SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Guardians bolstered their bullpen depth this offseason understanding they would need a flurry of arms to help them get through the season. With a little more than two weeks until Opening Day, that plan could prove perceptive early.
Stout setup man Hunter Gaddis has been working through some right forearm tightness, which cropped up following his Cactus League debut on Feb. 27. The Guardians had slow-played the right-hander early in camp, given his workload over the past two seasons (162 appearances between the regular season and playoffs).
Gaddis underwent imaging that came back clean, and he’s considered day to day. He began weighted ball work on Thursday and is throwing at 90-120 feet. The Guardians anticipate he will throw off a mound in the coming days, at which point they will have a better idea of what his progression could look like.
There is time left for Gaddis to ramp up, and manager Stephen Vogt noted Monday it’s too early to put a label on the 27-year-old’s status beyond what we already know. But there appears to be at least some question of whether he will be ready by Opening Day, and Vogt was asked whether he’s worried about Gaddis’ availability for it.
“Worry probably isn't the right word, but obviously we need to see how he progresses,” said Vogt before Monday’s 6-2 win over the Royals at Surprise Stadium. “Obviously, he had the symptoms and is still feeling them a little bit. So we just need to see how he's progressing through his throwing program.”
Given the situation, here are some stray thoughts on the bullpen:
A clearer lane for Pallette?
Peyton Pallette may have had an inside track to a roster spot entering camp given his status as a Rule 5 Draft pick. Cleveland will have to offer him back to the White Sox if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster.
Whether Gaddis is ready for Opening Day, Pallette may be too intriguing to not make the team. Pallette was slowed by right shoulder fatigue at the start of Cactus League play, but made his spring debut this past Tuesday. He has struck out five hitters over two scoreless innings through two appearances, and his four-seamer has maxed out at 98.0 mph.
“It's an electric fastball and some very good complementary pitches off of it,” Vogt said of Pallette. “I think we're all kind of blown away when we saw 97, 98 on the radar gun. That's some really, really good stuff, and he's bounced back well.
“We’re going to continue to watch him pitch and see how that unfolds. We’re going to try to build him up to as much volume as we can while seeing how he competes. I’m really impressed with Peyton his first two times out.”
Colin and Connor?
When camp opened, the base of the Guardians’ bullpen included closer Cade Smith, Gaddis, Shawn Armstrong, Erik Sabrowski, Tim Herrin and Matt Festa. If you included Pallette in that mix, that left one open spot for a bevy of candidates -- including offseason additions Colin Holderman and Connor Brogdon.
The Guardians signed Holderman and Brogdon to one-year Major League deals this winter. Holderman has two Minor League options remaining, and Brogdon has none. If Gaddis needs a bit of extra time out of the gate, there could be room for Holderman and Brogdon in the initial bullpen, which may not be the case otherwise.
Holderman has thrown back-to-back scoreless one-inning outings; he yielded eight earned runs in 2 2/3 innings over his first three appearances. Brogdon has allowed two runs over six appearances -- five of which have been a scoreless inning.
Don’t forget about the NRIs
A chunk of the Guardians’ offseason bullpen additions came on Minor League deals. Kolby Allard, Pedro Avila and Codi Heuer are all in camp as non-roster invitees, as is Trevor Stephan. At minimum, each could offer valuable depth with Triple-A Columbus to open the season. But each is also vying to make the Opening Day roster.
Heuer is potentially interesting. He underwent two right elbow surgeries in 2022 and ‘23 that cost him most of the ‘22-24 seasons. But he has past experience pitching in high leverage with the White Sox and Cubs and has plus velocity.
Through his first four appearances (entering Monday), Heuer’s four-seamer also averaged 95.7 mph and maxed out at 98.4 mph. In the seventh inning Monday, he struck out two and allowed a two-run homer.
“Just to see him healthy, going out and attacking and competing, Codi has been very impressive this spring,” Vogt said over the weekend.