CLEVELAND — If you followed the Guardians’ offseason, you may have noticed that a large part of their coaching program has to do with the bullpen.
But even if waivers account for the bulk of the Guardians’ acquisitions this winter, the club is quickly approaching Spring Training that promises to be competitive throughout the program.
Guardian’s first official workout for pitchers and catchers in Goodyear, Ariz., is scheduled for Feb. 12. With one month left to go, here are three exciting contests waiting for us.
1) Circulation
The Rangers finished the 2025 season with a six-man rotation that inspired them to come back in September to win the AL Central title. Cleveland voted for five traditional starters during the run, while most of the work for the young starters was approaching an unspecified position.
Those were exceptional circumstances, and the Guardians will revert to a five-man rotation on Opening Day. They have six reliable starters for that team in Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, Slade Cecconi, Logan Allen, Parker Messick and Joey Cantillo.
“It’s a good problem to have,” manager Stephen Vogt said Thursday. “We’re going to have good rotation competition. The top six has been very good all year, and sometimes all year in ’25. We feel very good about that depth.”
There are ways to get to that depth. Cantillo has experience in relief — though he was a star in the rotation after being recalled from Triple-A Columbus on Sept. 3 (1.55 ERA over five starts). Messick has Minor League options remaining, but made a good start after making his MLB debut on Aug. 20 (2.72 ERA over first seven).
At least we know Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee are returning as rotation anchors, and in the end, any team would rather have an abundance of starters than not. This will be a compelling team to watch in Arizona.
2) The external environment
Alongside All-Star Steven Kwan in left field, there are seemingly countless ways in which the infield of guards can come together. That combination makes for a very impressive team during camp.
“There are many foreign players we have to look at,” said Vogt. “It’s exciting. There’s a lot of young talent to play outfield, and you’re going to see a lot of people looking at center field and right field.”
Cleveland’s outfield options include Chase DeLauter (the Guardian’s No. 2 prospect and No. 58 overall, per MLB Pipeline), who is among those who will get reps in center and right field during camp. Nolan Jones, Angel Martínez and Petey Halpin are among the potential returnees at center.
In right field, options include George Valera and CJ Kayfus (both making their MLB debuts in 2025) and Johnathan Rodríguez. DeLauter and Jones each have right field experience.
“There’s going to be a lot of competition in those two areas,” Vogt said.
The Rangers re-signed Stuart Fairchild to a Minor League deal with an invitation to Spring Training, and at least they still have time to find another veteran to help shore up a struggling offense in 2025.
3) The barn
In his first season as manager in 2024, Vogt oversaw a bullpen that led MLB in ERA (2.57). In ’25, the relievers ranked third in ERA (3.44), and led the MLB from July 28 onwards (3.27), after Emmanuel Clase was on a disciplinary layoff.
How does Vogt view the combine heading into Spring Training?
“From where I’m sitting, this is the bull we’ve had for the last three years,” Vogt said.
The Rangers have plenty of depth after making a number of additions this winter. They signed right-handers Shawn Armstrong (expected to take the big-league job), Colin Holderman and Connor Brogdon to one-year deals and selected right-hander Peyton Pallette in the Rule 5 Draft. Cleveland also signed Codi Heuer and Pedro Avila to Minor League deals with invitations to major league camp.
Cade Smith is slated to get the bulk of the ninth inning opportunities, and returnees behind him include Hunter Gaddis, Erik Sabrowski, Matt Festa and Tim Herrin. That makes at least 11 relievers in eight spots.
“We have really good depth,” Vogt said. “There’s a lot of good, strong arms. There’s a lot of good, and it’s just a matter of getting together in Spring Training, seeing what these guys have and going into the season.”
