The Guardians introduced Wednesday that they’ve signed free-agent reliever Paul Sewald to a one-year contract with a mutual possibility for the 2026 season. He’s represented by ISE Baseball. The righty is reportedly assured $7M on the deal, which can be paid out within the type of a $1M signing bonus, a $5M wage, and a $1M buyout on a $10M mutual possibility. Sewald may also earn an additional $100K for reaching every of 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 reduction appearances in 2025, giving him the chance to earn a complete of $7.5M on the deal.
Righty Pedro Avila has been designated for project to open a spot on the 40-man roster, per the membership announcement. Cleveland additionally signed right-hander Riley Pint to a minor league deal. The Excel consumer can be invited to spring coaching.
Sewald, 35 in Might, is coming off a irritating yr. He opened the 2024 season on the injured record because of a left indirect pressure and missed a bit greater than a month, getting reinstated by the Diamondbacks on Might 7. As soon as again on the mound, the outcomes weren’t as much as his earlier commonplace, which obtained him bumped from Arizona’s closing gig in August. He landed again on the IL in September because of neck discomfort and wrapped up the marketing campaign there.
Finally, he tossed 39 2/3 innings on the yr, permitting 4.31 earned runs per 9. His 26.1% strikeout price and 6.1% stroll price had been nonetheless good numbers however had been worse than his earlier kind. From 2021 to 2023, between the Mariners and Diamondbacks, he threw 189 1/3 innings with a 2.95 ERA, 33.9% strikeout price and eight.6% stroll price.
The Guardians are seemingly having a bet on a bounceback, for which there’s some justification. Most of his struggles final yr had been throughout a brief interval the place he gave the impression to be a bit unfortunate. In July, he allowed 12 earned runs in 10 innings earlier than shedding the nearer’s job. Since he solely allowed 19 earned runs all yr, that was the vast majority of them. Throughout that month, he allowed a .469 batting common on balls in play and had a 56.2% strand price, which is unlucky. That’s why his 3.94 SIERA was miles higher than his 10.80 ERA that month.
Sewald averaged 91.4 miles per hour on his fastball final yr, which was down from being within the 92-93 mph vary within the earlier three seasons, nevertheless it’s potential that his two accidents performed a job there. With higher well being, maybe the Guards can get extra of the 2021-23 Sewald than the ’24 model.
Although betting on Sewald is a wonderfully wise factor, it’s a little bit of a curious path for the Guards at first look. Cleveland had the most effective bullpen within the majors in 2024, nevertheless it wasn’t shut. Their reduction corps had a collective 2.57 ERA in 2024, with the Brewers coming a distant second at 3.11. They traded Nick Sandlin to the Blue Jays as a part of the Andrés Giménez deal final month however nonetheless have Emmanuel Clase, Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin and others.
Provided that the staff doesn’t often run enormous budgets, probably the most simple manner for them to allocate their assets this winter could be to improve the offense. The Guards hit .238/.307/.395 as a staff final yr, which was precisely league common. They’re going into 2025 with a comparatively comparable group of place gamers. They traded Josh Naylor to the Diamondbacks after which signed Carlos Santana, a roughly cash-neutral transfer since Santana’s wage can be pretty near Naylor’s this yr. They subtracted Giménez, who’s extra of a glove-first participant, however now second base tasks to go to a largely unproven participant like Juan Brito or Ángel Martínez.
Maybe the Guardians will line up a commerce with certainly one of their different relievers, however they could additionally see the worth in leaning into their power by additional upgrading the reduction corps. Relievers are typically probably the most risky a part of a roster lately, with regression and/or accidents solely potential, so having one other skilled arm within the combine hedges in opposition to that.
Avila, 28, has posted some strong however not excellent ends in his profession so far. Between the Padres and Guardians, he has thrown 146 1/3 innings in his profession with a 3.51 ERA, 23.8% strikeout price, 10.6% stroll price and 49.2% floor ball price.
He exhausted his closing possibility yr with the Friars in 2023, which gave him a tenuous maintain on a roster spot. He struggled out of the gate final yr, which led to him being flipped to Cleveland. He in the end completed the yr with a 3.81 ERA in 82 2/3 innings.
Regardless of a strong marketing campaign, Avila’s out-of-options standing and a crowded Cleveland bullpen would make it exhausting for him to maintain a roster spot all yr, so he’s been nudged off Wednesday. The Guards will now have per week of DFA limbo to determine what’s subsequent, whether or not that’s a commerce or a destiny on waivers. For the reason that waiver course of takes 48 hours, any trades should come collectively within the subsequent 5 days.
Any buying staff must cope with the identical lack of choices, although a staff with a less-elite bullpen may be extra capable of handle that. Avila’s outcomes have been first rate, and he nonetheless has lower than two years of service time, which means he hasn’t but certified for arbitration and may very well be cheaply managed for as many as 5 seasons.
Pint, 27, was taken by the Rockies with the fourth general choose in 2016. He was a prime 100 prospect however struggled with management within the minors and determined to retire in 2021. At that time, he had thrown 166 2/3 innings on the farm with a 5.56 ERA, 20.5% strikeout price and 16.8% stroll price.
He un-retired in 2022 and posted first rate outcomes that yr. He threw 45 2/3 innings throughout a number of ranges with a 4.53 ERA, 56.6% floor ball price and 29.1% strikeout price, although the walks had been nonetheless excessive at 15.6%. The Rockies had been inspired sufficient to present him a roster spot to maintain him out of the Rule 5 draft.
He spent a lot of the previous two years as optionable depth for Colorado. He has simply 3 2/3 main league innings on his observe document, permitting 9 earned runs for an unseemly 22.09 ERA. He has struck out seven opponents however given out eight walks and plunked one other two batters. The minor league numbers have been higher. He had a 3.92 ERA in 41 1/3 innings on the farm final yr, placing out 36.3% of batters confronted and giving out walks at an enormous 20.7% clip. He was outrighted by the Rockies in August and elected free company at season’s finish.
Pint continues to be a mission, however the Guardians have a robust repute for working with pitchers, so it’s comprehensible why they’d take a shot on a former prime prospect with out giving up a roster spot. If he will get added to the roster at any level, he nonetheless has an possibility remaining and just some days of service time.
With Sewald added to the books, RosterResource estimates the membership’s complete commitments at $96M this yr. They opened final yr at $98M, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. After making the postseason final yr, maybe there’s a payroll bump coming. However however, the membership has no broadcast deal for this yr. Their settlement with Diamond Sports activities Group, now referred to as Most important Avenue Sports activities, expired final yr. MLB can be dealing with the broadcasts this yr, an association that can seemingly result in much less income.
Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported Sewald’s $7M wage, with Zack Meisel of The Athletic reporting the particular breakdown.
