The Cleveland Guardians have beefed up their bullpen for the 2026 season by signing right-handed reliever Connor Brogdon to a one-year Major League contract worth $900,000, per Zack Meisel of The Athletic. The deal also includes club control through the 2027 season, allowing Cleveland to retain Brogdon for another year before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Brogdon, who turns 31 on January 29, spent the past season with the Los Angeles Angels, posting a 5.55 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP across 47 innings in 43 relief appearances. He struck out 49 batters while issuing 18 walks. Even with a higher ERA, the advanced analytics suggest untapped value. He recorded a 29.3% whiff rate and maintained an average fastball velocity of 95.5 mph, with his four-seamer generating a .196 expected batting average against, ranking 31st among 272 qualifying pitchers.
Before joining the Angels, Brogdon spent 2020-2024 with the Philadelphia Phillies, achieving a 3.51 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 130 appearances from 2021-2023. He also had a brief stop with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024, but made only one appearance due to plantar fasciitis, leading to his eventual release. Over six Major League seasons, Brogdon has appeared in 186 games (including two starts), posting a 4.36 career ERA with 13 wins, 10 losses, and three saves. He averages 9.14 strikeouts and 3.33 walks per nine innings over his career.
The Guardians presumably see Brogdon as a fit for the team’s high-extension approach. Standing 6-foot-6, Brogdon ranked in the 92nd percentile in extension in 2025 at 7.0 feet, matching well with the Cleveland pitching staff, which tied for first in the major league with the Texas Rangers in average extension (6.7 feet). Brogdon primarily relies on a four-seam fastball and changeup, each used roughly 42% of the time, and also throws a cutter about 16% of the time.
The Guardians’ bullpen finished third in the majors in 2025 with a 3.44 ERA, despite losing closer Emmanuel Clase to a gambling investigation midseason. Other relievers such as Jakob Junis, Kolby Allard, and Nic Enright departed via free agency, while Sam Hentges signed with the San Francisco Giants. Cleveland returns frontline arms Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, Erik Sabrowski, and Matt Festa from the previous season, with Brogdon supplying extra depth to a relief unit focused on strikeouts, pitch velocity, and advanced pitching metrics.
