Cleveland avoids arbitration with 3 players, non-tenders 3 more

CLEVELAND -- The Guardians shuffled their 40-man roster on Friday, ahead of the deadline to tender contracts to players for 2026.

The Guardians non-tendered outfielder Will Brennan and relievers Sam Hentges and Nic Enright, making each a free agent. They agreed to contracts for 2026 with reliever Matt Festa, catcher/utility man David Fry and outfielder Nolan Jones to avoid arbitration.

Festa will earn $1 million, Fry $1.375 million and Jones $2 million, a source told MLB.com.

Cleveland also tendered contracts to its other arbitration-eligible players and those in the pre-arbitration phase, which includes left fielder Steven Kwan. The two-time All-Star, who has two seasons of club control remaining, is eligible for arbitration.

The Guardians’ 40-man roster is now at 38.

Brennan, Hentges and Enright each are currently rehabbing from injuries. Brennan had Tommy John surgery in June, and he underwent sports hernia surgery in September. Hentges missed the 2025 season while he recovered from September '24 left shoulder surgery, and he underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery this September.

Enright (who was designated for assignment on Tuesday) underwent Tommy John surgery on Oct. 29. He will miss the entire 2026 season.

While the Guardians had decisions to make on that trio before Friday’s deadline, the non-tenders obviously do not preclude any potential reunions down the line this offseason.

Festa emerged as a reliable reliever for manager Stephen Vogt after the Guardians acquired him from the Rangers on April 30. The right-hander made 63 appearances (third on the team behind Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis), recording a 4.12 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP over 54 2/3 innings.

Fry slashed .171/.229/.363 in 66 games this past season, when he was limited to DH and pinch-hitting duties as he continued his recovery from right elbow surgery that he underwent in November 2024. His season was cut short on Sept. 23 when he fouled a Tarik Skubal pitch off his face, an injury which required nasal surgery. The Guardians envision him contributing at catcher and other positions in 2026, as he did in '24.

• Fry in good spirits as he recovers: 'It could have been way, way worse'

The Guardians reacquired Jones (their second-round Draft pick in 2016) from the Rockies on March 22 in exchange for Tyler Freeman. He flashed at times last season and had encouraging underlying metrics, such as a 47 percent hard-hit rate in the first half. But in 403 plate appearances over 136 games, he slashed .211/.296/.304 with 14 doubles, five home runs and 34 RBIs.

With Jones in the fold, the Guardians have nine outfielders on their 40-man roster. That group could continue to evolve, considering the outfield is one area that could make sense for Cleveland to target external additions to boost its offense this winter.

Kwan is in line for a raise from the $4.175 million salary he earned in 2025. He and the Guardians have until Jan. 8 to reach an agreement before they would have to then exchange proposed salary figures. In his fourth big league season, the 28-year-old won his fourth consecutive Gold Glove Award and made his second consecutive All-Star team, but he expressed dissatisfaction with his year offensively.

Kwan slashed .272/.330/.374 over 156 games, which included a .741 OPS in 92 games before the All-Star break and a .655 OPS in 64 second-half games.