Allard rejoins Guardians on Minors deal with camp invite
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CLEVELAND -- Kolby Allard was a steady presence for the Guardians this past season, and the lefty will have an opportunity to carve out a role in Cleveland’s bullpen once more.
The Guardians signed Allard to a Minor League deal that includes an invite to big league Spring Training, the club announced Monday. The 28-year-old is Cleveland’s 27th non-roster invitee, the rest of which were announced Friday.
Allard elected free agency in November after the Guardians outrighted him to Triple-A Columbus. He initially joined the club on a Minor League deal last February and went on to have a career year following his promotion from Columbus on April 26.
In 65 innings over 33 games (including two starts), Allard logged 1.3 bWAR, a 2.63 ERA and a 3.54 FIP, all of which were personal bests. He threw more than one inning in 23 appearances, which included spot starts against the Dodgers (May 28) and the Rockies (July 30). He allowed two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings over those outings.
The Guardians designated Allard for assignment on July 3, but re-signed him six days later. He spent the rest of the season in the Majors. Overall, he has appeared in 109 big league games (44 starts) across eight seasons, also pitching for the Rangers, Braves and Phillies.
Allard logged a career-high four holds in 2025, which included a memorable performance in a 3-1 win over the Tigers on Sept. 18. Making his first appearance in 14 days, Allard tossed a scoreless eighth inning to help Cleveland sweep Detroit amid its historic comeback to clinch the AL Central title.
Allard will look to secure a spot on Cleveland’s Opening Day roster and could provide depth from the left side. Tim Herrin and Erik Sabrowski are the only lefty relievers on the Guardians’ 40-man roster. Joey Cantillo also has experience pitching in relief, but he will compete for a rotation job this spring.
The Guardians have been busy adding bullpen depth this offseason, and the relief mix is shaping up to be one of the club’s most intriguing competitions during Spring Training. Cleveland signed right-handers Shawn Armstrong, Colin Holderman and Connor Brogdon to one-year deals, and selected Peyton Pallette in the Rule 5 Draft. Codi Heuer and Pedro Avila will also be in camp as non-roster invitees.