News Guardians Team Notes

[Cleveland Guardians]

AL Central Notes: Ragans, Sewald, Olson, Brennan

Cole Ragans is set to begin a rehab assignment on Sunday, with a scheduled two-inning start planned with Triple-A Omaha. It has now been over three months since Ragans was sidelined by a rotator cuff strain, and if the southpaw is able to make it back to the Royals rotation before the season is over, it won’t be in a full-fledged starting role. “We know we don’t have the time to get him built up to five or six innings,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro told reporters (including Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star), indicating that Ragans would still be a starter, but perhaps in a piggyback capacity or as the lead pitcher of a bullpen game.

Seth Lugo was just placed on the 15-day IL earlier this week due to a back strain, and Kris Bubic’s season was ended by a rotator cuff strain in late July. Despite these and other injuries, the Royals’ pitching staff has still been the biggest factor in keeping the team afloat in the wild card race, as Kansas City’s offense has remained inconsistent. If the Royals can stick around in the playoff hunt until late September, getting Ragans back in even a limited capacity might be a huge boost in helping K.C. return to the postseason.

More from around the AL Central…

• Paul Sewald began a rehab assignment with the Tigers’ high-A affiliate on Thursday. Sewald hasn’t pitched since July 11 when he was still a member of the Guardians, and his placement on Detroit’ 60-day IL means that he can’t be activated until September 10 at the absolute earliest. Though Sewald remains on the mend with a right shoulder strain, the Tigers felt comfortable enough in his ability to return this season that the righty was acquired from the Guards at the deadline. Shoulder problems have limited Sewald to only 15 1/3 innings this season, and he has a 4.42 ERA over his last 55 MLB frames with Cleveland and Arizona during the 2024-25 campaigns.
• Turning to another pitcher on the Tigers’ 60-day injured list, Reese Olson has started a throwing progression as he works his way back from his own right shoulder strain. Ramping up throwing work now might give Olson a chance at making a playoff roster — he was placed directly on the 60-day IL on July 28, so he is only eligible to return for the last couple of games of Detroit’s regular-season schedule. Even the slightest setback would almost surely shut Olson down for 2025 entirely, and even if healthy, it remains to be seen if the Tigers would entrust a playoff roster spot to a pitcher coming off such a long layoff. Olson has pitched well as a starter over his three seasons in Motown, but would likely be used as a reliever in the playoffs since he doesn’t have enough time to fully rebuild his arm strength.
• Guardians outfielder Will Brennan underwent a sports hernia surgery to correct a lingering groin injury, according to MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins. Brennan’s 2025 season was already over due to a Tommy John surgery back in June, but even after the TJ procedure and his latest surgery, Brennan is expected to be ready for the start of Cleveland’s spring camp in February. The outfielder played in 252 games with the Guardians in a part-time capacity in 2023-24, but after starting 2025 in the minors and then getting injured, Brennan appeared in just six MLB contests this year.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/al-central-notes-ragans-sewald-olson-brennan.html

 

[Cleveland Guardians]

Guardians Notes: Brito, Bazzana, Thomas

Juan Brito’s injury-ravaged season has come to an early end, as the Guardians announced yesterday that the infield prospect would be undergoing surgery to fix his damaged left hamstring. The procedure has a recovery timeline of 8-12 weeks, so Brito should be ready for the start of Spring Training.

This marks the second major surgery of Brito’s 2025 campaign, as he missed close to two months recovering from thumb surgery. Returning to action with Triple-A Columbus near the end of June, he appeared in just eight more games with the Clippers before being sidelined again by a left hamstring strain. Brito had resumed baseball activities a few weeks ago, but seemingly with little progress, so the decision was made to fully address the injury with surgery.

Brito will conclude his season with just 31 games played — 24 in Triple-A ball, and seven on a rehab assignment with the Guardians’ rookie league affiliate. He still hit well (.256/.357/.463) over his 99 plate appearances in Columbus, yet that isn’t much consolation given that Brito posted similar numbers over a full Triple-A season in 2024, and looked set to make his big league debut this year.

There was even some chatter last spring about Brito potentially breaking camp with the Guardians and earning at least a platoon role at second base. Cleveland instead optioned him to Triple-A before Opening Day, and while Brito’s injuries perhaps made the team’s decision a moot point, the keystone has been a weak spot for the Guardians. The team’s second basemen (Daniel Schneemann, Brayan Rocchio, Angel Martinez, Gabriel Arias, and Will Wilson) have combined for 0.6 bWAR, ranking the Guards 23rd of 30 teams in second base bWAR.

Going into 2026, the hope is that Brito (who turns 24 later this month) will be healthy and ready to rebound after his lost year. Acquired from the Rockies in the Nolan Jones trade three years ago, Brito has posted good offensive numbers during his rise up the ranks of Cleveland’s farm system. Evaluators aren’t sure if his glove necessarily plays anywhere, but even a bat-first type of infielder might help a Guardians team still struggling for consistent offense.

Brito has already exhausted his number of minor league option years, so for now, he’ll be officially out of options heading into 2026. Since the league can grant a fourth option year to players whose careers have been stalled by injury, however, it seems quite likely that Brito will get that bonus option given how little he played in 2025.

Turning to the top name in the Guards’ minor league system, Travis Bazzana may be facing another oblique issue. Bazzana was removed from Thursday’s Triple-A game due to left oblique soreness, and there hasn’t yet been an update on his status. This injury comes on the heels of a right oblique strain in May that ended up costing Bazzana a little over two months of the Double-A season.

The first overall pick of the 2024 draft has started his pro career in impressive fashion, already advancing to Triple-A ball and hitting .225/.420/.438 over his first 120 PA with Columbus. As much as some Cleveland fans were hoping Bazzana might provide the big league team with a boost during the playoff push, there probably wasn’t much chance the Guardians were going to call Bazzana up even before Thursday’s injury scare. That said, Bazzana’s quick rise through the minors has certainly put him on the radar for 2026, and he might now be the second base prospect under consideration for an Opening Day assignment.

Speaking of injury-marred seasons, Lane Thomas has played in only 39 games for the Guardians due to three different IL stints. The first IL trip was due to a bone bruise in his right wrist, and the latter two have been as a result of Thomas’ ongoing battle with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. The outfielder has been on the 10-day injured list since early July, and he played in three rehab games with Double-A Akron earlier in September before he was sidelined again with more foot soreness.

The next step might be surgery, as Thomas told The Athletic’s Zack Meisel and other reporters that he will speak with a foot specialist this coming week to decide on how to best treat the injury. Should Thomas go under the knife, he’d need a three-month recovery period. This timeline would leave him ready to go for the start of spring camp, yet a surgery would add another complication to what will already be a tricky ride through the free agent market for the 30-year-old.

It was less than two years ago that Thomas hit 28 homers as the everyday right fielder for the 2023 Nationals, but his production has dropped sharply since that career year. His bat particularly cooled off after he was dealt to the Guards at last year’s trade deadline, and his nightmare of a 2025 season has seen Thomas hit just .160/.246/.272 over 142 PA.

Teams will want to ensure Thomas is healthy before signing him to any sort of contract, so he’ll probably have to complete his rehab before his market gathers any kind of momentum. At best he’ll receive a one-year deal with a modest guaranteed salary, and it is certainly possible Thomas may have to settle for a minor league deal. Thomas told Meisel and company that he would welcome a return to Cleveland, and since the Guardians will be looking for outfield help anyway, the team might be open to bringing Thomas back on a low-cost deal.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/guardians-notes-brito-bazzana-thomas.html

 

[Cleveland Guardians]

Nationals Have Interviewed Guardians’ AGM Matt Forman

Guardians executive vice president and assistant general manager Matt Forman has interviewed for the Nationals’ GM vacancy, reports Andrew Golden of The Washington Post. It’s not clear when the interview occurred or whether Forman has advanced beyond the initial stage.

Cubs GM Carter Hawkins reportedly interviewed for the position two weeks back. The Nats also reached out to Dodgers executive vice president Josh Byrnes and Diamondbacks AGM Amiel Sawdaye. Over the weekend, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reported that Red Sox’s assistant GM Paul Toboni was also on Washington’s radar. Whether any of those executives formally interviewed is not known. Barry Svrluga of The Washington Post suggested last week that the Nats hoped to have a new front office leader in place by the end of the season.

Forman, a Northwestern product, entered professional baseball with Cleveland in 2013. Forman started as an amateur scouting intern and had worked his way to assistant general manager within four years. A former staffer at Baseball America, Forman received another promotion in January 2022 when the Guardians added the executive VP role to his title. That essentially places him third on Cleveland’s front office hierarchy behind baseball operations president Chris Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff. Sky Andrecheck, Eric Binder and James Harris also hold an AGM title with the Guards.

The Nationals fired former GM Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez in July. Mike DeBartolo has led the front office on an interim basis for the past two months and could also get consideration for the full-time position.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/nationals-have-interviewed-guardians-agm-matt-forman.html

 

[Cleveland Guardians]

Poll: Can The Guardians Push Their Way Into The Postseason?

A lot has changed in the AL Wild Card scene in the two weeks since MLBTR’s last poll about the race. At the time, there were three clubs within two games of catching the Mariners for the final Wild Card spot, and aside from an outside chance of Houston losing the AL West the rest of the playoff field looked more or less set.

Now, the Mariners have surged ahead of the pack to run down the Astros in the West, while the Red Sox have slumped badly to the point where their ticket getting punched is no longer a foregone conclusion. The Rays (nine games back of a Wild Card spot), Royals (seven games back) and even the Rangers (4.5 games back) are all extreme long shots, meaning that if anyone is going to shake up the AL playoff field, it will be a team that wasn’t even included in our poll from two weeks ago: the Cleveland Guardians.

Cleveland has won 11 of its last 12 games, and the 80-71 Guards now sit 2.5 games back of Boston for the final Wild Card spot. Starters Gavin Williams, Parker Messick, and Joey Cantillo have all been excellent since the All-Star break, while Kyle Manzardo and Jose Ramirez have carried the offense. The fabled bullpen that pushed Cleveland into the postseason last year has shown up again this season (even without Emmanuel Clase), and that unit has done a lot of the heavy lifting for the Guardians with the lowest FIP and second-lowest ERA in baseball since the start of August.

What makes the Guardians most interesting as a possible late entrant into the postseason picture, however, is that they actually control their own destiny in the AL Central as well. The division has looked more or less locked up for the Tigers all year long, but a 5-9 record so far in September alongside Cleveland’s surge has left them vulnerable with four games (including one today) left on the schedule between the two clubs.

With two avenues to a playoff spot on the table, the Guardians are arguably the most interesting team to watch over the final few days of the regular season. The playoff odds at FanGraphs are skeptical, giving Cleveland a 16.4% chance to make the postseason this year entering play today. That’s actually the best odds of any team not currently in playoff position, but it still highlights the tough road the Guardians will have to hoe if they’re going to play in October.

That said, Cleveland does have one thing in its favor: the schedule. The Guardians benefit from four games against the lowly Twins, who have been one of the worst teams in baseball since their massive sell-off at the trade deadline. Cleveland also has a remaining series against an injury-ravaged Rangers team to wrap up the 2025 campaign. Meanwhile, the Tigers and Red Sox actually face each other in the final series of the regular season. If the Guardians can just remain in spitting distance of both teams until then, they’ll have an opportunity to make up a game or two in the standings over that final weekend.

What do MLBTR readers think? Will the Guardians be able to pull it off and shake up the playoff field? Or will they be left on the outside looking in this October? Have your say in the poll below:

Take Our Poll

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...dians-push-their-way-into-the-postseason.html

 

[Cleveland Guardians]

Guardians Place Nolan Jones On 10-Day IL, Promote Petey Halpin

The Guardians announced that outfielder Nolan Jones has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right oblique strain. Outfielder Petey Halpin was called up from Triple-A Columbus in the corresponding move, and no other transaction was required since Halpin was already on the 40-man roster.

Jones came off the bench as a late-game sub in the Guardians’ 6-2 win over the Twins yesterday, but was replaced by a pinch-hitter when it was his turn at bat. The timing of the injury will at least end Jones’ regular season, and will probably sideline him for any October action if Cleveland can make the playoffs.

It already didn’t seem too likely that Jones would make a postseason roster anyway, given how he has struggled in his return to Cleveland. Re-acquired from the Rockies in a trade just prior to Opening Day, Jones has hit just .211/.296/.304 over 403 plate appearances with the Guards this season. Seemingly a breakout rookie with Colorado in 2023, Jones has fallen back to earth since a .218/.307/.311 slash line in an even 700 PA since the start of the 2024 campaign.

Despite these numbers, Jones was still getting semi-regular playing time in the Guardians’ lineup, mostly working in a timeshare capacity in center and right field. Since Steven Kwan is the only cornerstone piece of Cleveland’s ever-shifting outfield, the Guards can juggle any number of players around to pick up at-bats over the season’s final nine games. Losing Jones does remove one less option for what will be a busy day for the roster, as the Guardians play a doubleheader against Minnesota.

As such, the door could be open for Halpin to receive the first Major League playing time of his pro career. A third-round pick for Cleveland in the 2020 draft, Halpin was added to the 40-man roster last November in advance of the Rule 5 Draft. Halpin was promoted to Triple-A for the first time this year, and has hit .249/.321/.414 over 553 PA in Columbus, with 14 homers and 15 steals (in 18 attempts).

Baseball America ranks Halpin 24th on their list of the top 30 Guardians prospects, describing him as at least a “solid fourth outfielder” type due to his speed and excellent defense. It remains to be seen whether he can hit enough to gain any kind of regular playing time in the bigs, as Halpin hasn’t shown much in the power department. Known as a contact hitter, his strikeout rate ballooned to 28.2% in Columbus, so Halpin will need to be much more selective if he is to have any chance against Major League pitchers.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...-jones-on-10-day-il-promote-petey-halpin.html

 

[Cleveland Guardians]

Padres Notes: Bogaerts, Bader, De Vries, Gore, Kwan

The Padres are expected to activate Xander Bogaerts from the 10-day injured list prior to Monday’s game with the Brewers, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. The shortstop might’ve already been back this weekend except a planned on-field workout on Friday was canceled due to rain, delaying Bogaerts’ return until the start of the six-game homestand that will conclude the Friars’ regular season.

A left foot fracture has kept Bogaerts out of action since August 27, and it wasn’t clear if he would be able to play again before the postseason, even if the injury wasn’t expected to keep Bogaerts out of any October action. Bogaerts has hit .262/.330/.387 with 10 home runs over 534 plate appearances, for a decent but unspectacular 103 wRC+. He has displayed some good plate discipline and augmented his work at the plate with 20 steals (in 22 attempts) and very good defense in the view of the Outs Above Average metric (+7). Jake Cronenworth and Jose Iglesias have handed most of the shortstop duty over the last four weeks, and with Bogaerts back, Cronenworth should return to his usual second base position.

Returning Monday gives Bogaerts six games to ramp up for a postseason trip that has been all but officially clinched. San Diego seems likely to finish as the NL’s second wild card team, unless the Padres can overcome the Dodgers’ three-game edge in the NL West race, or if the Padres somehow fritter away their five-game edge over the Reds (who hold the third and final wild card slot).

Though the Padres surely wish they’d been able to overtake Los Angeles for the division lead, a 25-22 record since the trade deadline has at least helped San Diego more or less lock up its fourth playoff berth in the last six years. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller was his typical active self at the deadline, swinging five trades in July to add a variety of roster upgrades.

The many players actually acquired were just the tip of the iceberg, as the New York Post’s Jon Heyman writes that “the Padres were in on every top player” even somewhat available at the deadline. Most of those trade targets were cited on MLBTR’s pages, but Heyman adds that the Padres also had interest in Harrison Bader, who instead went from the Twins to another NL power in the Phillies.

San Diego’s interest in Bader was logical, as the Padres had a clear need in the outfield. Rather than Bader, the Padres ended up acquiring both Ramon Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn from the Orioles for a six-prospect trade package, addressing both left field and first base in one fell swoop. O’Hearn’s bat has cooled off since the deal while Laureano has played really well, so there probably aren’t any regrets in the Friars’ front office about missing out on Bader, who has exploded since arriving in Philadelphia.

The largest of the Padres’ deadline deals saw Mason Miller and JP Sears acquired from the Athletics for four minor leaguers, including elite prospect Leo De Vries as the headliner. De Vries was far and away the most prominent prospect moved at the deadline, and it took the inclusion of a controllable young arm like Miller to convince the Padres to move the young shortstop.

This doesn’t mean that other teams didn’t ask. San Diego was known to have made a push to pry MacKenzie Gore away from the Nationals, even though Washington wasn’t going to move Gore for anything less than a haul. Heyman writes that the Nats’ ask from the Padres was a five-player package that included De Vries, so it isn’t too surprising that the Padres turned elsewhere.

Steven Kwan was another outfielder on the Padres’ wishlist, and a De Vries-for-Kwan trade was floated between the Padres and Guardians even though Heyman says that neither team wanted a straight-up swap. Kwan (like Gore) is arbitration-controlled through the 2027 season, so while two-plus years of control is still a lot of an established player, it perhaps wasn’t enough of a long-term add to convince Preller to move De Vries.

From Cleveland’s perspective, the Guardians often pursue at least one MLB-ready piece when trading their veteran assets. De Vries only just made his Double-A debut after his move to the Athletics’ farm system, and while he is posting strong numbers, he doesn’t turn 19 until next month and isn’t expected to reach the majors until 2027. While the Guards were only 54-54 on July 31, keeping Kwan has paid dividends, as has helped contribute to the September surge that has now given Cleveland a chance at not just a playoff spot, but even the AL Central title.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/padres-notes-bogaerts-bader-de-vries-gore-kwan.html

 

[Cleveland Guardians]

Lane Thomas Undergoes Season-Ending Foot Surgery

Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas underwent foot surgery to address his plantar fasciitis this morning and will be out of action for three to four months. Zack Meisel of The Athletic was among those to relay the news. Thomas is already on the 15-day injured list. The Guardians could move him to the 60-day IL if they need to open a 40-man roster spot, though they currently have a vacancy there already. Thomas will be a free agent at season’s end.

Thomas, now 30, was acquired from the Nationals at the 2024 deadline. He had a good run in Washington but his production almost immediately took a downturn after coming to Cleveland. Over the 2021 through 2023 seasons, he stepped to the plate 1,436 times for the Nats and hit 52 home runs. That helped him produce a .258/.317/.446 slash line and 108 wRC+ for that span. He also stole 32 bases and spent time in all three outfield positions.

He was largely producing at that same rate in 2024. At the time of the trade, he had a line .253/.331/.407 and a 107 wRC+. He had already stolen 28 bases even though it was only late July. The Guardians sent prospects Alex Clemmey, José Tena and Rafael Ramirez to Washington in order to add Thomas for the stretch run. Unfortunately, he slashed just .209/.267/.390 the rest of the way for an 84 wRC+. He was striking out at a 21.1% clip before the deal but that jumped to 34.8% after.

He did get a nice finish, as the Guards made it to the ALCS, with Thomas slashing .222/.349/.417 for a 124 wRC+ in ten postseason games. He hit two playoff home runs, including a massive grand slam off Tarik Skubal, as seen in this video from MLB.com.

The Guardians tendered him a contract for 2025, his final year of arbitration control, with the two sides agreeing to a $7.825MM salary. His name popped up in some offseason trade rumors but he stayed on the roster.

Unfortunately, it has turned into a lost season for Thomas. He landed on the IL in April due to a right wrist bone bruise. That stint lasted a month but he returned to the IL about a week later due to his right foot plantar fasciitis. He came off the IL in mid-June but was back there due to the same issue in early July. Around the IL stints, he only got into 39 games this year and put up an awful .160/.246/.272 line in those contests.

The Guards have made an unbelievable charge to thrust themselves back into the playoff mix but probably had a good idea that Thomas wasn’t going to be helping them, even with a deep postseason run. It was reported earlier this month that surgery and a three-month recovery period was a possibility. That has now been confirmed, so the Guards will go into the final games of the regular season with an outfield mix consisting of Steven Kwan, George Valera, Ángel Martínez, C.J. Kayfus, Daniel Schneemann, Jhonkensy Noel and Petey Halpin.

For Thomas, it’s unfortunate timing for him to have this injury-marred season. He is now about to become a free agent for the first time in his career. If he had hit the open market on the heels of one of his previous seasons, he could have had a nice level of interest thanks to his combination of decent offense, glovework and baserunning. Instead, he’ll be a big question mark after this challenging season, now punctuated by this surgery. Given his timeline, perhaps he will focus on rehabbing with the plan of holding some kind of showcase to demonstrate his health to interested clubs in the new year.

Photo courtesy of David Richard, Imagn Images

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/lane-thomas-undergoes-season-ending-foot-surgery.html

 

[Cleveland Guardians]

David Fry Out Six To Eight Weeks Due To Facial Fractures, Won’t Require Surgery

The Guardians announced Wednesday that designated hitter David Fry, who was hit in the face by a 99 mph fastball from Tarik Skubal last night, will not require surgery. He’ll still be out six to eight weeks, but the 29-year-old has thankfully avoided any catastrophic injuries. The team’s statement reads as follows:

“Imaging and clinical examination have confirmed that David Fry sustained multiple, minimally displaced, left-sided facial and nasal fractures. While the injury will require close monitoring, including serial assessments, David is expected to fully recover over the next 6-8 weeks without the need for surgery. David was recently discharged from the Cleveland Clinic and is resting comfortably.

The Cleveland Guardians would like to express gratitude to several groups who were intimately involved in the emergent care and treatment of David during last night’s game: Physician’s Ambulance, caregivers at Lutheran Hospital and Cleveland Clinic emergency departments, and the nurses and physicians at CCF working in the ENT and plastic surgery departments. Thank you all for your professionalism, expertise, and compassion.”

Fry came to the plate with runners on the corners and no outs against Skubal in the bottom of the sixth. Attempting to bunt on a 2-1 pitch, Fry was unable to avoid that blistering heater and immediately dropped to his back with his hands covering his face. Skubal was visibly distraught after throwing the pitch. Fry was eventually helped to his feet and carted off the field.

That frightening scene overshadowed what has become an unexpectedly heated race for an AL Central division that looked to be a foregone conclusion not long ago. Cleveland went on to win the game, though the thoughts of everyone on the club were surely with their teammate even as they drew to a first-place tie with the Tigers. Not only has Cleveland incredibly won 17 of its past 20 games — they’ve done so as Detroit has dropped seven in a row and 10 of its past 11 contests. What was a 9.5-game division lead as recently as Sept. 10 has completely gone up in smoke.

The bigger takeaway, of course, is that Fry won’t need surgery and somehow managed to avoid a calamitous injury despite the impact of that pitch. The injury will still end what has been a frustrating season for the late-blooming slugger. After breaking out with a .263/.356/.448 slash and 14 homers in 392 plate appearances as a 28-year-old in just his second big league season last year, Fry underwent offseason elbow surgery that kept him shelved into early June.

Cleveland controls Fry through the 2029 season, and he’ll be arbitration-eligible as a Super Two player for the first time this winter. For the time being, Fry has obviously been placed on the 10-day injured list. Outfielder Johnathan Rodriguez was recalled from Triple-A Columbus to take his spot on the active roster.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...to-facial-fractures-wont-require-surgery.html

 

[Cleveland Guardians]

Guardians’ Sam Hentges Undergoes Knee Surgery

Guardians left-hander Sam Hentges underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, reports Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. That comes with a 3-4 month rehab timeline that’ll delay his offseason. Hentges was already out for the entire 2025 season after undergoing shoulder surgery in September ’24.

The 29-year-old Hentges was a solid reliever for the Guards before the shoulder injury. He combined for a 2.93 earned run average across 138 appearances from 2022-24. The former fourth-round draftee punched out 27% of opponents while holding them to a .220/.282/.312 batting line. He hasn’t thrown an MLB pitch in more than 14 months.

Cleveland will need to activate Hentges from the injured list at the beginning of the offseason. They’ll decide whether to carry him on the 40-man roster throughout the offseason or non-tender him. Hentges made $1.337MM this year in his second season of arbitration as a Super Two player. He’d make the same amount next year if Cleveland offers him a contract. He’s under club control through 2027.

The Guardians’ bullpen is stronger from the right side than the left. Erik Sabrowski is their best lefty reliever. He has plus stuff and bat-missing ability but has walked nearly 18% of opposing hitters. Sabrowski has turned in a 1.86 earned run average across 29 innings, yet that’ll be hard to maintain while issuing free passes at that rate.

Tim Herrin has had a rough year. After posting a 1.92 ERA a season ago, he has allowed nearly five earned runs per nine while walking 15.5% of batters faced. Kolby Allard has provided the club 63 innings of 2.71 ERA ball. He’s working with a 90 MPH fastball and has a career-low 15.4% strikeout rate. The Guardians ran him through waivers in July before re-signing him to work in low-leverage situations.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/guardians-sam-hentges-undergoes-knee-surgery.html

 

[Cleveland Guardians]

Poll: Who Will Win The Wild Card Series?

The 2025 regular season is in the books, and the baseball world is now gearing up for what might be a wild postseason. It took until Game 162 to finalize the full slate of playoff teams and matchups, but now we know the eight clubs who will take part in the wild card round that begins on Tuesday, as “October baseball” gets started a bit early this year on September 30. All WCS matchups are best-of-three, and will take place entirely in the home ballpark of the higher-seeded team.

The Guardians will meet the Tigers again after Cleveland posted a 5-1 record against Detroit over a pair of series in the last two weeks, contributing to the AL Central’s epic shakeup. The Tigers held a 9.5-game lead in the division before going 3-13 over their last 16 games to barely eke out a wild card slot. The Guards, meanwhile, went 19-4 over their final 23 games to overtake Detroit and claim Cleveland’s third division title in the last four years.

After all of that, the two clubs find themselves facing off in the postseason for the second straight year. The Guardians needed the full five games to oust Detroit in the 2024 AL Division Series, as last season the Tigers were the team surging into the playoffs after a late-season hot streak. All of the momentum is on the Guardians’ side at this point, and even though the Tigers will have Tarik Skubal going in Game 1, Cleveland’s pitching has been on such a roll that the Guards have the overall pitching advantage. The Guardians held an 8-5 record against the Tigers in regular-season play this year.

One of baseball’s greatest rivalries will be renewed again in October when the Yankees host the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees lost the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Blue Jays to fall just short of the AL East crown, despite an eight-game winning streak to finish the regular season. New York’s rotation and homer-heavy offense seem to be clicking at the right time, yet the Sox had seemingly had the Yankees’ number this year, with a 9-4 record in head-to-head play.

After falling short to the Dodgers in last year’s World Series, the Yankees are eager to return the Fall Classic and finally win the first championship of the Aaron Judge era. Boston hasn’t quite been the same since Roman Anthony was lost to an oblique injury in early September and the rookie star’s status remains unclear for postseason action. However, the Red Sox have a well-rounded roster and an ace of their own in Garrett Crochet, plus the organization is hungry for postseason success in their first playoff trip since 2021.

The Cubs have also just ended a mini-drought in reaching October for the first time since the shortened 2020 season, as Chicago stepped up to win 92 games after posting 83-79 records in both 2023 and 2024. They’ll now host the Padres in the first postseason meeting between the two clubs since 1984, when San Diego fought back from a 2-0 series deficit to win a best-of-five NLCS and deny Chicago a trip to the World Series. Forty-one years later, it’s the Padres who might feel slightly more cursed at the moment, since the club has yet to advance beyond the NLCS in their three previous playoff trips in the last six seasons.

There’s plenty of pressure on the Friars to finally reach the pinnacle of this era of success, though Chicago is hoping for more than just a playoff appearance after its win-now trade for Kyle Tucker last winter. After starting 38-22, the Cubs have been more okay than elite (54-48) over the better part of the last four months. The series’ Wrigleyville locale could be impactful, as the Padres were only 38-43 on the road this season.

The Dodgers host the Reds in a matchup of two teams with very different recent postseason histories. Los Angeles has won 12 of the last 13 NL West titles, and is looking to become baseball’s first repeat World Series champ since the 1998-2000 Yankees pulled off the three-peat. Cincinnati, meanwhile, is in the playoffs for just the fifth time in the last 30 years, and the Reds haven’t won a playoff series since all the way back in 1995 — when they beat the Dodgers in the NLDS.

Winning “only” 93 games counts as a relative disappointment by the Dodgers’ standards, and the club will need to navigate an extra playoff round. This puts more pressure on the beleaguered L.A. bullpen, and Will Smith’s participation is a question mark due to a hairline fracture in his right hand. The rotation is on a roll, however, and naturally there’s a lot of built-in playoff experience for the reigning champs. The young Reds gained some seasoning in beating out the Mets for a wild card berth, and of course manager Terry Francona is no stranger to October. Cincinnati’s rotation and bullpen will need to continue their excellent form to counter Shohei Ohtani and company, and the wild card series would be a great time for the inconsistent Reds lineup to get on track.

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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/poll-who-will-win-the-wild-card-series.html