Guardians agree to contract with ex-Phillies starter

The Cleveland Guardians and pitcher Vince Velasquez are reportedly in agreement on a contract, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post.

“Vince Velasquez to Guardians, pending. Minors deal. Invite to MLB camp,” Heyman wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

The Guardians have had a fairly quiet offseason for the most part. Re-signing Shane Bieber and trading Josh Naylor have been two of their more notable moves. The Guardians also agreed to re-sign Carlos Santana to replace Naylor at first base.

Cleveland is fresh off a deep postseason run that saw them reach the American League Championship Series. Will the Velasquez signing help them have another big campaign?

The 32-year-old right-handed pitcher has not appeared in a big league game since the 2023 season when he pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Velasquez made his MLB debut back in 2015 with the Houston Astros. He has since spent time with the Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox and the Pirates.

Velasquez suffered an injury in 2023 and ultimately underwent surgery. He is hoping to return and make an impact at the MLB level. The Guardians are giving him a chance with the invite to MLB spring training. It is a minor league contract, but it appears that Velasquez will have an opportunity to make the big league ball club.

The Guardians had previously relied on their starting pitching to lead the way. In 2024, though, it was Cleveland’s bullpen and offense that led them to success. Shane Bieber suffered an early-season injury and the rest of the rotation endured its share of ups and downs. Tanner Bibee has established himself as a reliable hurler, but Cleveland’s rotation still could use more depth.

Velasquez has experience as both a starter and reliever. He has appeared in a total 191 MLB games, 144 of which have been starts. It will be intriguing to see if Cleveland decides to have him start games or make an impact out of the bullpen.