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Guardians Linked to Yankees All-Star This Offseason
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- Guardians Linked to Yankees All-Star This Offseason
(Pablo Robles-Imagn Images)
The Cleveland Guardians were able to make the American League Championship Series this past season, showing fight in the playoffs.
Unfortunately for the Guardians, the team did fall short in the ALCS to the Tampa Bay Rays, losing in six games. Cleveland held a 2-1 series lead at one point, before they lost three in a row to be eliminated.
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So, as the team heads into the offseason, there is a bitter taste in the mouths of the team and the fanbase. But this group still has a lot of promise to it, and the offseason could help determine a lot for next season.
As the Guardians look to add to the roster, one name that has been linked to them is right-hander Paul Blackburn, who was with the New York Yankees last year.
Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors predicted that Cleveland would land Blackburn this offseason, adding to the pitching staff. The contract that was projected came in at two years, $15 million, which should get the job done for the Guardians.
Blackburn has spent most of his career as a back-end starter, which could be perfect for Cleveland after how the playoffs went. The Guardians threw multiple bullpen games because the team didn't believe in the rotation beyond the stars on the staff.
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But adding a veteran like Blackburn, who has been an All-Star in his career, could be helpful to this team. Blackburn did pitch mainly as a bullpen piece for the Yankees, but he may want to get back to being a starter.
In 62 appearances (two starts) for the Yankees this past season, Blackburn posted a 1.59 ERA, throwing 85.0 innings. The right-hander struck out 69 batters throughout the season as well.
Blackburn does a good job at keeping the ball on the ground, with him posting a 54 percent clip, while limiting hard contact. His pitching style isn't the most overpowering, but it can get the job done, which is all teams want from arms.
However, his time as a relief pitcher could bode well for whatever team signs him, with him showing an ability to play multiple roles. Blackburn could end up becoming a starter for the regular season before transitioning to a long-relief option or high-leverage reliever for his team.
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For the Guardians, this could be just what the team needs, and it wouldn't cost them much to land his services. Blackburn could become the latest pitcher to join the Guardians and thrive in their pitching system.
