Earlier in the offseason, both Chris Antonetti and Stephen Vogt deemed improving the bullpen depth as a top priority for the Cleveland Guardians. 

Even though the team hasn’t brought in any of the top arms on the free agent market or traded for a proven reliever, the front office has undoubtedly given their skipper more options to work with heading into next season.

On Wednesday, Cleveland selected RHP Peyton Pallette with their selection in the MLB Rule 5 Draft. Then, a day later, it signed RHP Colin Holderman to a big-league deal.

With Cleveland’s 40-man roster now full after these additions (yes, more moves can be made before spring training), now is a great time to look at the Guardians’ current bullpen depth.

The High-Leverage Arms: Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis

Unless the Guardians make a major, blockbuster trade between now and Opening Day, Cade Smith will be the team’s closer during the 2026 season.

Right behind him on the high-leverage pecking order is Hunter Gaddis, who is in line to be the team’s setup man next year.

The Emerging Set-Up Man: Erik Sabrowski

Erik Sabrowski may not have the title as a reliable set-up arm yet, but he sure is close to getting there. 

During the 2025 season, the left-hander recorded a 1.84 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP, while striking out 34.7 percent of the hitters he faced.

Cleveland probably needs a little bit of a bigger sample size in high-leverage situations to consider Sabrowski an actual bridge to the closer, but there’s a lot to like.

The Viable Middle Relief Options: Connor Brogdon, Tim Herrin, Matt Festa

The Guardians need someone to be the bridge from starter to closer, and right now, those pitchers are Connor Brogdon, Tim Herrin, and Matt Festa.

Brogdon may have some promising strikeout numbers, but he’s also coming off a season in which he registered a 5.55 ERA. Herrin has been a high-leverage arm before, but was fairly inconsistent in 2025. Festa knows his role as an innings eater, but every team needs one.

The Project Pitchers: Payton Pallette, Colin Holderman

Given Cleveland’s history of pitching development, they can afford to have a couple of projects on their roster. Right now, those are Payton Pallette and Colin Holderman.

Pallette was Cleveland’s selection in the Rule 5 draft and has some promising metrics. That said, he’s still a prospect and will be fighting for a roster spot during spring training.

On the other hand, Holderman had a strong 2023 and 2024 season, but had an ERA of 7.00 in 2025. There’s a lot to like with his mechanics, but still work to do.