The Guardians took a major hit last year when Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were placed on leave over gambling charges. Before that, both had been solid, with Clase carrying a 3.23 ERA and Ortiz at 4.26, until they were sidelined on July 28 and July 31, respectively. Their sudden absence left a big question hanging over the team. How would they handle the shock, and could the clubhouse really absorb losses that big?

Fast-forward to spring training for the new season, and the mood feels very different. Guardians GM Mike Chernoff looks genuinely pleased with how the team weathered the storm last year. He showed quiet confidence that the group would find a way to move forward despite the setback.

“Our guys were pissed. They were not happy. Still, every time I read anything about it, I cringe… The players and Vogt obviously did a tremendous job. And I won’t doubt that Vogt is a huge part of that. From the day Clase was suspended through the end of the season, we had the number one bullpen in baseball, which, to me, tells you everything you didn’t need to know. You lose the guy who was maybe the highest-performing closer in all of baseball, and everybody just stepped up and performed even better.” Chernoff sounds satisfied in his interview with Foul Territory.

Chernoff didn’t try to hide his frustration over the whole situation. And the way the Guardians handled it made one thing clear: they have zero tolerance for betting issues. And why not? It would not take much time for the whole clubhouse to be questioned about its ethics.

However, during that peak time back in August, the bigger concern for the Guardians GM was to ensure that the team was staying on the right path and not deviating. Expected when two of the most dominant arms, including one of the top in MLB, were suddenly snubbed from the team. Well, we are talking about Clase, who posted .62 ERA and racked up 157 saves between 2021 and 2024. So, surely that was a challenge the Guardians were served out of nowhere.

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But what took Chernoff by surprise was how the clubhouse reacted after the ban on two players!

The Guardians notably upped their game after August and ended up with the third-best bullpen stats of 2025 in MLB (3.44 ERA). And going by the interview, we see how appreciative Chernoff is towards his clubhouse and manager Stephen Vogt for turning the tables. But what could we conclude from what Chernoff has said?

Well, we are now certain that the Guardians have moved on entirely from Clase and Ortiz. And just when MLB reportedly asked the team not to let them attend the ongoing spring training as their trial got postponed till October, the Guardians couldn’t do much but follow what they’ve been doing since last August.

The Guardians’ bullpen is more armed in 2026

Even after putting together a dominant bullpen last season, the Guardians still chose to focus heavily on that unit over the winter. Cleveland brought in more than half a dozen relievers. Thus, setting up what should be a highly competitive spring training with plenty of jobs up for grabs.

Two of the more notable additions were Colin Holderman and Connor Brogdon, both signed to one-year deals. While Holderman is coming off a rough 2025 with a 7.01 ERA in 24 outings, Brogdon also had a challenging 2025, finishing with a 5.55 ERA in 43 games. However, both pitchers have a history of success that suggests they could be valuable reclamation projects for Cleveland.

Holderman logged a 3.52 ERA from 2023–24, and Brogdon logged a 3.51 ERA from 2021–23.

The bullpen’s returning core is anchored by reliable arms like Cade Smith (2.93 ERA) and the outstanding Erik Sabrowski (1.84 ERA). They’ll be joined by Hunter Gaddis (3.11 ERA), while Tim Herrin will look to improve on his 4.85 ERA and secure a key role this spring.