Cleveland Guardians’ Strategy to Boost Relief Pitching This Winter

This article takes a look at how the Cleveland Guardians head into spring training in 2026 as a model of staying power. They’ve managed all this despite having almost no payroll wiggle room and barely spending in the offseason.

Over the past thirty years, the Guardians have built a reputation for doing more with less. They keep surprising everyone, mostly thanks to their knack for developing players, always having fresh pitching, and churning out bullpen arms that just seem to work.

Guardians Open Spring Training With Momentum and Questions

The Cleveland Guardians show up in Goodyear, Arizona, on February 10. There’s this low-key confidence about them—they know who they are, and it shows.

They’re two-time defending AL Central champs. Somehow, they’re starting 2026 with one of the youngest teams and one of the smallest payrolls in baseball. Yet, when you look at the past decade, hardly any club has been as reliably good as Cleveland.

Since 2016, Cleveland has put up a .556 winning percentage. That’s the fourth-best in all of Major League Baseball.

They don’t pull that off by accident, especially in a place where big free-agent deals almost never happen. It’s all about smart roster moves, top-tier pitching development, and just letting their young guys play.

Life After Emmanuel Clase: Bullpen Reloaded, Not Rebuilt

The biggest headline as camp opens is the absence of former closer Emmanuel Clase. He left after gambling charges and, honestly, it doesn’t look like he’s coming back.

On paper, losing an All-Star closer should wreck a bullpen. But Cleveland? They barely blinked.

Cade Smith and the Next Wave of Relievers

After Clase landed on paid leave in 2025, the Guardians’ bullpen actually got better. They posted a sharp 2.92 ERA for the rest of the year.

Cade Smith stepped up as closer and looked right at home—maybe even like the next great Cleveland reliever.

The front office stuck to its usual plan and picked up a bunch of low-cost arms:

Pallette’s a hard-throwing righty who has to stay on the big-league roster all season. That’s the Rule 5 deal. But the Guardians have a habit of turning under-the-radar pitchers into real bullpen pieces.

Longtime writer Terry Pluto figures at least two of these new guys will become important contributors. It’s just what Cleveland does—they’re kind of the bullpen whisperers of baseball.

A Young Rotation That Eats Innings

If there’s one thing that sets Cleveland apart, it’s starting pitching. In 2025, the Guardians’ rotation led the American League in innings pitched.

That’s not easy these days, with pitch counts and short starts everywhere you look.

Built on Youth, Backed by Depth

The rotation right now is a nice mix of young arms and upside:

There’s more help behind them, too. Top prospects Austin Peterson and Josh Hartle are waiting at Triple-A and Double-A.

Khal Stephen, a new addition, is set to start 2026 in Double-A Akron. This kind of pitching depth lets Cleveland handle injuries and maybe even swing a trade if they want.

The Business Reality: Bieber Gone, Kwan Possibly Next

The Guardians already showed they’re willing to make tough calls by trading Shane Bieber to Toronto in 2025. That deal surprised a lot of people, but it fits how the front office thinks long-term.

Steven Kwan’s Future Looms Large

Now, Pluto thinks the next big question is what happens with Steven Kwan. If they can’t work out an extension, Cleveland might again choose to trade a fan favorite for the sake of staying competitive. It’s tough, but it’s how they keep the machine running.

A Model Shared by Other Small-Market Winners

The article draws a parallel to the Milwaukee Brewers, another small-market club that leans heavily on prospect development. They’ve managed to dominate their division, which is honestly impressive considering the odds.

In both cities, offseason skepticism is pretty much a given. Still, October baseball usually finds its way back, almost like clockwork.

Next week, Pluto will turn his attention to the Guardians’ everyday lineup. He’ll dig into how the position players fit into this carefully constructed machine.

For now, spring training in Cleveland kicks off with the usual themes: modest spending and a stubborn internal belief. The track record? It tends to speak louder than any headline ever could.

 
Here is the source article for this story: What are the Guardians doing this winter for relief?