Paul Sewald joins Guardians’ bullpen on $7 million guaranteed contract

On By Littum

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians have added to their bullpen strength by signing free agent closer Paul Sewald to a one-year deal with a shared club option for 2026.

The Guardians will pay Sewald a guaranteed $7 million, which includes a $1 million signing bonus, a $5 million base salary for 2025 and a $1 million buyout. The mutual option is worth $10 million. There are also $500,000 in performance bonuses.

Sewald, 34, saved 16 games for Arizona last year. When the Diamondbacks reached the World Series in 2023, he saved a total of 34 games after being acquired from Seattle in a deadline deal.

Last season, Sewald was limited to 42 games due to neck and oblique injuries.

The 6-3, 219-pound Sewald has spent eight years in the big leagues. He made his major league debut with the Mets in 2017 and went on to play for Seattle and Arizona. His career numbers look like this: 20-25 with 84 saves and a 4.31 ERA. Over the past four years, he has gone 19-11 with 81 saves and a 3.18 ERA with the Mariners and Diamondbacks.

Sewald’s best season came in 2023, when he went 3-2 with a 3.12 ERA with 34 saves. He struck out 80 and walked 24 in 60 2/3 innings while appearing in 65 games.

In the 2023 postseason, Sewald appeared in 10 games as the wild-card Diamondbacks reached the World Series. Through the wild card, NLDS and NLCS, he didn’t allow a run in eight innings while recording six saves. Sewald hit the wall in the World Series against Texas, allowing six runs in two games. Sewald struck out 16 and walked three in Arizona’s postseason run.

The Guardians have the best closer in the American League in Emmanuel Clase, but they’ve had a lot of movement this offseason in a bullpen that led the major leagues in ERA last year. Eli Morgan was traded to the Cubs, while Nick Sandlin was dealt to Toronto. Sam Hentges could miss the season with left shoulder surgery, James Karinchak was released and Trevor Stephan is still recovering from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

Sewald should help the pen remain a dominant piece in the Guardians’ roster.