better from the right side. He posted a 123 wRC+ in 169 PA when facing southpaws this year, compared to just a 48 wRC+ in 315 PA as a lefty facing right-handed pitchers.

At present, nearly every outfielder on the club’s 40-man roster bats from the left side. Apart from the switch-hitting Martinez, the only righty in the group is Johnathan Rodriguez, who batted .197/.260/.366 with a 74 wRC+ in a limited sample of 77 PA this year. He was ranked by MLB.com as the organization’s No. 18 prospect entering 2024 and has upside as a power hitter. He has one option year remaining, so the club may keep him around to see if he can carve out a larger role (or shuffle him to the minors if he can’t).

Still, the club received almost no production from right-handed hitting outfielders in 2025. Out of Martinez, Rodriguez, Thomas, and Jhonkensy Noel, only Martinez’s 123 wRC+ from the right side was above-average. Thomas posted a 48 wRC+ in 142 PA this year and missed significant time with three trips to the injured list. He now plays for the Royals. Noel was even worse with a 28 wRC+ in 153 PA. He struck out 34.0% of the time and walked at a mere 2.6% rate while spending most of the second half in the minors. Cleveland designated him for assignment last week.

As noted by Rosenthal, the club may want to give time to their younger outfielders. Chase DeLauter is the organization’s top outfield prospect and the league’s No. 58 prospect overall, according to MLB.com. He made his debut during the Wild Card Series against the Tigers and will play a larger role in 2026. DeLauter is a left-handed hitter, though, so while he may boost the team’s overall production, he wouldn’t help with the team’s pitfalls from the right side. Three outfield prospects on the Guardian’s Top 30 list – Jaison Chourio, Alfonsin Rosario, and Aaron Walton – are righty or switch-hitters, but they won’t be ready for a few years. The Guardians may simply roll the dice again with their current crop of outfielders, but barring a turnaround from Rodriguez (or more time as a righty hitter for Martinez), that doesn’t leave much room for optimism.

Unsurprisingly, the club may be limited in its options due to payroll considerations. RosterResource estimates their 2026 payroll at $79MM, compared to $102MM in 2025. After winning the AL Central but falling in the first round of the playoffs, the club surely wants to make improvements, though it won’t be a player in the top tier of the market. Harrison Bader is the top righty-hitting option, though he is projected for a two-year, $26MM deal that could be out of Cleveland’s price range. Other free agent options include Miguel Andujar, who had a 125 wRC+ in 341 PA in 2025, as well as Austin Hays and Rob Refsnyder.

Guardians Designate Justin Bruihl For Assignment

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The Guardians have designated left-hander Justin Bruihl for assignment, the team announced. Bruihl’s removal from the 40-man roster opened up a spot for right-hander Shawn Armstrong, who was signed earlier this week.

Cleveland acquired Bruihl for cash considerations on Wednesday after Toronto designated him for assignment. The Blue Jays were also making room for a reliever addition, designating Bruihl as the corresponding move after signing Tyler Rogers.

Bruihl joined the Blue Jays as a minor league free agent in March. He put together 42 solid innings at Triple-A, earning a promotion to the big-league club. The 28-year-old lefty made 15 appearances with Toronto, recording a 5.27 ERA over 13 2/3 innings. Bruihl punched out 27.7% of the hitters he faced, though it came with a 10.8% walk rate. The brief stint was enough to earn Bruihl a postseason roster spot. He made one appearance in the ALDS, getting knocked around for a couple of runs on three hits while securing just one out. Bruihl was not on the postseason roster following the series against the Yankees.

Bruihl has pitched in parts of five MLB seasons for four teams. He’s put together a 4.72 ERA across 94 appearances. The lefty debuted with the Dodgers in 2021. He maintained a semi-regular role in the bullpen over the next three seasons. Bruihl was dealt to Colorado in August 2023. He had brief stints with the Rockies and Pirates before landing in Toronto.

The Blue Jays made a notable arsenal change, having Bruihl emphasize his sinker instead of his cutter. He’d typically prioritized a cut fastball, though he did lean on his sweeper as his primary pitch in his time with Pittsburgh. Bruihl had never used the sinker more than 31.7% of the time in the big leagues heading into 2025. He pushed it to 51.1% this past season, while basically scrapping the cutter (7.3% usage). Sinker/sweeper isn’t a typical swing-and-miss combo, so it’s interesting that Bruihl posted the best strikeout numbers of his career. Toronto may have unlocked something in terms of sequencing or location, in addition to the arsenal adjustment, that led to better strikeout results.

Photo courtesy of Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images

Guardians Sign Shawn Armstrong

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December 20: Cleveland has officially announced the addition of Armstrong. The right-hander will earn $4MM in 2026, reports Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com. The deal also includes an $8MM mutual option for 2027, with a $1.5MM buyout. Left-hander Justin Bruihl was designated for assignment to clear space on the 40-man for Armstrong.

December 18: The Guardians and right-hander Shawn Armstrong have agreed to a deal, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. The ISE Baseball client will be guaranteed $5.5MM on a one-year pact with a mutual option. The Guards have a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move to make this deal official.

Armstrong returns to his original organization. He was drafted by Cleveland back in 2011 and pitched for them in the majors from 2015 to 2017. In the almost decade since then, he has spent time with the Mariners, Orioles, Rays, Marlins, Cardinals, Cubs and Rangers.

Despite that nomadic journey, his performance has been fairly steady in some respects. His earned run average has wobbled from year to year, but that’s not unusual for relief pitchers, who pitch a small number of innings annually and can have ERA swings from a few bad games. From 2019 to 2025, Armstrong tossed at least 36 innings in each full season with at least 52 frames in five out of six. His strikeout rate finished between 22% and 27% in each of those. His walk rate has finished below 9.2% in six straight seasons.

Put it all together and Armstrong has thrown 363 1/3 innings since the start of 2019 with a 3.96 ERA, 24.6% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate. Despite that fairly solid trajectory, he settled for a modest $1.25MM deal with the Rangers for the 2025 season.

Texas was surely pleased with that investment. Armstrong averaged about 94 miles per hour on both his four-seamer and sinker while also mixing in a cutter, slider and curveball. He tossed 74 innings on the year with a 2.31 ERA, 26.1% strikeout rate and 7% walk rate. His .196 batting average on balls in play and 76.3% strand rate were unsustainably fortunate but his 3.07 FIP and 3.36 SIERA suggest he would have fared well even with neutral luck. He saved nine games and registered 12 holds for the Rangers.

Armstrong has parlayed that into a new deal worth more than four times his last one, the biggest payday of the 35-year-old’s career. The Guardians had a strong bullpen in 2025, as their collective 3.44 ERA was third in the majors behind only the Padres and Red Sox. They are down one key member, as Emmanuel Clase is under investigation for a gambling scandal and may never pitch in the majors again.

The Guards don’t usually have tons of money to throw around but have been busy augmenting their bullpen with minor moves. They have signed Colin Holderman and Connor Brogdon to big league deals. They acquired Justin Bruihl from the Blue Jays and selected Peyton Pallette from the White Sox in the Rule 5 draft. Those new arms will add to a group which includes incumbents Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis and others.

Photo courtesy of William Purnell, Imagn Images

Guardians Sign Stuart Fairchild To Minor League Deal

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The Guardians announced this afternoon that they’ve signed outfielder Stuart Fairchild to a minor league deal. The deal includes a non-roster invite to MLB Spring Training.

Fairchild, 30 in March, was a second-round pick by the Reds back in 2017. He was traded to Arizona as part of the Archie Bradley deal back at the 2020 trade deadline and made his MLB debut with the Diamondbacks in 2021, but made his way back to Cincinnati (after brief pit stops in Seattle and San Francisco) by the end of the 2022. He’d spend the next few years in the Reds’ outfield mix and ultimately appeared in 223 games across parts of three seasons.

The outfielder hit fairly well during his time in Cincinnati, with a .232/.316/.403 slash line that was good for a 94 wRC+ overall. He split time between all three outfield spots with the Reds and managed to go a respectable 23-for-29 on the base paths during his time in the organization. While his overall production was slightly below league average, his ability to handle center field and swipe bases was valuable enough to keep him on the roster in a part-time role. Fairchild’s main draw was his ability to hit left-handed pitching as his .256/.354/.424 (114 wRC+) slash line against southpaws made him a solid complement to the team’s lefty outfield bats like Jake Fraley and Will Benson.

Headed into the 2025 season, however, the Reds lacked a clear path to a roster spot for Fairchild following the club’s acquisition of Austin Hays as well as the decision to move Spencer Steer into the outfield. With those righty bats in the club’s outfield plans, Fairchild became expendable and was designated for assignment. With a need for additional outfield depth while Ronald Acuna Jr. was on the injured list, the Braves traded for him not long afterwards. Between Acuna’s injury rehab and the early-season suspension of Jurickson Profar, there was plenty of playing time to be had in the Atlanta outfield mix. Fairchild took on some of that load, ultimately appearing in 28 games for the club where he hit a paltry .216/.273/.333 with a 27.3% strikeout rate across 55 plate appearances.

A dislocated pinkie finger cost Fairchild around a month of the 2025 season, and between that injury and poor performance when healthy he found himself DFA’d by Atlanta back in July. He was scooped up by the Rays in a minor trade but did not make an appearance for the MLB club before being designated for assignment once again at the outset of the offseason. He cleared waivers successfully and elected free agency, leading to the Guardians being able to add him on this non-roster pact.

For Cleveland, Fairchild’s addition means they’ve found a decent right-handed depth option for an outfield that lost Lane Thomas to the Royals in free agency this year. The Guardians have a heavily left-handed outfield mix as things stand, with Steven Kwan in left field, Chase DeLauter in center, and George Valera in right. Johnathan Rodriguez and Angel Martinez should serve as decent right-handed complements, but Fairchild offers some additional depth behind that group and protection against the possibility that the Guardians, whose 87 wRC+ in the outfield ranked 26th in the majors last year, don’t make a more significant addition on the grass.

Guardians Acquire Justin Bruihl, Designate Jhonkensy Noel For Assignment

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The Guardians have acquired left-hander Justin Bruihl from the Blue Jays in exchange for cash considerations, according to announcements from both clubs. The Jays had designated the lefty for assignment earlier this week. To open a 40-man spot, the Guards designated outfielder Jhonkensy Noel for assignment.

Bruihl, 29 in June, signed a minor league deal with the Jays ahead of the 2025 campaign. He eventually earned a roster spot and had a decent season, in some ways. His 5.27 earned run average in the majors doesn’t look nice, but that came in a small sample of 13 2/3 innings. He also had a strong 27.7% strikeout rate and 46.2% ground ball rate in that time. His 10.8% walk rate was a bit high but he was really held back by a .459 batting average on balls in play. ERA estimators such as his 4.16 FIP and 3.42 SIERA were far more optimistic.

His minor league numbers look more like those latter metrics than his big league ERA. He tossed 42 innings for Triple-A Buffalo with a 3.43 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate, 9.1% walk rate and 58.4% ground ball rate.

Bruihl doesn’t throw especially hard. His two-seamer averaged just 90.2 miles per hour this year. He also mixed in a cutter at 87.5 mph and a 78.4 mph slider. He nonetheless managed to punch guys out and avoid hard contact. The Jays sent him between Triple-A and the majors this year but he was enough of a factor to be on their ALDS roster against a lefty-heavy Yankee lineup. He wasn’t carried on the roster for subsequent rounds.

Despite some intriguing numbers this year, he got squeezed off Toronto’s roster this week. He exhausted his final option in 2025 and will be out of options going forward. With the Jays also having lefties Brendon Little, Mason Fluharty and Eric Lauer on the roster, they designated Bruihl for assignment.

The Guards are intrigued enough to bring him aboard. Their southpaw relief contingent is currently headlined by Erik Sabrowski and Tim Herrin but those two each walked more than 15.5% of batters faced in 2025. Joey Cantillo could be in the mix but he’s more of a long reliever. With Bruihl’s option status, he’ll have to perform but there’s a path for him to earn a job in the Cleveland bullpen. He has under two years of service time, meaning he hasn’t yet qualified for arbitration and can be controlled for five full seasons if he can hold a roster spot.

The unfortunate side effect of adding Bruihl is that the Guards have cut “Big Christmas” from the roster barely a week before the holiday he’s named after. Noel has shown some big power in his career but also has a poor approach at the plate. In his 351 big league plate appearances, 32.8% of them have ended in a strikeout while he has only drawn a walk 4.8% of the time.

Despite hitting 19 home runs, his .193/.242/.401 batting line translates to a 79 wRC+. He’s not a good defender nor is he a burner on the basepaths, so he really needs to hit to provide value. The homers help but the overall offense has been lacking.

Like Bruihl, he exhausted his final option season in 2025. That was going to make it harder for the Guards to keep him on the roster, especially with guys like Chase DeLauter and George Valera reaching the big leagues this year.

He’ll head into DFA limbo and see if the Guards can line up a trade or if anyone wants him on waivers. If he lands somewhere else, he can be controlled for five full seasons. Since he has less than three years of service and doesn’t have a previous career outright, he will not have the right to elect free agency if he is passed through outright waivers unclaimed.

Photo courtesy of Ken Blaze, Dennis Lee, Imagn Images

Guardians Manager Stephen Vogt Signed Multi-Year Extension

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When the Guardians originally hired Stephen Vogt as their new manager following the 2023 season, it was announced that he’d signed a three-year contract covering the 2024-26 seasons. Vogt, however, isn’t coming up on the final year of his contract as it might have seemed. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that the Guardians quietly signed Vogt to a multi-year extension following the 2024 campaign. The new contract was never announced, nor was it reported at the time.

Vogt, 41, has been named American League Manager of the Year in each of his two seasons as Cleveland’s skipper. Under his watch, the Guardians have twice enjoyed late-season rallies to force their way into the postseason. The ’24 Guardians won 88 games and topped the Tigers in the ALDS before falling to the Yankees in the ALCS. In 2025, Cleveland won 92 games but lost to the Tigers in a 2-1 Wild Card series defeat. Overall, Vogt is 180-143 as a big league manager.

It’s not entirely clear how long Vogt’s new contract runs, but he’s likely signed through at least the 2028 season now. He’ll continue overseeing a club that’s anchored by perennial MVP candidate José Ramirez and is on the cusp of welcoming a new wave of top prospects who could comprise the Guardians’ long-term core.

Outfield prospect Chase DeLauter made his big league debut in 2025. He’ll be joined by 2024 No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana at some point in 2026, and fellow top prospects like infielder Angel Genao and catcher Cooper Ingle could make their debuts this coming season as well. Bazzana and Ingle both reached Triple-A in 2025; Genao held his own as a 21-year-old in Double-A. Pitching prospect Khal Stephen, acquired from the Blue Jays in the deadline deal sending Shane Bieber to Toronto, dominated up through the Double-A level in ’25 and could be an option to join Vogt’s rotation in 2026.

Though the Guardians are unlikely to ever field a payroll that’s consistently in the top half of the league, the presence of Ramirez, some quality arms (e.g. Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee), looming young prospects and a perennially successful player development department should continue to put Vogt and the Guardians organization in position for success within the American League Central.

Guardians Sign Colin Holderman

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The Guardians announced the signing of right-hander Colin Holderman to a one-year deal, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. It’s reportedly a $1.5MM salary for the ACES client. The Guards had a 40-man vacancy, so the roster is now full.

Holderman, 30, was non-tendered by the Pirates last month. That wasn’t a terrible shock, as his 2025 season wasn’t great, due to some injuries and struggles when healthy. However, he was actually quite good in the prior two seasons, so the Guards will see if they can find a bounceback.

Over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Holderman tossed 107 1/3 innings out of the Pittsburgh bullpen. His four-seamer and sinker both averaged above 97 miles per hour, while he also mixed in a cutter and a slider. He allowed 3.52 earned runs per nine frames. His 9.7% walk rate was a tad high but acceptable. His 24.6% strikeout rate and 45.8% ground ball rate were both a bit better than par. He earned two saves and 48 holds, living up to his surname.

But as mentioned, he wasn’t able to keep it going in 2025. He missed about three weeks in April due to a right knee sprain. After being reinstated, right thumb inflammation put him back on the IL for about six weeks. Around those IL stints, he posted a 7.01 ERA in 25 2/3 innings. He walked 12.8% of batters faced while only getting strikeouts at a 14.4% clip.

Holderman had qualified for arbitration a year ago as a Super Two player. The Bucs paid him $1.5MM in 2025. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected Holderman for a modest bump to $1.7MM in 2026. The Pirates decided not to pay that after his poor season, so they non-tendered him and sent him to free agency.

Cleveland’s manager Stephen Vogt recently said that his club would be looking to add depth to the bullpen. Holderman is a low-cost pick-up and he also has options, so he can be kept in Triple-A if he’s not able to get back on track. He added a splitter in 2025, though he only threw it 3.9% of the time in his truncated season. Perhaps some better health will give him some time to flesh that out more. If he is still on the 40-man roster at the end of the season, he could be retained beyond 2026 via arbitration.

Robert Murray of FanSided reported the agreement. Zack Meisel of The Athletic reported the $1.5MM salary. Photo courtesy of James A. Pittman, Imagn Images

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