Former Guardians reliever who helped set clubhouse culture in 2024 signs with Cubs 

While Tyler Beede’s time with the 2024 Cleveland Guardians spanned a little more than a month, he still found a way to make an impact off-the-diamond thanks to a Guardians themed WWE belt that served as a tangible example of the connection the team had. 

Now Beede will get a chance to bring those clubhouse vibes to the North Side of Chicago, as MLB insider Ari Alexander reported Monday that Beede signed a minor league deal with the Cubs.  

Former Guardians reliever Tyler Beede is joining the Cubs 

Even though the Guardians designated Beede for assignment more than six months before their postseason run, Beede’s belt was a mainstay in the clubhouse and was handed out after every win during the season. 

Beede broke camp with the Guardians in 2024 and actually started the season well with six scoreless innings, but the floor fell out from underneath him not long after that. He allowed multiple runs in three straight outings in the middle of April, and allowed five runs in 1/3 of an inning against the Astros at the beginning of May. 

That ended up being his final appearance with the Guardians, as he cleared waivers and was sent to Triple-A, where he threw 22 1/3 innings. 

He opened the 2025 season in the minors with the Twins but was released after allowing eight runs in nine innings. He then pitched for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League and the Diablos Rojos of the Mexican League.

While those results aren’t great, Beede still has enough potential for teams to continue to give him a chance. He was a first-round draft pick in both 2011 (Blue Jays) and 214 (Red Sox) and was once ranked as the No. 88 prospect in all of baseball per MLB Pipeline. 

He pitched parts of four seasons with the Giants (which is where he got his inspiration for the belt) and spent a half season with the Pirates before heading overseas to Japan. He then posted a 3.99 ERA for the Yomiuri Giants before returning to MLB with the Guardians. 

Beede will likely work as a reliever this season and will battle for a spot in a Cubs bullpen that added Phil Maton and Jacob Webb in the offseason but lost Brad Keller and Drew Pomeranz. 

While Beede’s time with the Guardians may look like nothing more than a fun answer to an Immaculate Grid question, his impact on the team’s culture goes far beyond what he did on the field. Now he’s back in the big league fold, and will get a chance to bring those vibes to Chicago.