Breaking down the Guardians’ roster as MLB’s offseason begins


By Zack Meisel
Nov. 7, 2025 6:00 am EST



CLEVELAND — The Guardians sent six players packing on Thursday to jump-start an offseason that could include a thorough churn of the bottom half of Cleveland’s roster.

The league’s annual general manager meetings are next week. The Winter Meetings are a month away. Players will report to spring training in a mere three months. So, let’s examine the state of Cleveland’s roster and how the Guardians are approaching the winter ahead.


The infield
The catcher spot is all but set, with Bo Naylor, Austin Hedges and David Fry all returning. Fry is coming off a year that started with recovery from elbow surgery and ended with an operation to repair nasal and facial fractures from a Tarik Skubal fastball in late September. The Guardians haven’t figured out how they’ll use him next season, but the hope is he can bounce around defensively, from catcher to first base to corner outfield. Cooper Ingle, whom The Athletic’s Keith Law included as an honorable mention in his midseason Top 60 prospects list, could be ready for the majors at some point next season as well.

José Ramírez will almost certainly finish third in the AL MVP voting next week, behind, in some order, Cal Raleigh and Aaron Judge. That’ll give Ramírez, in the last nine years: four top-three finishes, five top-four finishes, six top-five finishes, seven top-six finishes and eight top-10 finishes. In other words, he hasn’t had a bad season in the last decade. He’s 33 now, but has not shown any signs of slowing down, so the Guardians have no questions at third base.

The middle infield figures to involve Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio at the outset, as everyone waits on top prospect Travis Bazzana to force his way to the big leagues. Juan Brito could enter the mix at second base, too, but also may bounce to first base or right field. He also could begin the season at Triple A, as the Guardians are banking on him receiving an extra option year since he missed most of 2025 with injuries.

There are plenty of candidates at first base — Kyle Manzardo, C.J. Kayfus, Fry and Brito. The Guardians could squeeze another player into the fold at one of these positions — since, for instance, Kayfus can play right field — but the infield isn’t their most pressing need.




The outfield

Through four big-league seasons, Steven Kwan is now a two-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove Award winner, but with only two seasons remaining until he reaches free agency, he’s also a trade candidate. The Guardians entertained offers for him in late July, but nothing compelled them to move their leadoff hitter. They probably won’t stumble upon a better proposal this winter, but other teams will inquire. Kwan admitted he was frustrated with his offensive performance in 2025. He’s projected to earn $8.8 million in arbitration, per MLB Trade Rumors.

The other two outfield spots are wide open. Chase DeLauter and George Valera are the leading candidates, but both are unproven and have extensive injury histories. Valera debuted in September; DeLauter debuted in a playoff elimination game in October. There’s still a lot we don’t know about both.

That leaves some opportunity for Angel Martínez, Daniel Schneemann, Petey Halpin, Johnathan Rodriguez, Jhonkensy Noel, Will Brennan or Kahlil Watson. It also makes this the most obvious spot for an external addition. They could add a part-time right-handed bat to partner with Valera (Austin Hays, Rob Refsnyder or even a reunion with Lane Thomas, perhaps), and/or they could search for an everyday option. A trade is a possibility, if they can find a team that has a surplus of big-league outfielders (the Boston Red Sox are one).

The rotation
The Guardians rolled six deep in September, as Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, Slade Cecconi, Joey Cantillo, Parker Messick and Logan Allen fueled them to a division title. That’s a good place to start for 2026, even if it doesn’t include Luis Ortiz, whose fate remains unclear as the league continues its sports betting investigation. The group also won’t include John Means, as the Guardians declined his $6 million option for 2026, or Ben Lively, who could miss the entire year following elbow surgery. The Guardians booted Lively from the 40-man roster and he elected free agency.

The Guardians have interest in bringing Means back, but not at that price point given they have more pressing needs in their lineup. They helped him along his rehab from a second Tommy John surgery all summer, and watched him throw bullpens at Progressive Field and make seven minor-league rehab starts. His fastball averaged 90.2 mph in five outings for Triple-A Columbus.


The Guardians have used an average of 12.5 starting pitchers per season the last four years, so they know they’ll need more than the six who carried them in September. Austin Peterson, Doug Nikhazy, Ryan Webb and Khal Stephen could all be depth options.

The bullpen


Assuming Emmanuel Clase isn’t part of the equation — that’s how the team is operating — it’s Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis at the back end of the pen. They should be OK on the left-handed side of the equation, as Erik Sabrowski flourished, Tim Herrin re-emerged at the end of the season and Sam Hentges is expected to return after missing 2025 because of shoulder surgery. Given that Matt Festa is projected to earn a mere $1 million in arbitration and given how he pitched about eight times per week, it’s a safe bet he’ll be back.

Depth is a concern, though. Andrew Walters essentially missed the entire season with shoulder and lat issues. Nic Enright will miss the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Daniel Espino, who missed nearly four years because of shoulder trouble, is a tantalizing wild card; he has been sitting in the upper 90s in the Arizona Fall League and was named a league All-Star. Don’t be surprised if the Guardians add an arm or two to this pile, perhaps even someone who can handle some high-leverage situations.

The path forward
Outfield and bullpen help are the primary targets. They could also stand to bolster their rotation depth. So how do they actually improve the roster? There are three avenues: free agency, trade and prayer circle.

Free agency hasn’t been the Guardians’ friend, in part because they typically shop in the bargain aisles. Last winter, they signed Bieber (he didn’t throw a pitch for them, but netted them Stephen, so in the long run, it might prove worthwhile), Hedges, Jakob Junis (he was surprisingly effective), Paul Sewald (not the best use of $7 million) and Carlos Santana (not the best use of $12 million). Only two of the five lasted the entire season in Cleveland.

The Guardians don’t have much money committed to players for 2026. After arbitration season, their payroll will be sitting somewhere between $40-50 million, while they typically run a payroll of $90-100 million. The organization’s decision-makers continue to stress that, even after consecutive division titles and healthy attendance figures, they won’t be operating any differently this winter, especially with a potential league work stoppage on the horizon after next season. There’s clearly wiggle room, though.

Cross off Pete Alonso or Cody Bellinger or anyone of that caliber on your wish list who will command a long-term deal. Someone in line for a pillow deal, a cushy, one-year arrangement to set them up for a more lucrative contract next winter? That’s more in the Guardians’ sights.


A trade or two is plausible, too. The Guardians’ farm system is healthy, and there’s enough talent in the upper levels of the minors to afford the club the ability to part with certain prospects.

Cleveland’s brass has voiced the need to boost a lineup that ranked near the bottom of the league in just about every worthwhile category. The Guardians’ 40-man roster stands at 37 players, so they have room to operate.


Zack Meisel
By Zack Meisel
Senior Writer, Guardians

Luis Ortiz

Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase, Luis Ortiz indicted on federal gambling charges; both face up to 65 years in prison if convicted

Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase have been indicted in New York on charges related to illegal gambling, according to an ESPN report Sunday.Diamond Images/Getty Images

Updated: Nov. 09, 2025, 3:54 p.m.|Published: Nov. 09, 2025, 2:00 p.m.

By Joe Noga, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Federal prosecutors in New York have indicted two Guardians right-handers for their roles in what prosecutors say was a scheme to fix bets placed on pitches thrown in Major League Baseball games dating back as far as May 2023.

Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz each could face up to 65 years in prison for charges including wire fraud conspiracy, bribery and money laundering, according to authorities with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

According to the 23-page indictment, Clase and Ortiz intentionally threw balls so bettors could wager on pitches to be balls or strikes. Prosecutors say they found evidence against Clase dating back to May 2023 and later included Ortiz when he joined the club in 2025.

Ortiz was arrested Tuesday morning in Boston and will make an initial appearance in federal court there on Nov. 10. He will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.

Clase is currently not in U.S. custody, according to multiple reports.

Penalties for the two, if convicted, were also laid out in the indictment. Each defendant could face a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on the wire fraud conspiracy count, 20 years’ imprisonment on the honest services wire fraud conspiracy count, five years’ imprisonment on the conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery count and 20 years’ imprisonment on the money laundering conspiracy count.

According to the indictment:

The defendants agreed in advance with co-conspirators on specific pitches they would throw in MLB games. The co-conspirators then used that information to place hundreds of fraudulent bets on those pitches.

Beginning around May 2023, Clase agreed with corrupt sports bettors to rig prop bets on particular pitches he threw. The bettors wagered on the speed and type of Clase’s pitches based on information they knew in advance by coordinating with Clase, sometimes even during games.

Clase often threw the rigged pitches on the first pitch of an at-bat. To ensure certain pitches were called as balls, he threw many of them in the dirt, well outside the strike zone. The bettors used the inside information to wager thousands of dollars at online sportsbooks.

Clase at times received bribes and kickbacks from the bettors in exchange for providing the non-public information. According to prosecutors, he also sometimes provided money to the bettors in advance to fund the scheme.

The indictment includes examples of pitches that prosecutors say Clase rigged, including one in a game against the New York Mets. In total, Clase caused his co-conspirator bettors to win at least $400,000 in fraudulent wagers, according to the indictment.

Also, according to the court filing:

Around June 2025, Ortiz joined the scheme. Together with Clase, Ortiz agreed in advance to throw balls instead of strikes on pitches in two games in exchange for bribes and kickbacks.

Before a game on June 15, 2025, Ortiz agreed with co-conspirators to throw a ball on a particular pitch in exchange for a $5,000 bribe, while Clase received $5,000 for arranging the rigged pitch. Before a game on June 27, 2025, Ortiz agreed to rig a second pitch for a $7,000 bribe, with Clase receiving another $7,000 for arranging it.

Before the June 27 game, Clase withdrew $50,000 in cash and provided $15,000 to a co-conspirator, who used the money to wager on Ortiz’s rigged pitch during the game. Ortiz allegedly caused his co-conspirator bettors to win at least $60,000 in fraudulent wagers.

“Professional athletes, like Luis Leandro Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase de la Cruz hold a position of trust—not only with their teammates and their professional leagues, but with fans who believe in fair play,” United States Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said in a statement. “As alleged, the defendants sold that trust to gamblers by fixing pitches. In doing so, the defendants deprived the Cleveland Guardians and Major League Baseball of their honest services. They defrauded the online betting platforms where the bets were placed. And they betrayed America’s pastime.”

Ortiz’s attorney, Chris Georgalis, released a statement Sunday saying his client is innocent of the charges related to the two pitches he threw, and vowing to fight the case.

“He has never, and would never improperly influence a game — not for anyone and not for anything.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said the defendants’ alleged greed “not only established an unfair advantage for select bettors, but also sullied the reputation of America’s pastime.”

Major League Baseball’s investigation into the matter is ongoing, with Ortiz and Clase moving from paid leave through the end of the season to the restricted list once Cleveland exited the playoffs.

The league issued a statement Sunday that read:

“MLB contacted federal law enforcement at the outset of its investigation and has fully cooperated throughout the process. We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing.”

The Guardians also acknowledged Sunday’s developments in a statement:

“We are aware of the recent law enforcement action. We will continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations continue. “

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Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase face multiple illegal gambling charges in federal court.

Guardians’ Luis Ortiz releases statement declaring his innocence on gambling charges, vows to fight in court

Updated: Nov. 09, 2025, 4:08 p.m.|Published: Nov. 09, 2025, 4:06 p.m.

By Joe Noga, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Following his indictment on federal gambling charges that could land him in prison for up to 65 years, Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz released a statement Sunday through his attorney declaring his innocence and vowing to fight the charges.

Ortiz, 26, faces multiple counts along with teammate Emmanuel Clase of wire fraud conspiracy, bribery and money laundering, according to authorities with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

Ortiz’s attorney, Chris Georgalis, released a statement Sunday saying his client is innocent of the charges related to the two pitches he threw, and vowing to fight the case.

“He has never, and would never improperly influence a game — not for anyone and not for anything.”

Georgalis described his client as a “fierce competitor” and said that those who have played the game alongside him know that he has always given his best effort in every inning of every game. He also indicated that the government’s investigation, including conversations with Ortiz’s teammates, support this claim.

Prior to the charges against Ortiz and Clase being filed, payments and other transfers of money between Ortiz and individuals in the Dominican Republic were made for “lawful activities,” Georgalis said.

“Notably, the indictment lacks any alleged evidence connecting Luis to these alleged bettors or demonstrating any purposeful involvement in a scheme,” Georgalis’ statement reads.

Prosecutors outlined in the indictment how Ortiz and Clase made arrangements with co-conspirators on specific pitches they would throw in MLB games. The co-conspirators then used that information to place hundreds of fraudulent bets on those pitches.

According to the filing:

Around June 2025, Ortiz joined the scheme that Clase had already been a part of as early as 2023. He agreed in advance to throw balls instead of strikes on pitches in two games in exchange for bribes and kickbacks.

Before a game on June 15, 2025, prosecutors say Ortiz agreed with co-conspirators to throw a ball on a particular pitch in exchange for a $5,000 bribe, while Clase received $5,000 for arranging the rigged pitch.

Before a game on June 27, 2025, Ortiz agreed to rig a second pitch for a $7,000 bribe, with Clase receiving another $7,000 for arranging it.

Before the June 27 game, Clase withdrew $50,000 in cash and provided $15,000 to a co-conspirator, who used the money to wager on Ortiz’s rigged pitch during the game. Ortiz allegedly caused his co-conspirator bettors to win at least $60,000 in fraudulent wagers.

Georgalis’ statement declared that Ortiz never knowingly did anything wrong, and that his client looks forward to fighting the charges in court.

“There is no credible evidence Luis knowingly did anything other than try to win games with every pitch and in every inning,” Georgalis said. “The government’s case is weak and circumstantial. He will defend himself and he will be (sic) prevail.”

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Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase and teammate Luis Ortiz faced 65 years in prison.


Are Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase, Luis Ortiz on the path of no return? — Paul Hoynes

Updated: Nov. 09, 2025, 7:21 p.m.|Published: Nov. 09, 2025, 6:45 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are walking two paths at the same time. They both lead to the same place — a dead end.

Clase and Ortiz, who opened the 2025 season on the Guardians’ pitching staff, could face up to 65 years in prison based on an indictment that was unsealed Sunday in the Eastern District of New York.

They’ve been charged with throwing rigged pitches in big league games in which they and bettors allegedly profited. The indictment alleges that Clase, the Guardians’ all-time saves leader, started throwing rigged pitches during the 2023 season and recruited Ortiz during the 2025 season.

Ortiz was arrested Sunday in Boston. Clase was not believed to be in custody.

Here’s a list of the charges and maximum penalties they face.

20 years’ imprisonment on a wire fraud conspiracy count.

20 years on honest services wire fraud conspiracy count.

Five years on conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery count.

20 years on the money laundering conspiracy count.
That’s one path — federal prison.

The second path is a lifetime ban from baseball.

Major League Baseball, which has been investigating the two pitchers since July, is expected to let the federal investigation run its course. When that ends, Commissioner Rob Manfred will determine the future of Clase’s and Ortiz’s careers based on Rule 21.

The rule was created after the Chicago Black Sox scandal in 1919. It is the league’s code of conduct for preventing gambling on baseball.

The crux of the rule is this: Any player, umpire, club or league official, or employee who bets on a baseball game in which they have a duty to perform (e.g., their own team) is permanently ineligible.

If the allegations made in the indictment are true, Clase and Ortiz will not pitch in another big league game.

This is a self-inflicted wound for Manfred and MLB. They couldn’t wait to jump into bed with gambling entities once sports gambling was made legal. It’s turned every cellphone on the planet into a walking casino, but it has also smeared the integrity of the game.

However, every player in the big leagues and minors is aware of the rules against gambling. Based on the indictment, Clase and Ortiz took bribes, kickbacks and tipped off bettors in advance on the pitches they were going to throw to cash in on prop bets.

Prop bets offer bettors a chance to bet on a specific part of a game that doesn’t necessarily concern the final score, such as how many hits a player will have. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is at the forefront of a movement to ban prop bets.

While the indictment cites numerous pitches that investigators say Clase rigged, it lists just two examples concerning Ortiz:

In a game against Seattle on June 15, 2025, Ortiz received a $5,000 bribe for throwing a ball (instead of a strike) on a particular pitch. Clase received $5,000 as the middle man between Ortiz and bettors.

On June 27, 2025 against St. Louis, Ortiz agreed to throw another rigged pitch in exchange for a $7,000 bribe, while Clase received $7,000 for arranging the pitch. Before the game, according to the indictment, Clase withdrew $50,000 and gave $15,000 to co-conspirators, who bet on Ortiz’s pitch. The total illegal payoff for the bettors was about $60,000.

Here’s the puzzling part: Clase signed a five-year $20 million deal with the Guardians in 2022. Getting kickbacks for between $5,000 and $7,000 is walking-around money in the big leagues. In fact, the Guardians owe Clase $6 million for the 2026 season, but whether they pay it or not will probably be decided after the federal and MLB investigations.

So why would the players do it? Was Clase upset because he signed a remarkably undervalued deal before he became one of the best closers in baseball? It’s a question without an answer.

According to Baseball Reference, Clase has made $11.6 million in his career.

According to the indictment, Clase and Ortiz were discovered only after legal sportsbooks recorded unusual betting activity when they pitched, and alerted MLB. Otherwise, it may have been a perfect scam.

In 2023, when Clase started working with gamblers according to the indictment, he was establishing himself as a closer, saving 43 games with 12 blown saves. In 2024, he was even better, going 4-2 with a 0.61 ERA and 47 saves in 50 chances. If he threw a couple of pitches in the dirt to start the ninth inning, who would notice?

Certainly the Guardians didn’t see it. How could they?

Catcher Austin Hedges, who caught Clase a lot in the ninth inning, repeatedly called him the best pitcher in baseball.

The money may have meant more to Ortiz. He signed a one-year contract with Cleveland for $782,600, just above the league minimum. Like Clase, however, it would have been hard to detect any foul play because he had a history of control problems.

In spring training, Clase and Ortiz had their lockers near each other. They laughed and talked about their farms and animals in the Dominican Republic.

Often you could hear chickens and roosters cackling in the background as Clase FaceTimed with people on his farm. Well, the chickens have come home to roost for Clase and Ortiz.

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I’m crying son Andy Pages costed Emmanuel Clase 100 thousand dollars

When you see the video evidence of the pitches that Clase allegedly purposefully threw as balls, it's damning. The funniest charge has to be for the pitch against Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages, who is now famous for posterizing Kike Hernandez in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 7 of the World Series to break the hearts of the Toronto Blue Jays, who swung, resulting in a strike, so the bettors in on the alleged scheme lost.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1987594295885312363

At one point, per the indictment, Clase tried to throw a ball but the batter swung — resulting in a strike.

“Bettor-I” allegedly texted Clase a GIF of a man hanging himself with toilet paper. Clase replied with a GIF of a “sad puppy dog face.” (The Guardians won the game.)

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Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz Will Never Play in MLB Again

Finally, some news. Not good news. But news

by Quincy Wheeler
Nov 9, 2025, 1:13 PM CST

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the Department of Justice has indicted Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz on a host of charges related to illegal sports gambling. The tweets are not loading right now, so until I sort that out, between Jeff Passan, Zack Meisel and Pablo Torre I have gathered: Clase was involved since 2023, recruited Ortiz to do it in 2025, got his bettor friends $400K and Ortiz got his bettor friends $60K, generally for throwing balls on first pitches of an inning, or in Clase’s case, pitches under 94 mph.

So, to summarize, it appears as though Clase was involved before Ortiz was and got Ortiz involved. I guess what questions remain center around whether or not either player was threatened or coerced by organized crime, but currently, it sure seems like both were just incredibly short-sighted and dumb to throw away professional careers for short-term gains. The text messages in the indictment from Clase to the bettors, at least, appear warm and friendly.

Neither Clase or Ortiz will ever pitch again. MLB hasn’t announced that yet, of course, but it is a formality. It will happen. This is a shame because Clase was the franchise’s all-time leader in saves and one of the most dominant pitchers we have ever seen. Ortiz was a very talented young pitcher in his own right. It’s such a waste.

I vote we restore Cody Allen to his rightful place atop the franchise’s saves leaderboard. It’s about the only meaningful step we can take to recoup some value from two players essentially disappearing from all relevance to the future of this team.

The Guardians not receiving any value from Clase or Ortiz in trade or on-field is an immense blow. The team miraculously overcame it to win a division last year. Now, they will need help from ownership and front office creativity to so for the years ahead.

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Clase is a piece of crap !!!!!!!!!

The details in the complaint, I think I read them all in the Athletic are damning! Clase was in this effort for 3 years including in the playoffs!
He made money 3 ways:
1. paid for his own pre-planned pitches
2. paid for Ortiz's pre-planned pitches
3. bets he placed on one or both of the above.

The biggest takeaway I see on this is that MLB has no system in place for monitoring sports betting. This went on for more than 2 years before anything was suspected and that seems to have been initiated by some third party.

It was initiated by the people losing money from irregular amounts of money being wagered. Most of what we have read was figured out by phone records. MLB does not have the power to force anyone to give access to their phone. As it looks Ortiz probably rolled over on Clase which allowed the FBI to get a warrant to look at the phone of Clase. Clase probably would have gotten away with it if he did not bring Ortiz on board.

Where Guards stand after roster moves

Welcome back to the Guardians Beat newsletter. My name is Tim Stebbins, and 2025 was my first season covering Cleveland for MLB.com.

CLEVELAND -- The World Series is behind us, and we’re through the first full week of November. In other words, we are officially full speed ahead into the MLB offseason.

Though the Hot Stove typically ramps up in the back half of November, the Guardians were busy last week, when they made a flurry of moves that have implications for their offseason and 40-man roster.

Here are a few takeaways on the maneuvering:

The John Means decision:

The Guardians declined a $6 million club option for 2026 on Means’ contract, which made the lefty starter a free agent after one season with Cleveland.

Means did not throw a pitch for the Guardians, who signed the 32-year-old to a one-year deal with the option on Feb. 19 during his recovery from June 2024 Tommy John surgery. Means was ready to return in late September, after he made seven rehab starts in the Minors. But the Guardians had a full six-man rotation that was dominant in the final month.

The Guardians would welcome the opportunity to bring Means back, but they were not prepared to commit $6 million to him. They have a strong foundation in their rotation and have other needs this winter, No. 1 of which is bolstering their offense.

A team can never have enough starting pitching depth, of course, and Means has a good track record. He has a career 3.68 ERA over 78 games (including 73 starts), which includes a 2.75 ERA in 52 1/3 innings over 10 starts since 2022 -- while working through two Tommy John surgery recoveries. Should the Guardians look to add to their rotation mix, perhaps there could be a fit here.

[ $6mil ??? You kidding me?!?!? This franchise has wasted more on a lot of players less talented than Means. After all, Means is better than your average bear. He's got a more decent track record than many of the guys we've gone through. Means was an all-star. Means did toss a no-hitter. Now that Ortiz and Clase blew their wads, Means could have been an important addition to this pitching staff. He deserved a chance. Perhaps even a bullpen fixture. $6mil - chump change when you consider all the money we wasted on less talented players. What a load of crap! Hoping that Means has a great 2026! ]

The bullpen is an offseason need

Beyond MLB extending Emmanuel Clase’s non-disciplinary paid leave “until further notice” on Aug. 31 and him being indicted on Sunday on charges related to an alleged betting scheme, the bullpen is a key area for the Guardians this winter.

Jakob Junis and Kolby Allard were reliable contributors in 2025. Both are now free agents. Junis was on a one-year deal, and Allard (who signed a Minor League contract on Feb. 3) elected free agency on Thursday after the Guardians outrighted him to Triple-A Columbus. Right-hander Nic Enright will miss next season due to Tommy John surgery.

Junis recorded a 2.97 ERA in 2025 over 57 relief appearances, a workload that ranked fourth on the Guardians. He had a 2.03 ERA in 20 outings after the All-Star break. Junis came on in a bevy of situations, from the middle innings to high-leverage spots to when the Guardians needed some length.

Allard had a 2.63 ERA in 65 innings over 33 appearances, including two starts. He was reliable even as his appearances came sporadically. Allard pitched a scoreless eighth inning in the Guardians’ 3-1 win over the Tigers on Sept. 18, his first appearance since Sept. 4.

Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis were a solid foundation for manager Stephen Vogt’s bullpen down the stretch. They are poised to return, along with Erik Sabrowski, Matt Festa and Tim Herrin. But it could make a lot of sense to add a reliever or two, whether it’s reuniting with Junis and/or Allard or otherwise.






40-man roster flexibility

Nov. 18 is the deadline to protect Minor League players from the Rule 5 Draft, which will be held Dec. 10. The Guardians’ 40-man roster stands at 37. They have space that will afford them flexibility later this month and perhaps even down the road this offseason.

Along with Allard, lefty Matt Krook, infielder Will Wilson and catcher Dom Nuñez elected free agency after the Guardians outrighted them to Columbus. Right-hander Ben Lively was on the 60-day injured list amid his Tommy John surgery recovery and not on the 40-man. He also elected free agency after being outrighted.

Among Guardians prospects who need to be added to the 40-man to avoid the Rule 5 Draft are infielder Angel Genao (ranked by MLB Pipeline as the organization’s No. 3 prospect and baseball’s No. 59 overall), infielder/outfielder Kahlil Watson (Guardians No. 18) and right-hander Austin Peterson (Guardians No. 30). Cleveland could open more 40-man space later this month, ahead of the Nov. 21 non-tender deadline.







SPRING TRAINING SCHEDULE

The Guardians released their 2026 Spring Training schedule last week. It includes split-squad action to begin things on Feb. 21. The Guardians will face the Reds at Goodyear Ballpark and the Brewers at American Family Fields of Phoenix.

Cleveland’s Cactus League slate includes 15 home games at Goodyear Ballpark and 16 overall. The Guardians will play the Reds on March 17 as the visiting team. There is a second split-squad day on March 1, vs. Rockies and at the D-backs.

The schedule also includes Spring Breakout -- the prospect showcase game that will return for the third year. Guardians and Angels farmhands will play on March 19 at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

The Guardians will wrap their exhibition slate with two games against the D-backs at Chase Field from March 23-24. More information on Spring Training, including tickets, schedules and workout times, is available at CLEGuardians.com/spring.






RECOMMENDED READING

• The outfield is one area in which the Guardians could target external upgrades for their offense this winter. Read more >>

https://www.mlb.com/guardians/news/guar ... 52-mlb-1-A

• Former Guardians associate manager Craig Albernaz met the Baltimore media last week for the first time since he was named the new Orioles skipper. Who had a front-row seat to his introductory press conference? Vogt. MLB.com reporter Jake Rill has the story on Vogt supporting his longtime friend. Read more >>

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• If you’re heading to Arizona for Spring Training, you’ll have a chance to see some fun matchups between MLB clubs and international teams that are preparing for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Read more >>

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-2026-sprin ... 52-mlb-1-A

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How prosecutors say Emmanuel Clase’s betting scheme put teammates’ careers at risk

Updated: Nov. 10, 2025, 1:08 p.m.|Published: Nov. 10, 2025, 12:43 p.m.

By Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Beyond legal charges and the damage to baseball’s integrity, perhaps the most egregious circumstance detailed by federal prosecutors in their indictment of Emmanuel Clase on illegal gambling charges this week was the callous endangerment of his own teammates, particularly the catchers who trusted him.

On the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, Joe Noga highlighted this disturbing aspect of the scandal, expressing concern for the catchers who were unknowingly put at risk.

“I’m thinking about Bo Naylor, I’m thinking about Austin Hedges. I’m thinking about even as far back as Mike Zunino, who was injured on a ball that Clase spiked into the ground and he tried to block,” Noga said. “These guys are putting their bodies back there and putting themselves in harm’s way in front of a 100 mph cutter. And Clase basically doesn’t care about what happens to his teammates in that situation.”

Paul Hoynes didn’t mince words about what this behavior represented: “It’s just, you know, it’s the definition of not being a good teammate.”

The podcast discussion revealed how prosecutors say Clase’s actions forced catchers into impossible situations. Noga recounted a specific game during the Guardians’ ten-game losing streak where a spiked ball got past Bo Naylor, allowing the tying run to score. At the time, Clase appeared upset with Naylor, creating an illusion that the catcher was at fault.

“If you’re Bo Naylor, you’ve got to think back now on all these instances where you felt bad about yourself for not getting in front of a ball that got past you. But really, was that your fault?” Noga questioned.

Hoynes agreed, highlighting the unfair position catchers were placed in: “You’ve got one guy betting on pitches that he’s throwing, and your poor catcher is back there kind of bobbing and weaving and trying to knock down those pitches. You make him look bad, you hurt his performance.”

The scandal casts Clase’s clubhouse behavior in a new light. Both beat reporters noted his tendency to isolate himself from teammates, often sitting alone with his head in his locker, constantly on his phone.

“He was just sort of off in his own little world at all times,” Noga observed. “It should have set off more red flags, I guess, than it did that this was a guy who wasn’t as engaged with his teammates as you would expect him to be.”

This isolation stands in stark contrast to the team chemistry that emerged after Clase and Ortiz were removed from the roster. Noga pointed out: “They really did care for each other and perform for each other. It’s the opposite of what Clase was out there doing.”

Perhaps most telling is the revelation that Austin Hedges, one of the catchers potentially endangered by the scheme, has indicated he has thoughts on the situation he’s waiting to share.

“Hedges says there will be a time when he wants to talk about it, when he can talk about it, and he’s got some thoughts on the whole situation,” Noga mentioned.

The betrayal of trust between a pitcher and catcher represents one of the most fundamental breaches in baseball’s unwritten code – a violation that goes beyond gambling rules into the sacred territory of team loyalty and player safety.

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Remember how much trouble Bo Naylor had dealing with Clase pitches in the dirt; leading to the embarrassment of being replaced by Hedges when Clase came in for a one-run save. Turns out some of those wild pitches may have been intentional. What a great teammate

Guardians’ Stephen Vogt wins AL Manager of the Year for second straight season
Manager Stephen Vogt of the Cleveland Guardians walks to the dugout after making a pitching change during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers in game three of the American League Wild Card Series.
Vogt is the first manager to win the award in each of his first two seasons as a big-league skipper. Nick Cammett / Getty Images

By Zack Meisel
Nov. 11, 2025Updated 8:33 pm EST



Five minutes into their first videoconference meeting with Stephen Vogt two years ago, Cleveland’s brass fought the urge to fast forward to the end of a painstaking hiring process. He was engaging, open-minded and passionate.

“There was a feeling,” GM Mike Chernoff recalled one day last year, “of, ‘Wow, this could be the guy.’”



That first inclination proved prescient. Not only did Vogt land the Guardians’ managerial gig, but now, after two seasons at the helm and two American League Central titles, he also boasts two AL Manager of the Year awards.

Vogt is the fourth manager to win the honor in consecutive seasons, joining the Tampa Bay Rays’ Kevin Cash (2020-21), Atlanta Braves’ Bobby Cox (2004-05) and Pat Murphy, who won the NL Manager of the Year for the second time on Tuesday night. Vogt is the first to do it in his first two seasons as a big-league skipper. His .557 win percentage ranks third among all managers in Cleveland’s 125-year history as an AL franchise, behind only Hall of Famer Al Lopez and Ossie Vitt. Vogt claimed 17 of the 30 first-place votes and finished with 113 points, just ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays’ John Schneider (91). Seattle Mariners skipper Dan Wilson (50 points) finished third.

Cleveland’s hiring of Terry Francona after the 2012 season was a breeze: a couple phone calls, one day of interviews, a dinner at Lola on E. 4th Street just a couple of blocks from Progressive Field. Those present insist Francona spilled some food on his shirt, like always. The club spoke with only one other candidate, Sandy Alomar Jr.

The process to replace Francona after he stepped aside in October 2023 was far more deliberate. The Guardians interviewed a host of contenders over several weeks until they called Vogt to offer him the job. Vogt and his wife, Alyssa, were driving to their farm in Olympia, Wash., to shovel some manure. They pulled over on the side of the road and Vogt, 12 months after retiring as a player, accepted Cleveland’s manager gig.

Vogt had impressed them in Zoom conferences and in a daylong crash course at the team’s ballpark offices, where he completed a litany of mock scenarios: delivering a spring training speech to the organization, answering questions at a press conference, engaging in difficult conversations with players and sizing up which strategies to deploy in various game situations. It was a day spent trying to replicate everything a manager might encounter over the course of a season.

In two years as Cleveland’s manager, Vogt has encountered more than he ever could have imagined.

Their season was "over" at least twice, but the Guardians have found a way — thanks to their starters — to get back in the postseason hunt.
The 2024 Guardians cruised to an AL Central crown, despite incorporating a new coaching staff, losing their ace to elbow surgery a week into the season and fending off competition in a division that placed three teams in the playoffs. They advanced to the ALCS before running out of steam against the New York Yankees.

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Vogt could write a dissertation on handling adversity after the 2025 season. A team with lofty expectations was 40-48 in early July after suffering through a 10-game skid. Toward the end of the losing streak, the Guardians lost Luis Ortiz, who landed on administrative leave as the league launched an investigation into what has since been revealed to be an alleged pitch-rigging scheme. That development shocked the clubhouse and tested the manager. Three weeks later, closer Emmanuel Clase joined Ortiz on the sideline as part of the investigation. Now, the two pitchers are facing up to 65 years in prison if charged with wire fraud and several counts of conspiracy.

To steer his group out of the muck, Vogt insisted on a calm, steady approach, rather than repeated chair-throwing and vocal cord-fraying tirades.

He was right.

The Guardians stormed back in September and made major-league history by erasing a 15 1/2-game deficit to capture another division title. They reached the postseason despite an offense that ranked near the bottom of the league in every worthwhile category and despite missing Ortiz, Clase, Shane Bieber and Ben Lively on the pitching side.

On the middle shelf on the left side of a back wall unit in Vogt’s office at Progressive Field rests a firefighter helmet, meant to resemble how, as Vogt described during his first spring training as manager, he feels like he’s constantly putting out fires.

“There were a whole host of things that he and we had to navigate that were, in some cases, uncharted,” said team president Chris Antonetti. “We experienced things this year and adversity that no one else has ever encountered, at least in baseball. His steady and consistent presence … it was incredible. There is no way we would have gotten as far as we did or won as many games as we did without Stephen’s leadership.”


Vogt seemed like a natural fit from the beginning. His father, Randy, instilled in him at a young age to treasure his teammates’ triumphs as much or more than his own. That paved the way for him to assume a leadership role on every team that employed him.

He learned from coaches along his journey, too. When he was a part-time catcher in the lower levels of the minors in his mid-20s, he soaked up wisdom from now-Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro, and longtime Tampa Bay Rays evaluators Jimmy Hoff and Mitch Lukasiewicz. When shoulder surgery wiped out his 2018 season in Milwaukee, he turned a lost year into an apprenticeship as he shadowed manager Craig Counsell and bench coach (and fellow 2025 Manager of the Year winner) Murphy.

Vogt was the everyman who somehow pieced together a decade-long career in the big leagues. He made a pair of All-Star teams and reveled in the pressure of October baseball. He won a World Series with the Braves in 2021. He also endured the frustration and shock of being traded, being designated for assignment and being overlooked.

All of those experiences, the peaks and the valleys, prepared him for the manager role, even with just one season separating his playing career from his job with the Guardians. He was, in fact, “the guy.” And now he has a pair of Manager of the Year awards to prove it.

“This one is so gratifying because I know how hard we worked,” Vogt said Tuesday after winning the award. “I know how hard it was to show up every day at times (and be) positive, to keep pushing and to keep that smile on your face. It’s a choice every single day that you make when you show up to work, if you want to be in a good mood or a bad mood. It’s up to you. Our entire group showed up in a good mood, believing we were going to win, even in the midst of some rough stretches.

“We knew it was going to turn at some point. We had to make it turn. It’s super rewarding. You feel the entire emotion of the year when you hear your name announced, because it’s a nod to the entire organization.”


Zack Meisel
By Zack Meisel
Senior Writer, Guardians