Guardians Given Solid Grade for Recent Free Agent Signing

Paul Sewald's contract with the Cleveland Guardians is viewed as a "solid" move.

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Paul Sewald (38) throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the ninth inning at Chase Field on Sept. 2, 2024, in Phoenix. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Cleveland Guardians had the best bullpen in MLB during the 2024 season. Even though the Guardians didn't need to add to that depth, they made the decision to sign veteran reliever Paul Sewald to a one-year deal.

In a recent article, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report gave this free agent signing for the Guardians a grade of a "B."

"The Guardians didn't really need another reliever, but Sewald has the potential to further elevate what was a historically good bullpen in 2024. It was a lost season for him, but he had previously been a top-tier strikeout artist with an unhittable fastball," wrote Rymer.

Jul 31, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Paul Sewald (38) pitches in the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images / Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

This grade and evaluation of Cleveland's Sewald signing is more than fair when diving into the stats.

At Sewald's best, he's one of the top bullpen arms in the sport and has the ability and experience to pitch in high-level innings and close-out games.

He demonstrated this during the last two seasons, closing out 29 games in 35 opportunities. Sewald also still has some of the best pitch command in the big leagues, finishing with a walk rate of just 6.1 percent in 2024.

One possible concern with signing Sewald is that he isn't getting any younger and had some injury concerns last year. The Guardians reportedly aren't too concerned about this injury history, but anything can happen.

Sewald's arrival in Cleveland will help take some of the stress off the back end of the Guardians' bullpen, which was overused last year.

The low-risk, high-reward move is solid right now, but it could become a brilliant transaction as the 2025 season progresses.