The Guardians signed Valera (knee) to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training.
Valera will remain in Cleveland after being non-tendered by the Guardians on Friday. The 24-year-old outfielder underwent surgery on his right knee in September to repair a ruptured patellar tendon, and he is unlikely to be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season. Valera will likely be assigned to Triple-A Columbus when he is fully healthy.
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Guardians' Ben Lively: Inks new deal with Guardians
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Lively signed a one-year, $2.25 million deal with the Guardians to avoid arbitration Friday, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Lively was an effective member of the Guardians' rotation in 2024, maintaining a 3.81 ERA with a 118:49 K:BB across 151 innings. He battled some inconsistency due to his contact-heavy approach, but he is a strong candidate to begin the season in the rotation.
Guardians' Sam Hentges: Avoids arbitration with Cleveland
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Hentges (shoulder) agreed to a one-year, $1.337 million contract with the Guardians on Friday to avoid arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Hentges is set to miss the entire 2025 campaign after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder in September. His new contract will ensure he remains with the Guardians organization for the duration of his rehab process, and the 28-year-old will look to return for the start of 2026.
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Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Avoids arbitration
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McKenzie agreed to terms on a one-year, $1.95 million contract with the Guardians on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
McKenzie spent the first half of 2024 with the Guardians, posting a 5.11 ERA and 1.56 WHIP across 75.2 innings (16 starts). He continued to struggle to the tune of a 5.23 ERA after being demoted to Triple-A Columbus in June. Despite his poor performance, the 27-year-old righty will receive a $350,000 raise in 2025, but he should remain off fantasy managers' radar until he's able to regain command over his pitches.
The Guardians acquired Rosario from the Cubs on Wednesday in exchange for Eli Morgan.
Rosario, 20, slashed .230/.344/.423with 16 home runs and 20 stolen bases over 109 games with Single-A Myrtle Beach in 2024. He struck out at a 32.2 percent clip for Myrtle Beach, but Rosario is a tooled-up lottery ticket for Cleveland who could really pay off if he can make enough contact.
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Guardians' George Valera: Loses spot on 40-man roster
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The Guardians designated Valera (knee) for assignment Tuesday.
Valera underwent surgery in September to repair a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee, and his absence is expected to extend into the first portion of the 2025 campaign. Rather than keeping him on the 40-man roster until then, the Guardians will attempt to pass the 24-year-old through waivers and hand his roster spot to fellow outfielder Petey Halpin.
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Guardians' Connor Gillispie: Booted from 40-man
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The Guardians designated Gillispie for assignment Tuesday.
Gillispie yielded just two earned runs over eight MLB innings in 2024, but he also logged a 4.05 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 113.1 Triple-A frames. His 40-man spot will be handed to Nic Enright, who consequentially is protected from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft.
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Guardians' Peter Strzelecki: Ousted from 40-man roster
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The Guardians designated Strzelecki for assignment Tuesday.
Strzelecki was effective during his time in the majors last season, allowing just three runs over 11.2 innings with the Guardians. However, his 5.01 ERA at Triple-A Columbus makes him significantly less reliable than his MLB stat line would suggest, so the team will strip him of his 40-man spot and use it to protect fellow right-hander Franco Aleman from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft.
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Guardians' Doug Nikhazy: Joins 40-man roster
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The Guardians selected Nikhazy to their 40-man roster Tuesday.
Nikhazy's addition to Cleveland's 40-man will prevent him from being selected during the Rule 5 Draft in December. The 25-year-old southpaw split time between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus last season, posting a 2.98 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across 123.2 total innings. If he's able to find similar success to start the new season, Nikhazy could be called up for his MLB debut at some point in 2025.
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Guardians' Petey Halpin: Added to 40-man roster
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The Guardians selected Halpin (wrist) to their 40-man roster Tuesday.
The 22-year-old Halpin has spent each of the past two seasons with Double-A Akron, where he's slashed .240/.314/.386 with 83 RBI across 203 games. Now that he's on the 40-man roster, the Guardians may be willing to bump him up to Triple-A Columbus, though an MLB debut doesn't appear to be on the horizon.
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Guardians' Nic Enright: Grabs spot on 40-man roster
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The Guardians selected Enright to their 40-man roster Tuesday.
Enright missed four months of last season due to an injury, but he was dominant when healthy, putting up a 1.06 ERA and 0.82 WHIP alongside a 31:5 K:BB through 17 innings with Triple-A Columbus. The 27-year-old righty's performance has now earned him a spot on Cleveland's 40-man roster, and he could have a chance to make his MLB debut in 2025 if he turns in similar results to begin the minor-league season.
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Guardians' Franco Aleman: Joins 40-man
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The Guardians selected Aleman to their 40-man roster Tuesday.
Aleman has been one of the most dominant relief arms in Cleveland's farm system over the past two years. He didn't allow a single earned run over 24 innings with Double-A Akron in 2023, and he surrendered just eight runs (five earned) in 22.2 Triple-A frames last season. He missed roughly three months of the 2024 campaign due to a lat injury, so the Guardians may still want to give him some more minor-league innings, though his MLB debut may not be too far away if he continues at his current pace.
