As you monitor the action this spring, here’s a handy guide with insight on every pitcher with a locker in the big-league clubhouse at the Cleveland Guardians’ complex in Goodyear, Ariz.
Franco Aleman, RHP
Injuries may have prevented him from earning his first promotion to the big leagues last year. Following a midseason bump to Double-A Akron in 2023, he didn’t allow an earned run across 24 innings. Last year, he posted a 1.99 ERA and, for the second straight year, struck out nearly 14 batters per nine innings. He’ll compete for a bullpen job this spring and is a safe bet to debut in 2025.
Kolby Allard, LHP
The Guardians invited Allard to big-league camp, the latest team to try to crack the code to the former first-round pick. Now, he’s 27, and though it hasn’t translated in parts of seven major-league seasons with the Braves, Rangers and Phillies, the Guardians want to see if they can unlock his potential.
Logan Allen, LHP
There were some encouraging signs to take away from Allen’s rookie campaign in 2023. In 2024, everything went south. His Baseball Savant page is full of rich blues, like the water at sunset on Waikiki Beach. Those hues reflect rankings at the bottom of a variety of leaderboards — chase rate, hard-hit rate, strikeout rate, whiff rate, expected ERA, barrel rate. He’ll have to battle for his next extended look, and to do so, he’ll need to set himself up in counts to be able to leverage his changeup and sweeper, instead of the fastball that hitters feasted on in 2024.
Tanner Bibee, RHP
It’s easy to forget that 2024 was Bibee’s sophomore season. He emerged as the steady force atop Cleveland’s rotation, with a 3.47 ERA with 187 strikeouts. He even took the ball on short rest in the ALCS. Now, there’s no question: This is his staff. It’s no surprise his catcher has high hopes for him entering Year 3.
Austin Hedges: “That guy’s going to win a Cy Young (Award). If it’s not (in 2025), it’s coming.”
Shane Bieber, RHP
Brace yourself: This summer, you’ll hear a Guardians employee rave about how Bieber’s midseason return is akin to making a seismic acquisition ahead of the trade deadline. Of course, lofty expectations for any pitcher returning from elbow surgery are unfair. Bieber, who will turn 30 in May, will earn $10 million this year and then either exercise a $16 million player option for 2026 or take a $4 million buyout from the club.
Tanner Burns, RHP
The 36th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Burns spent last season in the bullpen at Triple-A Columbus. He averaged more than a strikeout per inning, but his walk rate and home-run rate spiked. The difference between his walk and strikeout rate has been trending in the wrong direction.
2021: 19.7%
2022: 12.1%
2023: 12.5%
2024: 7.5%
He’ll need to reverse course to earn a major-league opportunity.
Joey Cantillo, LHP
The Guardians threw him to the wolves last summer, with his first four starts coming against four of the top lineups in the sport, and three of those starts coming on the road. The results weren’t pretty. But battle scars make you tougher, or something like that. In four September starts, he posted a 2.25 ERA, limited hitters to a .524 OPS and recorded a 29-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. There’s a lot to be encouraged by, especially his secondary pitches, which befuddled batters.
Slade Cecconi, RHP
Taken three spots ahead of Burns in the 2020 draft, Cecconi, who was acquired in the Josh Naylor trade in December, is the latest project the Guardians’ pitching whisperers will try to mold into a capable big-leaguer. He split the last two seasons between the Arizona Diamondbacks and their Triple-A affiliate, working both in the rotation and the bullpen. The Guardians have already tweaked his delivery and plan to initially build him up as a starter. Said manager Stephen Vogt: “(He’s) a strong kid, throws hard and has really good stuff.”
Emmanuel Clase, RHP
He became the first reliever in 16 years to finish in the top three in the Cy Young voting. He allowed five earned runs all season, rarely found trouble, led the league in saves and ranked among the leaders in appearances (as he does every year). And yet, his nightmarish postseason looms over all of it, fair or not. It’s a new season, and Clase should be as trustworthy as any reliever in the sport, the anchor at the back end of a stocked bullpen. But, surely, he’s itching to fast forward to a chance at October redemption.
Will Dion, LHP
A ninth-round pick in 2021 out of McNeese State, Dion encountered his first bit of adversity on the mound in 2024 after breezing his way to Triple A. He had a 2.14 ERA from 2021-23, and then a 5.48 ERA in 116 2/3 innings at Columbus last year, with soaring hit, walk and home-run rates. He’ll turn 25 in April.
Nic Enright, RHP
It has been a whirlwind two years for Enright, who joined the Miami Marlins via the Rule 5 Draft in December 2022 and then learned a couple weeks later he had a rare form of Hodgkin lymphoma. He rehabbed with the Marlins, who sent him back to the Guardians, and just when it appeared he might be pitching his way toward the majors last year, he suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined him for four months. Still, the Guardians saw enough — 17 innings, nine hits and two runs allowed, five walks and 31 strikeouts — to add him to the 40-man roster in November, and he should finally break through to the majors in 2025.
Daniel Espino, RHP
Once upon a time, in a magical, faraway land, there was a first-round pick with a sound barrier-breaking fastball, devastating secondary pitches and a sky-high strikeout rate who seemed destined to captain Cleveland’s rotation for years. But three-plus years of injuries, including a pair of major shoulder surgeries, have derailed Espino’s development. The bright side: He turned 24 in January, so he’s still young, and the Guardians rave about his work ethic and dedication to his recovery.
Luis Frías, RHP
Frías has had a taste of the big leagues each of the last four years, though he probably prefers if you don’t look up how that went. He signed a minor-league deal in January after splitting last season with the Diamondbacks and Toronto Blue Jays. There are some elements here for Cleveland’s pitching wizards to explore. His fastball has some zip (95-97 mph) and he can get some chase on his slider and cutter. Now, about limiting walks and loud contact…
Hunter Gaddis, RHP
Gaddis made a transition to the bullpen look so seamless, it makes you wonder, “Why doesn’t every team take every scuffling starter and convert them into unflappable setup aces?” Gaddis deserves a ton of credit. He coughed up the lead in three straight games in late April. Aside from that funk — a result, the team believes, of tipping pitches — Gaddis allowed one run in 49 appearances. He finished the year with a 1.57 ERA and held opponents to a .219 on-base percentage. Can he make it look effortless for a second straight year? No pitcher made more appearances (86, including the playoffs) than Gaddis in 2024.
Bradley Hanner, RHP
Once a 21st-round pick by the Minnesota Twins, the Guardians snagged him in the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 Draft in December 2022. He improved his walk and strikeout rate and, dramatically, his ERA. Now he has an invite to big-league camp and seems likely to begin the year at Triple A. He would become the first player from Patrick & Henry Community College to reach the majors.
Sam Hentges, LHP
The big lefty isn’t expected to pitch in 2025, following September shoulder surgery, which should allow him more time to ponder whether Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy should start at quarterback for his beloved Minnesota Vikings. Since becoming a full-time reliever in 2022, Hentges owns a 2.93 ERA, but injuries marred his 2024 season. The hope is he’ll be ready to return to the bullpen for the start of 2026.
Tim Herrin, LHP
With Hentges sidelined for much of 2024, Herrin stepped into his role as primary lefty reliever and thrived, with a 1.92 ERA and a .173 opponent batting average. He faced 290 batters (including the playoffs) and allowed two home runs. The Guardians will again lean heavily on the 6-foot-7 southpaw.
Mason Hickman, RHP
The Vanderbilt product has shifted into a relief role for the last two years, with mixed results. More than one-third of the hits he allowed at Triple A last season were home runs, which explains the 6.75 ERA at the level. Since Cleveland drafted him in the final round of the five-round draft in 2020, he’s had a knack for racking up strikeouts, but walks and homers have been an issue.
Zak Kent, RHP
The Guardians acquired Kent from the Texas Rangers at the end of spring training last year and he spent the season at Triple A. It was a struggle, as he walked 19 in 23 2/3 innings and logged a 7.23 ERA. Much of that action, however, came after he returned from an elbow strain. The product of the Virginia Military Institute made Keith Law’s Top 20 Rangers prospects list ahead of the 2022 season, thanks to “a wipeout slider” and a healthy strikeout rate.
Jack Leftwich, RHP
Two years ago, Law ranked Leftwich ninth on a loaded list of top Cleveland prospects. After a dazzling first year in pro ball, Law suggested Leftwich “looks like a clear starter, at least a No. 4 and trending up from there.” But Leftwich has stalled the last two years, spending both seasons at Double A and shifting to a relief role. It’s his second consecutive invite to big-league camp, but this isn’t an easy bullpen to break into without some leap in development.
Ben Lively, RHP
Lively’s signing didn’t capture anyone’s attention in December 2023. It was a league-minimum guarantee for a journeyman pitcher. Lively expected to bounce between the rotation and bullpen. Instead, he made 29 starts and was a steady force aside from a shaky August. Was it a breakout season for a 32-year-old, a mirage, or something in between? The metrics don’t paint the most encouraging picture, and Lively doesn’t get much swing-and-miss. There’s no arguing with his 2024 results, though: He allowed three runs or fewer in all but five starts, and the Guardians went 18-11 when he took the mound.
Triston McKenzie. (Nick Cammett / Getty Images)
Triston McKenzie, RHP
It’s March 2023. “Scream VI” is the top movie at the box office. (Writer’s note: There was a “Scream VI”?!) Triston McKenzie is a trendy Cy Young Award pick and he’s deep in conversations with the Guardians on a long-term contract extension. Fast forward two years. No, wait, rewind two years. Hurry. Do it. Quick, rewind! Too late. There’s no escaping these last two years for McKenzie. Shoulder and elbow injuries wiped out his 2023. He opted to rehab his elbow instead of surgically repairing it, and in 2024, even though his elbow felt fine, he pitched tentatively — and not-so-effectively. That’s all in the past, he and the team insist… or hope. Can he resurrect his career and pitch like he did when “Scream VI” was in production? (Writer’s note: That movie has a 77% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes?!)
Andrew Misiaszek, LHP
The lefty reliever, a former teammate of Aaron Civale at Northeastern, seemed positioned to reach the majors two years ago before injuries interrupted his ascent. In 2022, he totaled 90 strikeouts in 61 innings to go along with a 2.04 ERA, quite the emergence for a pitcher selected in the 32nd round (970th overall) in 2019. He returned from Tommy John surgery last summer and, now healthy and 27, he could be part of the backup plan for fellow lefties Herrin and Erik Sabrowski.
Parker Mushinski, LHP
Another lefty reliever, Mushinski signed a minor-league deal with the Guardians following three big-league seasons with the Astros. He tosses a lot of cutters and curveballs, with an occasional 92-mph fastball. When he’s going well, he’s limiting hard contact, inducing an array of ground balls and limiting walks.
Doug Nikhazy, LHP
For Nikhazy, a second-rounder in 2021, the story has been about command. In 2022 and 2023, he recorded a walk rate of 6.9 per nine innings and 6.4 per nine innings, respectively. He trimmed that rate to 3.9 per nine innings last year, which helped him post a 2.98 ERA and climb to Triple A. It also earned him a chance to pitch in front of the big-league evaluators at Progressive Field during a break between the end of the regular season and the ALDS. The Guardians added him to the 40-man roster and now he’s positioned to debut in 2025.
Luis Ortiz, RHP
After the Guardians traded for Ortiz in November, he spent his winter working at the team’s facilities in the Dominican Republic and Arizona to get acquainted with the new staff and build off of a breakout 2024 season. His fastball rated as one of the best in the league last year, per Statcast, though he throws his slider and sinker just as often. He logged a 3.22 ERA as a starter in 2024, with a .201/.267/.374 opponent slash line. He could wind up the club’s No. 2 starting pitcher to open the season.
Erik Sabrowski, LHP
Here’s a super-condensed recap of Sabrowski’s journey: Drafted by the San Diego Padres. Tommy John surgery. A lost season because of the pandemic. Another Tommy John surgery. A setback in his recovery. A flirtation with bailing on baseball until his agent threatened to beat him up. Selected by the Guardians in the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 Draft. Pitching pivotal innings in the ALCS for the league’s best bullpen. Sabrowski will spend the spring battling for one of three open bullpen spots, and given his success last year, he figures to have an inside track to breaking camp with the club as the second lefty reliever.
Paul Sewald, RHP
From 2021-23, he was one of the league’s top relievers, with a 2.95 ERA and a .177 opponent batting average. He stumbled in 2024 with Arizona, in part because of injuries. The Guardians signed him to a $7 million deal to safeguard against potential regression for some of their young relievers who shouldered a massive load in 2024. Sewald and Vogt crossed paths in Seattle in 2023, and the Guardians are confident the veteran will elevate what was already the strength of the roster.
Cade Smith, RHP
Smith was the last player to make Cleveland’s Opening Day roster in 2024 and then became one of their most indispensable performers. He cleared traffic jams and overmatched hitters with what was rated as the league’s most lethal fastball. Smith was one of six relievers with 100-plus strikeouts in 2024, but the only one with a sub-2.00 ERA. He pitched in key situations all season, and he resembled Andrew Miller in the playoffs before he seemed to tire in Game 4 of the ALCS.
Trevor Stephan, RHP
Remember him? Cleveland snagged Stephan from the New York Yankees in the Rule 5 Draft. He spent a year learning the ropes, broke out as Clase’s setup man in 2022, signed a long-term extension, suffered through a rocky 2023 and then blew out his elbow. He’ll likely begin the regular season wrapping up his recovery from his March 2024 procedure but could be yet another intriguing relief option before long.
Andrew Walters, RHP
Fifteen months after the Guardians drafted Walters, they promoted him to the big leagues, and he didn’t surrender a hit until his ninth and final regular-season appearance in September. He didn’t allow an earned run until the postseason. He has the makeup of a closer or backend reliever, but on this team, with a loaded bullpen, he’s simply vying for an Opening Day roster spot.
Ryan Webb, LHP
The Guardians opted not to protect Webb from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft … and then he went unselected, so they tossed him an invite to big-league camp. Webb had a stellar 2024 season split between Akron and Columbus, with a 2.80 ERA, a healthy strikeout rate and, perhaps most important for a guy who relies on command more than stuff, an outstanding home run rate (seven allowed in 141 innings). The 25-year-old seems ticketed for Triple A, but could be an option at some point in 2025.
Gavin Williams, RHP
He’s a former first-round pick, a former top prospect, he’s built like a Manhattan high-rise, throws hard and has effective secondary stuff. Shouldn’t those ingredients add up to a frontline starter? That’s what the Guardians are hoping. Williams enjoyed a successful transition to the majors in 2023 but suffered through the injuries and inconsistencies common with a sophomore setback. Will a new year bring the Guardians a new horse for their rotation?
(Top photo of Shane Bieber: Godofredo A. Vásquez / AP Photo)
