
The Cleveland Guardians’ bullpen set a high bar last year. The unit led the league with a 2.57 ERA, placing them far ahead of the second-ranked team at 3.11. The gap between the Guardians and the field was more than half a run, which is mind-blowing over the course of a 162-game season.
Guardians reportedly sign Paul Sewald to one-year deal
The unit managed to get even better on Wednesday as the Guardians secured the signature of veteran righty reliever Paul Sewald on a one-year deal worth $7 million, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan:
“Right-handed reliever Paul Sewald and the Cleveland Guardians are in agreement on a one-year, $7 million contract, sources tell ESPN. The deal includes a mutual option for the 2026 season,” Passan posted on X.

Fellow righty Pedro Avila was designated for assignment to make room for Sewald on the 40-man roster. Sewald boasts a career 4.09 ERA in stints with the New York Mets, the Seattle Mariners, and the Arizona Diamondbacks. With the latter, he reached the 2023 World Series but lost to the Texas Rangers. He was part of a phenomenal trio of D-Backs relievers during that year’s postseason run together with Ryan Thompson and Kevin Ginkel.
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Sewald can help the Guardians’ bullpen
In 2024, however, Sewald wasn’t at the top of his game with a 4.31 ERA in 39.2 frames. He offers plenty of bat-missing ability, which is why he could thrive in Cleveland with the Guardians.
The Guardians have Emmanuel Clase, Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin, Andrew Walters, Erik Sabrowski, Nic Enright, Franco Aleman, and potentially Triston McKenzie and Ben Lively in their bullpen, so they don’t necessarily need Sewald to be the best man in the staff.
The addition of the 34-year-old reliever could allow the Guardians to trade one of their many solid relievers for extra help at another part of the roster. It’s a solid, low-risk move for a franchise on an upward trajectory.