Looks like Arias is starting at SS. Maybe Vogt's comments about Rocchio playing more SS were meant to kick Arias in the can. Got to believe that there is a date this June that Bazzana is coming up np matter what.

Guardians

Travis Bazzana headed into Triple-A season at full go: Guardians takeaways

Updated: Mar. 22, 2026, 11:00 a.m.|Published: Mar. 22, 2026, 6:05 a.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

SCOTTSDALE — Travis Bazzana is using the energy he created in the World Baseball Classic for Team Australia to have a strong finish to spring training.
In Saturday’s 10-7 Cactus League loss to the Giants, Bazzana accounted for five of Cleveland’s runs with two homers.
He hit a leadoff homer off left-handed starter Robbie Ray in the fifth inning. In the sixth, he hit a grand slam off right-hander Trevor McDonald.

“I feel like this has been a good steppingstone on the backend of spring training,” Bazzana said after the game. “I’m feeling really good right now going into the season.”

Bazzana will start the season at Triple-A Columbus.

The Guardians drafted Bazzana with the first overall pick in the 2024 draft after winning the draft lottery at the winter meetings. This has been his first big-league camp and it’s come and gone quickly.

“It went fast,” said Bazzana. “Of course, spending a couple of weeks in Japan (for the World Baseball Classic) took away from the whole (training) camp side of things.

“I feel I learned a lot. I feel I got a lot out of camp and I’m excited to move into the season.”

Bazzana is hitting .381 (8 for 21) with three homers, 11 RBI and a 1.292 OPS in eight games. Half of his hits have gone for extra bases.

The reasons why:

Tanner Bibee, Cleveland’s opening day starter, feels good about his spring even though some of his stats didn’t look that way. Bibee cited several factors that explain his optimism despite the numbers:

For one, Guardians’ pitchers don’t use scouting reports in spring training. “You don’t know the hitters. But they know everything about you,” said Bibee.

He’s been working on a pitch that is a combination sweeper-curveball.

“It’s my sweeper grip but with a different mindset on it,” said Bibee, who made his last spring start Saturday, while allowing eight runs on 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings. “I think throwing just one pitch with a big spin to get them off everything else is pretty good.”

Bibee and catcher David Fry are still getting reacquainted. Fry hasn’t been behind the plate since 2024 because of Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

“We’re still trying to get the whole thing together,” said Bibee, who has thrown to Fry in his last three starts.

Show me the money

The Guardians traded infielder Carter Kieboom to the Phillies on Saturday for cash. When a player is traded for cash, the maximum amount that can be included in the deal is $100,000.

The Guardians didn’t get that much in the trade, but they were able to put Kieboom into a situation where he should get regular playing time for the Phillies’ Triple-A team at Lehigh Valley.

One step at a time

When camp opened, the Guardians were strictly set on Fry returning to catching. They didn’t want him playing first base and the outfield just yet.

Recently he’s been taking ground balls at first base and catching fly balls in the outfield.

“He’s ready,” said manager Stephen Vogt. “We just need to make sure we’re doing it the right way with his arm.”

Finally

When Guardians’ clubbies were loading one of the equipment trucks Friday for its trip back to Cleveland, the temperature was 106 degrees.

San Francisco’s Will Brennan doubled home a run against his old team Saturday in the seventh inning.

Jace LaViolette’s 425-foot homer for the Guardians in the ninth inning Saturday was his first hit in three Cactus League at-bats. He was the Guardians’ No. 1 pick last year.

Starters Slade Cecconi and Joey Cantillo will pitch against Arizona on Monday night so they have enough innings headed into the regular season.

The clock continues to tick on Nolan Jones. The Guardians outrighted him to the minors on Friday, but he could refuse the option and become a free agent.
If he refuses the outright to become a free agent, he’d forfeit his $2 million.

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Guardians

Guardians getting close to adding veteran slugger to roster

Updated: Mar. 22, 2026, 10:57 a.m.|Published: Mar. 22, 2026, 7:15 a.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

GOODYEAR — The Guardians and Rhys Hoskins are nearing a deal that will put him on the 40-man roster so he can open the season Thursday night in Seattle.

Hoskins, 33, is in camp on a minor league contract worth $1.5 million if he makes the team. As an Article XX (B) free agent, Hoskins has three opt-out dates — five days before opening day, May 1 and June 1 — if the Guardians don’t put him on the 40-man roster.

Hoskins is hitting .212 (7 for 33) with three homers, eight RBI and an .831 OPS in 11 games since coming to camp in February. He’s struck out 13 times with five walks.

After missing the 2023 season with the Phillies because of surgery on his left knee, Hoskins spent the last two years with Milwaukee. Last season he hit .227 (66 for 279) with 12 homers and 43 RBI in 90 games.

In his two years with Milwaukee, Hoskins hit 38 homers with 125 RBI.

The Guardians brought Hoskins to camp because he’s a right-handed hitter who can give their lineup some balance and production.

“Rhys has been an unbelievable teammate and a pro since he’s been here,” said manager Stephen Vogt on Saturday. “He’s gotten some great results in the games.

“He’s just a professional hitter. We don’t have too many right-handed bats ... He’s tough to game plan for. He’s a name you circle in the lineup.”

Hoskins, with 186 homers in his career, had his best season with the Phillies in 2018 when he hit .246 (137 for 558) with 34 homers and 96 RBI.

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Encouraging Update Surfaces About Hunter Gaddis

March 22, 2026

By Jimmy Swartz

The Cleveland Guardians are continuing to sort through key roster questions as Opening Day approaches, and one of the more important situations involves Hunter Gaddis.

While there has been uncertainty surrounding his availability, a recent update suggests things may be trending in the right direction.

Gaddis recently appeared in a minor league spring training game, an encouraging step after dealing with forearm discomfort earlier this month.

“Cleveland Guardians RHP Hunter Gaddis did pitch in a minor league spring training game Saturday. Gaddis is likely to start the season on the injured list but it should be a short stay as far as everything continues to progress well in his rehab,” Guardians Perspective wrote.

Gaddis had previously been shut down after reporting tightness, which immediately raised concerns about his status for the regular season. However, imaging results came back clean.

With Opening Day just days away, Cleveland does not need to rush one of its key bullpen arms back into action. Instead, they can allow him to fully work back up to speed while opening opportunities for other relievers to step into larger roles early in the season.

If Gaddis does begin the year on the injured list, pitchers like Shawn Armstrong, Erik Sabrowski, or Matt Festa could see increased roles.


Gaddis has become a valuable piece of their pitching staff, and having him available for the majority of the season will be critical to their success.

While he may not be ready for Opening Day, all signs suggest his absence could be brief.

And if that proves to be the case, the Guardians could soon have one of their key bullpen contributors back in the mix sooner rather than later.

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Festa looks to bring World Baseball Classic flavor to Guardians

9:34 AM CDT

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- In one of his earliest conversations with Guardians teammates upon rejoining them following his World Baseball Classic experience, Matt Festa relayed he’s looking to buy a Lavazza espresso machine to have in Cleveland’s bullpen this season.

Festa pitched for Team Italy at the Classic this year, and among their numerous Italian-themed celebrations, the players would take a shot of espresso in the dugout after one of them hit a home run.

“[I’m a] big espresso guy, big coffee guy. I'm way too caffeinated all the time,” Festa said. “I'm going to buy [a Lavazza machine] for the guys, and hopefully get some of that magic into our bullpen as well.”

Magic permeated Team Italy during the World Baseball Classic this year; the Italians were the talk of the tournament. The fun-loving group bonded over their shared backgrounds while making a surprise run to the semifinals.

Italy went 4-0 in pool play, which included a stunning 8-6 win over Team USA, before it punched its ticket to the quarterfinals with a 9-1 win over Mexico. Team Italy went on to beat Puerto Rico, 8-6, to advance to the semifinals -- where it fell to eventual champion Venezuela, 4-2.

Though they came up just short, Team Italy’s impact was far-reaching. Thanks to their incredible run and endearing energy, the WBC reached millions of viewers across Italy and was the talk of the country’s newspapers. Festa even noted his Instagram comments have lately been full of comments written in Italian.

“We knew that going into pools, we were written off already," Festa said. "But what we accomplished was we kind of grew the game overseas in Italy."

Festa threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts in Italy’s 7-4 win over Great Britain during pool play. He allowed four runs across his next two outings, against Team USA and Puerto Rico. But overall, the right-hander noted the tournament was a great way to prepare for the regular season. He equated the atmosphere during Team Italy’s matchup against Venezuela to that of a postseason game.

Festa was the Everyday Man for the Guardians last season. He didn’t make his Cleveland debut until May 2, but finished third on the team in appearances (63) while recording a 4.12 ERA, a 3.14 FIP and a 1.08 WHIP.

“It was crazy, it was so loud,” Festa said of the matchup vs. Venezuela at Miami's loanDepot park. “But my body feels good. I threw a couple times there, threw on one-day's rest. So I’m well built up.”

Festa will look to bring his dependability back to the Guardians’ relief corps this season. Maybe the espresso machine will catch on in Cleveland, or another celebration.

Team Italy’s espresso machine (which is now up for auction) was just one of the fun-loving aspects of its squad. Players would add a decal of their jersey number to the machine after hitting a home run. They would get a double kiss on the cheek with their shot of espresso, and don a blue celebratory jacket after going deep.

If it wasn’t clear, Festa and Team Italy had a lot of fun.

“The double-cheek kiss was a little addition,” Festa said. “I loved that. That was so much fun. We just had fun out there. We love each other. We were brothers."

Tim Stebbins covers the Guardians for MLB.com.

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Festa looks to bring World Baseball Classic flavor to Guardians

9:34 AM CDT

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- In one of his earliest conversations with Guardians teammates upon rejoining them following his World Baseball Classic experience, Matt Festa relayed he’s looking to buy a Lavazza espresso machine to have in Cleveland’s bullpen this season.

Festa pitched for Team Italy at the Classic this year, and among their numerous Italian-themed celebrations, the players would take a shot of espresso in the dugout after one of them hit a home run.

“[I’m a] big espresso guy, big coffee guy. I'm way too caffeinated all the time,” Festa said. “I'm going to buy [a Lavazza machine] for the guys, and hopefully get some of that magic into our bullpen as well.”

Magic permeated Team Italy during the World Baseball Classic this year; the Italians were the talk of the tournament. The fun-loving group bonded over their shared backgrounds while making a surprise run to the semifinals.

Italy went 4-0 in pool play, which included a stunning 8-6 win over Team USA, before it punched its ticket to the quarterfinals with a 9-1 win over Mexico. Team Italy went on to beat Puerto Rico, 8-6, to advance to the semifinals -- where it fell to eventual champion Venezuela, 4-2.

Though they came up just short, Team Italy’s impact was far-reaching. Thanks to their incredible run and endearing energy, the WBC reached millions of viewers across Italy and was the talk of the country’s newspapers. Festa even noted his Instagram comments have lately been full of comments written in Italian.

“We knew that going into pools, we were written off already," Festa said. "But what we accomplished was we kind of grew the game overseas in Italy."

Festa threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts in Italy’s 7-4 win over Great Britain during pool play. He allowed four runs across his next two outings, against Team USA and Puerto Rico. But overall, the right-hander noted the tournament was a great way to prepare for the regular season. He equated the atmosphere during Team Italy’s matchup against Venezuela to that of a postseason game.

Festa was the Everyday Man for the Guardians last season. He didn’t make his Cleveland debut until May 2, but finished third on the team in appearances (63) while recording a 4.12 ERA, a 3.14 FIP and a 1.08 WHIP.

“It was crazy, it was so loud,” Festa said of the matchup vs. Venezuela at Miami's loanDepot park. “But my body feels good. I threw a couple times there, threw on one-day's rest. So I’m well built up.”

Festa will look to bring his dependability back to the Guardians’ relief corps this season. Maybe the espresso machine will catch on in Cleveland, or another celebration.

Team Italy’s espresso machine (which is now up for auction) was just one of the fun-loving aspects of its squad. Players would add a decal of their jersey number to the machine after hitting a home run. They would get a double kiss on the cheek with their shot of espresso, and don a blue celebratory jacket after going deep.

If it wasn’t clear, Festa and Team Italy had a lot of fun.

“The double-cheek kiss was a little addition,” Festa said. “I loved that. That was so much fun. We just had fun out there. We love each other. We were brothers."

Tim Stebbins covers the Guardians for MLB.com.

Insider Believes Guardians Prospect Won’t Be In Minors Long

March 22, 2026

By Jimmy Swartz

The Cleveland Guardians may not typically rush their top prospects, but one insider believes that could soon change with Travis Bazzana.

With Opening Day approaching, Bazzana has continued to build momentum following a strong spring training showing and an impressive stretch of recent performances. That has led some to believe his time in the minors could be short-lived.

“Not the Guardians’ style to move players up quickly, but I gotta believe Bazzana won’t be in Columbus long,”

.

— Tom Withers (@twithersCLE) March 21, 2026

The former No. 1 overall pick has put together an eye-catching spring, including a performance where he went 3 for 4 with two home runs and five RBI in a recent game against the San Francisco Giants. Across eight Cactus League games, he is hitting .381 with three home runs and 11 RBI, flashing the talent that made him such a highly regarded prospect.

Even beyond the numbers, his approach at the plate has stood out.

The Guardians have historically been patient with player development, preferring prospects to prove themselves at each level before moving up. However, Bazzana seems ready right now.

He has already shown the ability to hit for both average and power.

If the Guardians find themselves needing an offensive spark early in the season, Bazzana could quickly become one of the most logical options. His ability to impact the game in multiple ways makes him a potential difference-maker, even as a rookie.

There is still a strong chance the team sticks to its original plan and allows him to continue developing at Triple-A for the first part of the season.

But the conversation is clearly shifting.

Instead of asking when he might arrive later in the year, some are now wondering how long the Guardians can realistically keep him in the minors if he continues producing at this level.

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Cleveland Guardians Make Roster Moves With 2 Pitchers

Tommy Wild

Partner

The Cleveland Guardians make roster moves with Pedro Avila and Codi Heuer.

The Cleveland Guardians’ 2026 Opening Day roster is starting to take shape, but the front office is still making moves to add more and more depth throughout the organization.

As Stephen Vogt has mentioned multiple times this spring, the team will use more than 26 players throughout the season. With that in mind, the Guardians made roster moves with two pitchers on Sunday.

Pedro Avila - Signed To Minor League Deal

After being released just a few days back, Pedro Avila is back with the Guardians on a Minor League deal.

The Guardians had originally signed Avila to a split-contract earlier in the offseason, but were informed on Tuesday that he would not be on the Opening Day roster. A day later, Cleveland granted his release, but Avila was back with the organization just four days later.

Avila has pitched 8.1 innings over six games for the Guardians this spring. In those outings, he’s given up 10 hits and three earned runs, to a 3.24 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP.

Of course, Avila played a key role in Cleveland’s elite 2024 bullpen. Even though he won’t be with the team as they head to Seattle to begin the regular season, Avila could certainly be an option later on in the season.

Codi Heuer - Added To 40-Man Roster, Optioned To Triple-A

The Guardians selected the contract of Codi Heuer on Sunday, adding him to the 40-man roster, and then optioned him to Triple-A Columbus.

Cleveland signed Heuer to a Minor League contract in December, which included an invite to big league camp. So far during Spring Training, the reliever has had one of the more underrated camps in the organization.

Heuer has pitched in nine games for the Guardians during Cactus League play and has pitched a 9.00 ERA and a 2.00 WHIP. The number that has really jumped out is that Heuer has a 26.8 percent strike rate this spring.

Like Avila, Heuer could be a key depth piece for Cleveland’s bullpen later this season.

Perhaps the biggest implications of this move are that Cleveland’s 40-man roster is full once again. There was an open spot after Cleveland outrighted Nolan Jones on Friday. If the Guardians plan to add either Rhys Hoskins or Stuart Fairchild to the Opening Day roster, they must open up another spot on the 40-man.

The Guardians still have decisions and moves to make, even after Sunday’s transactions.

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Stephen Vogt Opens Up About Filling Out Last Roster Spots

March 22, 2026

By Jimmy Swartz

The Cleveland Guardians are down to the final days of spring training, and while some roster decisions have already been made, a couple of key spots remain very much up in the air.

Manager Stephen Vogt made it clear that the team is still working through those final decisions, particularly when it comes to the last position player and bullpen spots.

“We still have a lot of balls in the air for the last two roster spots, both position player and bullpen,” Vogt said. “Again, we wanted this. As uncomfortable as these next 4-5 days are going to be, this is what you want, this is what good teams have.”

"Good teams have competitions that go down to the last days. And like I said, there's a lot of balls in the air with different situations, but I really like the way that this roster is coming together."

Stephen Vogt on filling the team's final roster spots @WEWS pic.twitter.com/iCUqFFIDk6

— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) March 21, 2026

Multiple players have made strong cases throughout camp, which has turned what could have been straightforward decisions into difficult ones.

“And like I said, there’s a lot of balls in the air with different situations,” Vogt continued. “But I really like the way that this roster is coming together.”

Perhaps the biggest development over the past few days is that it has become increasingly clear that Rhys Hoskins is going to make this roster. What once felt like a situation to monitor has quickly turned into an expectation.

Hoskins was brought into camp to provide balance to a lineup that leans heavily left-handed, and he has done enough to show he can fill that role. Beyond the numbers, the Guardians clearly value what he brings as a veteran presence and a professional bat in the middle of the order.

“Rhys has been an unbelievable teammate and a pro since he’s been here,” Vogt said. “He’s gotten some great results in the games. He’s just a professional hitter. We don’t have too many right handed bats. He’s tough to game plan for. He’s a name you circle in the lineup.”

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3 Guardians players who need to have a hot start to 2026

By Zach Martin

7 hours ago

We're less than a week away from Opening Day, which means the Guardians are set to begin their quest to three-peat as American League Central Champions. While some people are once again counting them out once again, it's hard to overlook the success they've had over the past two seasons.

That said, if they want to win another division title, they're going to need to come out of the gates in their series against the Mariners and Dodgers. Here are three players who could determine whether or not the Guardians start the season on the right foot.

The Guardians have a tough opening week of the season

Tanner Bibee

While Bibee struggled last season, it seems like he's ready to step up and return to ace status in 2026.

Bibee finished last year a 12-11 record and4.14 ERA in 182 1/3 innings of work. Althought he did manage to strike out 162 batters over the course of the season, he was pretty inconsistent.

Bibee was lights out over his first two seasons and combined for a 3.25 ERA with 328 strikeouts in 315 2/3 innings, and him re-finding that form early in the season would go a long way to helping him build back his confidence.

Chase DeLauter

At this point, it's safe to assume that everyone in the Guardians' organization is hoping Delauter can stay healthy and make a massive impact in 2026. He's done just that so far at spring training, as he's 11-for-28 with home run and six RBI. with a .393/.433/.643 slashline.

His eye at the plate, plus his power potential, is something that has everyone buzzing in Cleveland. It seems like DeLauter is going to make the Guardians' Opening Day roster and it likely won't take long for him to make a positive impression.

DeLauter getting off to a hot start could help the Guardians in a variety of ways. His power and extra-base hit potential would give Stephen Vogt some protection around José Ramírez.

Kyle Manzardo

While DeLauter has a ton of power potential, Manzardo has spent most of the past two seasons showing the Guardians exactly how much power he has. A hot start from him could go a long way toward the Guardians' lineup being even better in 2026.

While Manzardo did hit 27 home runs last season, he struck out 135 times and hit just .234. There's some clear improvement needed so that way he doesn't become an unbalanced power hitter.

The Guardian asked him to put on some muscle in the offseason and he answered the call, so there's a good chance he could flirt with the 30 home run mark this season.

Although Manzardo will be in a platoon at first base with Rhys Hoskins, he should still be in the lineup almost everyday.

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Codi Heuer to the 40-man roster

Guardians Select Codi Heuer, Re-Sign Pedro Avila To MiLB Deal

By Nick Deeds | at March 22, 2026 12:37pm CDT MLBTR

The Guardians announced this afternoon that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Codi Heuer and optioned him to Triple-A. The Guardians had space available on their 40-man roster, so a corresponding move was not necessary to complete the transaction. In addition, the club announced that they’ve re-signed right-hander Pedro Avila to a minor league deal.

Heuer, 29, was a sixth-round pick by the White Sox back in 2018. He made it to the majors with Chicago during the shortened 2020 campaign an impressed with a 1.52 ERA in 21 appearances, but struggled early in the 2021 season. He was ultimately shipped across town to the Cubs as part of the Craig Kimbrel/Nick Madrigal trade at the 2021 trade deadline, and seemed to regain some of his earlier success upon arriving in Chicago with a 3.14 ERA in 25 appearances down the stretch. Heuer was in strong position to be a key piece of the bullpen on the north side of Chicago as they entered their rebuild.

That wasn’t meant to be, however, as Spring Training 2022 set off a series of injury-marred campaigns for the right-hander. Heuer underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022 and followed that up by suffering a broken elbow midway through the 2023 season, while he was still rehabbing from surgery. He made just 15 appearances total from 2022-24 before finally returning to health as a member of the Rangers in 2025. Between the Rangers and Tigers organizations, Heuer posted a 3.14 ERA in 48 2/3 innings of work at the Triple-A level and struck out 30.5% of his opponents. The results at the major league level didn’t return right away, however, and the righty surrendered three runs, all earned across 4 2/3 innings in the majors last year.

He returned to the open market this offseason and caught on with the Guardians on a minor league deal. He struggled this spring, with a 9.00 ERA in eight innings of work, but did strike out 11 against five walks. It was an intriguing enough performance to Cleveland that they decided to add him to their 40-man roster before the season begins, though Heuer will still begin the year at Triple-A as an up-and-down depth option rather than as part of the Opening Day roster. If Heuer can produce at a level similar to what he offered at Triple-A last year, it seems like a safe bet to expect to see him in the majors with the Guardians sometime this year.

In other Guardians bullpen news, right-hander Pedro Avila is returning to the club on a minor league pact after previously being released by the club to pursue other opportunities when he did not make the roster. Avila evidently decided that his best opportunity to make it back to the majors is with Cleveland on a minor league pact, and so he’ll head to Triple-A alongside Heuer and wait for a big league opportunity as a non-roster veteran. Avila has five years of major league experience under his belt, mostly with the Padres, but joined the Guardians during the 2024 season and posted a solid 3.25 ERA across 50 appearances for the club. He spent 2025 with Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yakult Swallows before returning to the Guardians on a split contract back in December. He pitched solidly in Spring Training, with a 3.24 ERA across 8 1/3 innings of work, but his paltry 11.8% strikeout rate likely stopped the Guardians from including him in their Opening Day roster mix.

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Guardians

I hear them knocking, but Guardians won’t make postseason in 2026: Paul Hoynes

Updated: Mar. 24, 2026, 5:23 p.m.|Published: Mar. 24, 2026, 4:00 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The key to how the Guardians operate is simple.

While their stated goal every year is to win a World Series, their strategy is to simply make the postseason. They figure if they do that often enough, the odds will at some point put them in the winner’s circle in the Fall Classic.

Yes, there’s that stubborn fact that they haven’t won a World Series since 1948. But what’s a 78-year drought between friends?

This isn’t just wishful thinking by the Guardians; they’ve mobilized the strategy.

In the last 10 years (2016-25), they’ve made the postseason eight times. In the last 31 years (1995-2025), they’ve reached the postseason 15 times. All that winning has resulted in three hard-earned trips to the World Series in 1995, 1997 and 2016.

While the franchise and its fans still bear the scars of those ill-fated trips, no one can say the Guardians have been a do-nothing team for the last three decades. They’ve knocked on the door to MLB’s postseason tournament so many times that their knuckles are permanently bruised.

With all that being said, I don’t see the Guardians making the postseason this year. I predict they’ll go 82-80 in the AL Central for a second-place finish behind the division champion Detroit Tigers.

[That's about the way I see it. Although I wouldn't dismiss a third place finish behind the Tigers & the Royals.]

The Guardians and Tigers made the postseason last year after Cleveland rallied to win the Central on the last day of the regular season by one game over Detroit. The Tigers beat the Guardians in the wild-card round, and they spent the offseason getting better.

Cleveland chose a different path.

They stayed with their own players, believing that they were ready to make their mark in the big leagues. After watching the Guardians in spring training, it’s easy to see why they made that decision.

Chase DeLauter, Travis Bazzana, Angel Martinez and George Valera were all impressive this spring. It’s too bad Valera didn’t get through spring training healthy, but we haven’t seen the last of him.

DeLauter, as long as he can stay on the field, is going to help give last year’s stagnant offense the push it needs. He’s just the kind of player the Guardians have been missing for so many years — big, strong, and able to make contact and hit for power

The switch-hitting Martinez is on the verge of becoming a good big-league player. Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan give the lineup a good veteran presence.

The Guardians have help down below as well. Bazzana, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, had a great spring offensively and defensively. Milan Tolentino, Kahlil Watson, Petey Halpin and Angel Genoa were other young players who impressed the big-league coaching staff this spring.

I think the starting rotation has a chance to be one of the best in the American League. Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Slade Cecconi, Joey Cantillo and rookie Parker Messick pitched well this spring.

The depth of the rotation, however, scares me. After Logan Allen, who lost the final rotation spot to Messick, they don’t have any big-league ready starters in the minors.

The bullpen has been among the best in the big leagues over the last two years. They showed resolve in overcoming the loss of All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase to a gambling scandal last year in July. But there are some questions.

This will be Cade Smith’s first full year at closer. How will he handle it?

He’ll be operating without wingman Hunter Gaddis, who will open the year on the injured list with a sore right forearm. I like this bullpen a lot better with Gaddis making 70 appearances a year. He will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Columbus when the Guardians return to Cleveland for the April 3 home opener.

The pen features four newcomers: Rule 5 right-hander Peyton Pallette, Connor Brogdon, Shawn Armstrong and Colin Holderman. The Guardians drafted Armstrong in 2011, and he has not pitched for them since 2017.

When a team swaps out half of its bullpen from the year before, it’s going to take a while for that bullpen to settle into their roles.

The Guardians have leaned on young players for several years. It keeps their payroll down and gives them a steady stream of players to trade once they get close to free agency.

At the same time, it’s a system that hurts them at crunch time when the disparity of talent and payroll always plays a part in who wins or loses. I understand what the Guardians are doing, I just wish they would have added more veteran help, especially on offense, to the roster for this season.

This year it’s going to cost them in a division they’ve dominated.

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Guardians

Guardians look like more of the same, without the storybook finish in 2026: Joe Noga

Updated: Mar. 24, 2026, 5:29 p.m.|Published: Mar. 24, 2026, 4:07 p.m.

By Joe Noga, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A year ago, the warning signs were easy to spot. The American League Central Division was getting better, the Guardians didn’t do much to keep pace, and the margin for error around a young, contact-heavy lineup felt pretty thin.

The result was a season that reinforced the Guardians’ strengths and exposed their limitations. They are a club that can pitch and develop, but still struggles to separate from the competition when the stakes rise in the postseason.

So, here we are again.

Cleveland enters 2026 coming off a 2025 campaign that showed flashes of staying power but ultimately revealed how difficult it is to sustain success against an improving division.

Detroit and Kansas City didn’t sit still this winter. The Tigers continued to add impact talent to a roster that already looks postseason-ready. They signed Framber Valdez to boost an already potent rotation that features the best pitcher on the planet in Tarik Skubal. Both lefties have built their careers in recent years with huge success against Cleveland.

The Royals doubled down on their aggressive timeline, adding three impact arms in their bullpen as well as Starling Marte and former Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas for more punch in their outfield. They also secured Maikel Garcia on a $57.5 million extension and retained veteran catcher Sal Perez to guide a rising core that features the best all-around player in the division in Bobby Witt Jr. and is designed to win now.

Cleveland followed its familiar offseason script, remaining measured, deliberate and mostly quiet while president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti espoused the organization’s belief that providing a runway for the young talent on the roster was more important than adding a transitional veteran bat.

The Guards’ headline move was Rhys Hoskins, who signed a minor-league deal but showed just enough punch in spring training to give some hope that the offense will surge. Hoskins finding his way onto the opening-day roster gives Cleveland something it lacked for long stretches last season. He’s a proven, right-handed power presence who can lengthen manager Stephen Vogt’s young lineup. If he hits anything close to his career averages and remains healthy, the ripple effect could be significant, especially for a young group that has some real playoff experience, but is still learning how to produce consistently at the big-league level.

Because make no mistake, the 2026 season hinges on that group. The Guardians are expecting Bo Naylor, Brayan Rocchio, Kyle Manzardo, Gabriel Arias and Daniel Schneemann to be difference-makers, not just developmental pieces.

Rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter, meanwhile, looked every bit like an impact bat this spring, showing the combination of contact and thump that the organization has been trying to develop for years in its young hitters. If he stays healthy, DeLauter changes the ceiling of Vogt’s lineup.

Angel Martínez also turned heads in camp, continuing his steady progression into a versatile, everyday contributor. And at some point, Travis Bazzana looms as the kind of in-season jolt that could reshape the offense if the timing is right.

That’s the optimistic path. The more realistic approach acknowledges how difficult that transition can be. It’s one thing to make a splash in March. It’s another to grind through six months of big-league adjustments, scouting reports and pressure. Cleveland didn’t add much external help, so the internal growth can’t just be measured in baby steps. It has to be significant.

There is, however, one area where the Guardians don’t have to squint to see strength. Their rotation appears to be legit. This is still an organization built on pitching, and the starters they will roll out to begin the year have plenty of depth and upside to keep them in almost any series.

That matters even more considering the gauntlet that awaits in the early part of the season. Cleveland opens against legitimate contenders like the Mariners and Dodgers, part of a daunting schedule that includes the Cubs, Braves, Orioles and Blue Jays in the first month, and could easily bury a team still trying to find its offensive identity.

If Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Slade Cecconi, Joey Cantillo and rookie Parker Messick survive that stretch, and maybe stack up some wins, the season’s entire outlook shifts. But fall behind early, and the climb gets steep. Even for a team that produced a historic 15 1/2-game rally to win the division last September.

But there is a bigger picture to address. One that includes the face of Cleveland baseball for the better part of a decade now. For all the talk about development timelines and sustained success, there is a clock ticking in the Progressive Field clubhouse. One that is tied to José Ramírez and the prime of his career.

Ramírez committed to the organization with a long-term extension in January because he believed in what is being built. If building does not eventually turn into winning, however, the team can’t keep asking one of the game’s most complete players to carry the burden on his own.

Ramírez is running out of his best seasons while waiting for the next wave to arrive, and at some point, the Guardians have to meet him halfway.

That’s why 2026 feels like a pivot point. Not quite a make-or-break year, but close enough to matter. The pitching should keep them competitive. The young bats should be better. Hoskins might give them a needed jolt. But in a division where Detroit and Kansas City pushed their chips forward, Cleveland is still asking its system to deliver the difference.

Maybe that will happen. But until it does over a full season, it’s hard to project a leap past the teams that were more aggressive in trying to separate themselves.

Prediction: 79–83, third place in the AL Central.

[ About right. The only difference, I believe the Tigers, Royal, and Guardians all finish about .500]

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Guardians

Outfielder Chase DeLauter to be used in small doses: Guardians takeaways

Updated: Mar. 24, 2026, 6:33 p.m.|Published: Mar. 24, 2026, 6:01 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

PHOENIX — The Guardians finally saw Chase DeLauter get through an entire spring training healthy. Now all they have to do is figure out a way to do the same thing for the six-month regular season.

After watching the much-injured DeLauter hit .459 (17 for 37) with five doubles, three homers and 10 RBI in 14 games this spring, they have spent a lot of time discussing the matter.

“We’re just going to have to manage his volume,” said Chris Antonetti, Guardians president of baseball operations, Tuesday morning before the Guardians left Arizona to start the regular season Thursday night in Seattle.

It’s the wise approach, but a difficult one.

“There are going to be days where our best team would have him playing, and he won’t be playing because we’re going to take the long view and that’s going to be really hard for us to manage,” said Antonetti.

Antonetti said it will be especially hard for manager Stephen Vogt and DeLauter.

“It’s going to be harder for Vogter to manage, and it’s going to be hard for Chase because he’s hyper-competitive and wants to win,” he said.

“One of the challenges we often have with Chase is that he cares so much about winning and playing the game right that he doesn’t throttle back at all. That’s an attribute that we love about him.”

So, the Guardians are going to have to use DeLauter in small doses; like a good chef uses garlic.

One of the ways the Guardians plan on keeping DeLauter healthy is playing him strictly in right field and DH.

“The main focus this spring is trying to be available as much as possible,” said DeLauter after Monday’s 7-0 win over Arizona in which he hit two homers. “The main priority for me is to make sure I feel good every day and it kind of helps everything else fall into place.”

DeLauter said he’s excited to start the season in the big leagues, and there’s a specific reason behind that.

“I’m excited, but I would say I’m more excited about playing meaningful winning baseball again,” he said. “It’s been a long time.”

DeLauter said the last time his sole focus was on winning was in college at James Madison. Since the Guardians made him their first-round pick in 2022, most of his time has been spent rehabbing various injuries.

Vogt has often used DeLauter this spring hitting second between Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez. It is a good fit.

“It’s the best,” said DeLauter. “Hitting in front of Jose, guys are going to give me stuff I can hit. When you watch Kwan hit, you get to see all the pitcher’s stuff ... Having all that and knowing pitchers would rather throw to you instead of Jose, it’s good to get some pitches to hit.”

Stretch it out

Antonetti said he has concerns about the Guardians’ starting pitching depth beyond Logan Allen, who will start the season at Triple-A Columbus.

That’s why Kolby Allard and Pedro Martinez will be stretched out as starters at Columbus. They were both in camp on minor-league deals.

Medical update

Antonetti said right-hander Hunter Gaddis was scheduled to throw a minor-league game on Tuesday in Goodyear before starting a rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus. He’s recovering from a sore right forearm.

“He’s healthy, but he has to build back up again,” said Antonetti.

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Guardians Exec Gives Injury Update on George Valera

Tommy Wild

Partner

Cleveland Guardians outfielder George Valera will start the season on the injured list after suffering a calf strain.

George Valera was one of the players the Cleveland Guardians were so high on coming into the season after he had an impressive showing last September and even hit a home run in the playoffs.

However, the rookie outfielder won’t be joining the Guardians for Opening Day or their first series of the season against the Seattle Mariners. Valera’s strong Spring Training was interrupted by an injury, which caused him to miss the final two weeks of the season; his last Cactus League game was on March 9.

Chris Antonetti said on Tuesday that Valera recently played in a Minor League game as the team’s designated hitter. Even though he didn’t play the field, the executive noted that Valera looked good running the bases and even scored from first base on a play.

The good news is that Valera is getting more game action; the bad news is that there’s still no set timetable for his return to the big-league club.

“He had a calf strain, so he's now building up his progression. We're trying to kind of replicate spring training and just build up his volume at this point,” explained Antonetti. “He'll start on the IL, and then we'll go out on a rehab assignment, and then we'll have to see how quickly he's ready to progress from there.”

Again, before the calf injury, Valera was really putting together a solid spring. He logged an OPS of .833 with a home run and a pair of doubles in 24 at-bats.

Perhaps the even more encouraging part of Valera’s Cactus League action was that the manager, Stephen Vogt, was excited with the way Valera was moving in the outfield, coming off the major leg injury he had at the end of the 2024 season.

Cleveland’s skipper noted that it looked like Valera was starting and stopping better when tracking and chasing balls in the outfield.

If Valera is already back to playing games, even though they are Minor League games, hopefully that means it won’t take him too long to get back up to speed once the season starts.

The Guardians are relying on their youth to help the offense improve, and a healthy Valera is a key piece of that.

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