Guards bring on reliever Paul Sewald to add experience to bullpen

CLEVELAND – The Guardians have prioritized adding to their rotation all winter long. Now, they’re adding some experience to their bullpen.

The Guardians and free agent reliever Paul Sewald agreed on a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2026, the club announced on Wednesday. In order to clear space for Sewald on the 40-man roster, the team designated reliever Pedro Avila for assignment.

The deal is expected to be worth $7 million guaranteed for 2025 ($1 million buyout), with a $10 million option for 2026, though the club did not confirm the value.

Cleveland had the best bullpen in the Majors last year and although the biggest contributors are set to be back in 2025, the team did part ways with names like Eli Morgan, Nick Sandlin and now Avila – all of whom provided some much-needed depth last season. Sewald will now fill that void.

From 2021 through ’23, Sewald was a steady bullpen presence, keeping his ERA under 3.15 each year while recording double-digit save seasons. His ’24 season wasn’t quite as consistent, with his ERA creeping to 4.31 and his strikeout numbers dropping, but he had to work around neck and oblique injuries that resulted in two stints on the injured list. From the start of 2021, Sewald owns the seventh-lowest batting average against among all MLB relievers at .187. Emmanuel Clase sits just behind him in eighth (.191).

The Guardians know that Sewald has a chance to become a weapon for them out of the bullpen. With Clase working the ninth inning, Cade Smith available for the most critical point in the game and Hunter Gaddis possibly reclaiming his eighth-inning role, Sewald could slide into multiple roles as needed on any given night.

But as important as it is to add another threatening arm to the roster, the Guardians also knew they needed experience. Yes, this group was the best bullpen in the Majors last year consisting mostly of young, inexperienced arms. In 2025, it’s going to be a similar story. Smith will be in his sophomore campaign. Andrew Walters and Erik Sabrowski will still be rookies. Nic Enright and Franco Aleman have really good chances to make their debuts this season. It’s going to be another tremendously young bullpen.

Bringing in a 34-year-old righty with eight years of experience could be key.

Sewald can help lead this group to another year of dominance. Not only is he a reliable arm, but he’s known to be a leader in the community as well. He and his wife, Molly, created Sewald’s Strikeouts 4 Kids in 2022, which has raised over $250,000 to provide children a safe environment that’s free from abuse and neglect. He served as Arizona’s Roberto Clemente Award nominee last year and has clearly demonstrated a natural ability to lead and set positive examples – an intangible quality to add to a young roster.