Cleveland Guardians, Trevor Stephan agree to four-year contract extension

The contract extension train keeps rolling into Opening Day, as the Cleveland Guardians and reliever Trevor Stephan have agreed on a four-year, $10 million deal, with two club options ($7.25 million in 2027 and $7.5 million in 2028).

Stephan, 27, was rock-solid in the Guardians bullpen last season, with a 2.69 ERA, 2.19 FIP, and 143 ERA+ in 66 appearances, which included 82 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings. Stephan's Statcast profile will make you salivate as well, with just about every advanced stat deeply red in its percentile rankings.

After coming over from the Yankees as a Rule 5 pick in 2020, Stephan has become a vital member of Cleveland's bullpen. And with closer Emmanuel Clase locked up as well - he signed a five-year, $20 million deal of his own ahead of last season - the Guardians have built themselves a solid bullpen core.

Stephan's extension is on the heels of the six-year, $106 million deal for second baseman Andrés Giménez, which had Guardians fans doing backflips in the streets of Cleveland on Wednesday. There could be at least one other extension on the way, but either way, the Guardians continue to show a willingness to lock up young talent that is setting up this young team to be good for years to come.