Emmanuel Clase suffered a blown save in the ninth inning of this one and Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin and Cade Smith had each been used already, so it was Sewald who was tasked with protecting a three-run lead in the home half of the 10th. He looked awfully impressive, getting Kyle Isbel on strikes, Jonathan India on a fly ball to center and Bobby Witt Jr. on a fly out to right to end it. He’s got plenty of closing experience and could wind up being the next man up should injury or ineffectiveness befall Clase.

The deal is now official. Sewald provides Cleveland with some experienced high-leverage relief depth in a setup role ahead of elite stopper Emmanuel Clase. The 34-year-old veteran lost his grip on the closing role last year in Arizona during a second-half slide, but he represents a worthwhile low-risk gamble for the Guardians’ pitching apparatus. He’s compiled 84 saves in the big leagues since 2018 and would be the clear favorite over outstanding youngster Cade Smith to take over as Cleveland’s ninth-inning option should Clase wind up missing any time due to injury.

The contract has a guaranteed one year at $7 million which also includes a $1 million signing bonus, and a $10 million team option for 2026 with a $1 million buyout. Sewald will also earn an extra $100k escalator as he hits any of his 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 appearance benchmarks in 2025. Obviously, Sewald is not going to close in Cleveland, but he provides a tremendous setup option in front of Emmanuel Clase and makes this Guardians bullpen a strength year again in 2025. If Clase were to miss any time, Sewald could also be a huge waiver add for fantasy managers.

Sewald was placed on the injured list with a neck strain Sunday, and if everything goes well, he could be back for the Diamondbacks before the end of the regular season. The question will be as to what kind of role, as Sewald has struggled considerably as of late and lost his closing gig.