Cleveland Guardians face a seismic bullpen shakeup as Emmanuel Clase’s future with the team ends abruptly—should Cade Smith remain the closer, or will the front office secure a proven arm to shore up late-game situations? Justin Lada and Jeff Ellis dissect the state of the Guardians bullpen heading into 2026, weighing internal options like wild card Daniel Espino against intriguing free agent targets such as Devin Williams, Phil Maton, and Ryan Helsley. The show dives into sharp takes on contract extensions, arbitration strategies, Rule 5 concerns, and which young arms might break through next season. Will the Guardians double down on development or make a splash in the reliever market? Find out how these roster moves could redefine Cleveland’s bullpen and playoff aspirations.

 

00:00 Guardians Bullpen & Free Agents

06:27 Extend Cade Smith This Offseason

13:08 Guardians Bullpen Struggles Persist

14:13 Daniel Espino - Reliever or Starter?

18:17 Roster Speculations and Relief Prospects

24:43 Hunter Harvey Undervalued?

31:24 Bullpen Reinforcements Needed

 

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FanDuel

Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The NBA and NFL seasons are here, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now.

 

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

 

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