5 relievers the Guardians should aggressively target this offseason

On July 28, the future of the Guardians’ bullpen changed when Emmanuel Clase was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave due to an investigation into sports betting.

Although the investigation is set to go until Aug. 31, the Guardians have already cleared out Clase’s locker, which, while likely a formality, isn’t a great sign in relation to his MLB future. 

While the Guardians’ bullpen has done a solid job picking up the pieces after Clase’s suspension, there’s no denying they still need some help in the ‘pen. 

Here are five impending free agents who could help fill that void in the bullpen.

5 relievers the Guardians should aggressively target this offseason

RHP Pete Fairbanks, Rays
4-3, 2.64 ERA, 20 SV in 44 1/3 innings

Fairbanks has recorded 68 saves since the start of 2023, which has him sandwiched on the saves leaderboard between two-time All-Stars Robert Suarez and Devin Williams. 

While Fairbanks doesn’t get the same kind of attention as some other closers in the league, he’s quietly become a reliable option at the back of the Rays’ bullpen.

Fairbanks has a team option for next year that’s currently worth $8 million, but there’s a chance it could reach $10+ million depending on how he produces for the rest of the season. For most teams, such an option would be a no-brainer, but the tight-pocketed Rays are known to zig when everyone else zags. 

Although Fairbanks doesn’t have as much swing and miss as some other ninth inning options (22.8% strikeout rate), he’s in the 99th percentile in barrel rate and mixes his fastball with a wipeout slider. 

Fairbanks may not attract the same kind of buzz as some of the bigger options in baseball, but he’s just as good. 

RHP Ryan Helsley, Mets
3-2, 2.93 ERA, 21 SV in 41 innings 

An All-Star in 2022 and ‘24, Helsley has been one of the National League's best relievers of the past five years and was just traded to the Mets at this year’s trade deadline. While he’s stumbled a bit in the Big Apple, the 31-year-old still has a strong résumé and has plenty of experience closing out games. 

That said, he’s still not perfect. He had a career-high 3.00 ERA in 36 innings with the Cardinals, and has already blown two games since joining the Mets. Hitters are destroying his fastball (.408 average against) but are doing next to nothing against his slider (.107). 

Those struggles, coupled with his age (31), likely means that Helsley will be a bit more affordable than some of the other relief options available, which could put him in the Guardians’ price range. 

At one point, Helsley and Clase were viewed as the top two relievers in baseball. How fitting would it be for the Guardians to replace Clase with Helsley? 

LHP Drew Pomeranz, Cubs
2-1, 1.91 ERA, 1 SV in 33 innings

A former first-round pick by Cleveland in 2010, the 36-year-old Pomeranz has turned the clock back this year for the Cubs in a late-career renaissance. He’s been a lockdown setup man ahead of new closer Daniel Palencia and has only allowed an earned run in three of his 39 appearances this year. 

This year marks Pomeranz’s first MLB action since 2021 due a variety of arm injuries (he earned a big league call-up with the Giants last year but didn’t appear in a game). While his fastball sits at just 92.6 miles per hour, he pairs it with a cartoonish knuckle curve that baffles right-handed hitters. 

Pomeranz likely wouldn’t be the answer in the ninth inning, but he’d be a solid option for the middle innings. While there’s always the chance that the veteran decides to hang it up after this season, he stands out as the kind of veteran relief option the Guardians love taking a chance on. 

RHP Michael Soroka, Cubs
3-8, 4.68 ERA in 83 1/3 innings

In 2024, the Guardians took a chance on Ben Lively and turned him into a bonafide major league starter. This year, they've morphed Jakob Junis into a shutdown relief option.

Could Soroka be the next pitcher to follow in their footsteps?

A former first-round pick and All-Star with the Braves, Soroka missed all of the 2021 and ‘22 seasons due to an Achilles injury, and has posted a fairly pedestrian 5.07 ERA in 195 1/3 innings since he made his MLB return in 2023. 

But there’s a bit more to him than those stats. He wowed in the bullpen with the White Sox in 2024 (2.75 ERA in 36 innings) and showed flashes with the Nationals before being dealt to the Cubs at the trade deadline. 

He only lasted two innings in his Cubs debut before suffering a shoulder strain that sent him to the injured list, but he’s on the precipice of beginning a throwing program.

Soroka would be the perfect buy-low candidate for the Guardians, who have established a reputation for helping revitalize injured/ineffective pitchers. That should be music to Soroka’s ears.

RHP Luke Weaver, Yankees
2-2, 2.68 ERA, 8 SV in 47 innings 

Guardians fans are no stranger to Weaver, as he was on the mound when Jhonkensy Noel mashed his magical home run in last year’s American League Championship Series… and then was back on the mound when the Yankees secured the series win. 

The Yankees took a flier on him at the end of the 2023 season while he was in the midst of a rough season and he’s rewarded them with a 2.87 ERA and 12 saves in 144 1/3 innings during his tenure in the Bronx.

He spent some time as New York’s full-time closer this year due to Devin Williams’ struggles, but he was placed on the injured list at the end of May with a left hamstring strain and struggled when he returned in late June. He’s posted a 1.69 ERA across his last 16 innings. 

Weaver will likely be looking for an opportunity where he can work in high-leverage situations, and the Guardians would have the ability to give that to him. 

He has a fairly pedestrian fastball (94.8 mph) but still ranks in the 99th percentile in expected batting average and the 95th percentile in expected slugging. 

Plus acquiring him would take some talent away from the Yankees, which is always an added bonus.