Guardians lose relief arm to Braves in free agency

When the Cleveland Guardians arrive in Arizona for Spring Training, there will be one less familiar name in their bullpen next season. Relief pitcher Connor Gillispie has agreed to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with the Atlanta Braves for the 2025 season.

Gillispie made his Major League Debut last season with Cleveland, finishing with a 2.25 ERA, 1.125 WHIP, and 9.0 strikeouts per nine in three appearances. This was an improvement over what he was able to put together during his time in Triple-A Columbus in 2024, sporting a 4.05 ERA and 1.235 WHIP in 27 games (15 starts). However, his strikeout rate sat slightly higher at 9.5, which is somewhat expected, being in a league below the majors.

On the surface, this does not seem like the biggest loss for the Guardians, considering they had a lockdown bullpen in 2024, and Gillispie was far from being one of Cleveland's best bullpen arms. But with the Guardians trading two of their relievers already (Eli Morgan to the Cubs and Peter Strzelecki to the Pirates), in addition to James Karinchak becoming a free agent, the reserves waiting in case they are needed are starting to thin out. This can come back to haunt even the strongest group of relievers if things end up going awry.

This is far from alarms going off, red flags going off everywhere type of moment, but this will be something to monitor heading into next season. It was just a year ago that everyone thought the Guardians starting rotation was in good shape, and everyone remembers how that unfolded. If Cleveland finds themselves in similar circumstances but with their bullpen, it could be even more catastrophic to their chances of repeating as American League Central division champions, as well as making an extended playoff run. Again, nothing to be too concerned with now, just something to keep tabs on and check in on every now and then.