CLEVELAND -- The Guardians made clear at the Winter Meetings this week that they are in the market for bullpen help. On Thursday, Cleveland enhanced the depth of its mix, with the announced signing of right-hander Colin Holderman to a one-year deal.
Holderman, whom the Pirates non-tendered on Nov. 21, is under club control through 2028 and has two Minor League options remaining.
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Entering this month, the Guardians had only a handful of relievers whom you could pencil into the bullpen in Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, Erik Sabrowski, Matt Festa and Tim Herrin. It was no surprise to hear them acknowledge that adding relievers is a priority this winter.
“We need depth in the bullpen,” manager Stephen Vogt said on Monday. “We have four, maybe five guys in our bullpen, and we need eight. It’s an area we're addressing for sure.”
Holderman, who turned 30 on Oct. 8, could slot into the middle-to-late innings for Cleveland. He has made 161 career appearances over four seasons between the Mets and Pirates, and before a down 2025 season had a track record of success in the Majors.
Holderman has a career 4.13 ERA, a 4.01 FIP and a 1.40 WHIP in 161 1/3 innings. That included a strong stretch from 2023-24, when he recorded a 3.52 ERA, a 3.75 FIP and a 1.32 WHIP in 107 1/3 innings over 113 appearances.
This past season, Holderman spent close to two months on the injured list with a right thumb injury. In between, he had a 7.01 ERA, a 5.86 FIP and a 1.95 WHIP in 25 2/3 innings over 24 appearances.
Holderman featured a six-pitch mix in 2025, and he leaned heaviest upon his sinker, sweeper, cutter and four-seam fastball. His sinker averaged 97.4 mph, and its whiff rate was 22.9 percent -- up from 12.1 percent in ‘24. His sweeper was his most thrown pitch in 2024 (47.6 percent usage), and getting it back on track could help key a bounceback season next year.
Holderman is the latest addition the Guardians have made to their bullpen depth. They signed Connor Brogdon to a one-year deal last week and selected Peyton Pallette from the White Sox in the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday. MLB Pipeline currently ranks Pallette as Cleveland's No. 19 prospect.