The Cleveland Guardians have acquired another arm to their bullpen.
They signed Paul Sewald to a one-year contract worth $7 million.
The 34-year-old might potentially serve as the team’s setup man for closer Emmanuel Clase.
Nonetheless, Jonathan Peterlin is not pleased with the move.If anything, he believes the Guardians are settling and not properly spending their money to go to the next level.
On 92.3 The Fan, he claimed that this was only an illusion of money being re-invested to help the team.
The eight-year veteran has made 84 saves throughout his career.
He had a 4.31 ERA and 16 saves for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season, but he lost his closer job early in August.
Sewald suffered an injury that sidelined him for the first part of the season, causing his fastball velocity to drop from a career average of 92.2 mph to 91.4 mph.
Sewald is a seasoned soldier, and the Guardians are well aware of what to expect from him.
Also, it’s not like they’re bringing him in as the closer.
However, removing one of their key bullpen players to make room for him may have irritated some fans.
The Guardians designated Pedro Avila for assignment after going 5-1 with a 3.25 ERA in 50 appearances for the team last season, and with Eli Morgan and Nick Sandlin also departing, it will be fascinating to watch how the bullpen performs next year.
