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The Cleveland Guardians added to the American League's best bullpen Wednesday by signing a former closer for the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks to a one-year contract Wednesday.
Paul Sewald, who debuted with the New York Mets in 2017, will get $7 million from Cleveland in 2025 according to Jeff Passan of ESPN, along with a mutual option for 2026.
Right-handed reliever Paul Sewald and the Cleveland Guardians are in agreement on a one-year, $7 million contract, sources tell ESPN. The deal includes a mutual option for the 2026 season.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 22, 2025
According to Zack Meisel of The Athletic, Sewald gets a $1 million signing bonus, $5 million in salary, and will make $1 million if his option is declined — or $10 million if both parties exercise their end of the 2026 pact.
Meisel reports that Sewald can earn an extra $100,000 with 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 appearances in 2025.
The Guardians' deal with Paul Sewald, per source:
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) January 22, 2025
Guaranteed one year, $7M
$1M signing bonus, $5M salary
$1M buyout or $10M salary for 2026
He'll earn an extra $100k for 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 appearances in 2025.
Sewald, 34, has averaged 20 saves per season from 2021-24 with the Mariners and Diamondbacks, helping Arizona reach the 2023 World Series. Ostensibly he will set up for closer Emmanuel Clase, who finished third in AL Cy Young award voting in 2024.
Cleveland's bullpen posted an MLB-leading 2.57 ERA and 3.30 FIP in 2024. Besides Clase (0.61 ERA, 47 saves), set-up man Cade Smith (1.91 ERA), Hunter Gaddis (1.57 ERA) and Tim Herrin (1.92 ERA) return to the Guardians after posting gaudy numbers in 2024.
The embarassment of riches allowed Cleveland to trade right-hander Eli Morgan (3-0, 1.93 ERA in 32 games) to the Chicago Cubs for minor league prospect Alfonsin Rosario in November.
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Sewald began the 2024 season as the Diamondbacks' closer on the heels of a season that saw him help Arizona reach the second World Series in franchise history in 2023. He had 16 saves and a 3.55 ERA as of July 26, but lost the closer's job after a series of shaky outings and didn't record a save the rest of the season.
From that date onward, Sewald had a 5.65 ERA in 14 games and finished the season on the injured list with neck discomfort.
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The Dbacks acquired Sewald from the Mariners in 2023 and watched him post 13 saves in 20 games to end the season. Prior to the trade, the right-hander was 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA for Seattle, with 21 saves.
Sewald became the Mariners' closer in 2021, finishing the season 10-3 with a 3.06 ERA in 62 games out of the bullpen. That season, he struck out a remarkable 104 batters in only 64.2 innings.
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From 2017-20 with the Mets, Sewald went 1-14 with a 5.50 ERA in 125 games. He was granted free agency after the 2020 season and signed with the Mariners in Jan. 2021.
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J.P. Hoornstra writes and edits Major League Baseball content. A veteran of 20 years of sports coverage for daily newspapers ... Read more