Happy New Year, and welcome back to the Guardians Beat newsletter! My name is Tim Stebbins, and 2025 was my first season covering Cleveland for MLB.com. |
CLEVELAND -- When the Guardians report to Spring Training in Goodyear, Ariz., next month, it will commence a camp that is set to be loaded with competition both on the pitching staff and among the position players.
As for the latter, the outfield will be an intriguing group to follow this spring. Let’s take a look at three reasons why.
1. The land of opportunity When the Guardians’ decision-makers have noted this winter that they expect competition across the roster during Spring Training, it’s easy to first look to the outfield. Cleveland has a dozen options heading into camp, and only one (Steven Kwan, left field) is penciled into a starting spot.
Beyond Kwan, the outfielders include: Chase DeLauter (Guards' No. 2 prospect, per MLB Pipeline), David Fry, Petey Halpin, Nolan Jones, C.J. Kayfus, Angel Martínez, Johnathan Rodríguez, Daniel Schneemann, George Valera and Kahlil Watson (No. 18). The Guardians also signed veteran Stuart Fairchild to a Minor League deal on Dec. 20 that includes an invite to big league Spring Training.
Of course, players such as Fry, Kayfus, Martínez and Schneemann each have versatility to play around the diamond. But center and right field appear wide open, and the Guardians will have six weeks in Goodyear to sort through their options before they assemble their Opening Day mix. |
2. The youngsters The Guardians want to give their up-and-coming players opportunity this spring, and they've been cognizant of that while considering potential acquisitions who may help complement the young guys. DeLauter, Valera and Kayfus fall into that youthful category. Each reached the Majors last season, and each will get runway this spring and an opportunity to further help Cleveland in 2026. That trio figures to have a lot of eyes on it during camp, certainly DeLauter -- who made his MLB debut in October in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series against Detroit. DeLauter will get reps in center and right during camp. Valera will be in the right-field mix, and Kayfus showed down the stretch in 2025 that he can handle right and first base. With that trio, Cleveland’s outfield could be infused with key young contributors in ‘26. Spring Training is the first step toward that possibility. |
3. Potential for an addition While the young talent will get an extended look this spring, it still could make a lot of sense for Cleveland to add a veteran hitter to its outfield composition. The Guardians’ struggles to gain outfield production in 2025 has been discussed ad nauseam this offseason. So, too, has the fact that DeLauter, Kayfus and Valera could provide a boost in ‘26. But good fits remain on a free-agent market that has moved along at a methodical pace this winter -- including potential complementary players, such as right-handed-hitting veterans Austin Hays, Miguel Andujar and Harrison Bader. The Guardians have four right-handed hitters on their 40-man roster in Gabriel Arias, Austin Hedges, Fry and Rodríguez. Fairchild also hits right-handed, but this nonetheless feels like an urgent need to address over the next month. |
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MEET THE GUARDIANS’ NEW SCREWBALLER |
The Guardians have been stockpiling bullpen depth this winter, and their latest addition could prove to be quite fascinating. Cleveland announced Saturday it signed reliever Ettore Giulianelli to a Minor League deal. The right-hander (who will turn 23 on March 30) hails from Rimini, Italy, and spent 2021-24 in the Cardinals' organization. Why fascinating? Giulianelli wields a screwball, a pitch that has grown increasingly rare in the Majors in recent seasons. In fact, Noah Davis was the only pitcher who threw the offering in the big leagues while pitching for the Dodgers and Twins in 2025, according to Statcast. Giulianelli’s screwball, meanwhile, made waves in ‘24, during a May 25 appearance with the Cardinals’ Single-A Palm Beach affiliate against Lakeland. He got Tigers prospect Jose De La Cruz to swing and miss at a 74.7 mph screwball that recorded 58 inches of horizontal break. Combined, the pitch looked like it came straight out of a Wiffle ball game. Add in the fact that Giulianelli’s fastball is reportedly reaching up to 98 mph, and there’s potential for Cleveland to develop another stout reliever. Giulianelli recorded a 3.96 ERA with 39 strikeouts and 31 walks in 25 innings over 20 appearances with Palm Beach in 2024, before the Cardinals released him that September. He then pitched for Italy’s U23 team this past season. He will report to Minor League camp in late February, according to the Guardians. |
MLB is returning to NBC’s airwaves in 2026 for the first time in 25 years, and the Guardians will promptly take the national spotlight. Cleveland and Seattle will square off on Sunday Night Baseball on Peacock in the finale of their season-opening four-game series at T-Mobile Park on March 29.
The Guardians are scheduled to appear on NBC and/or Peacock three times in 2026. Cleveland will also play on Sunday Night Baseball on April 12, against the Braves at Truist Park -- airing on NBC and Peacock. The Guardians will later play on MLB Sunday Leadoff on July 26 against the Rays at Tropicana Field -- with first pitch slated for noon ET on Peacock. |
• The Guardians’ potential pursuit of offensive help before Spring Training was a burning topic during a recent AMA we held on Reddit with Cleveland fans. Read more >>
• The Guardians avoided arbitration with each of their eligible players this offseason after coming to terms with Kwan on Thursday. Read more >>
• With a flurry of new faces added this winter, here’s how the Guardians’ bullpen is shaping up ahead of Spring Training. Read more >> |
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