New Arrival: Bryan Shaw, rp, Cleveland Guardians
You could write a book about Bryan Shaw‘s career in Cleveland. Good and bad.
Bryan Shaw has almost certainly taken the mound in Cleveland for the last time. Last year, he went 6-2 with a 5.40 ERA/71 ERA+ over 58.1 innings. He did start two games–the first and only starts of his career. But by the end of the season, Shaw was relegated to mop-up duty, helping keep the front-line relievers fresh. This November the Guards released him, and it’s very possible he has taken the mound for the last time.
If Shaw does retire, it will be the end of a very good career. At his peak, from 2013-2017 with Cleveland, he averaged 72 innings and a 136 ERA+. During this period, he led the league three times in appearances. Shaw left as a free agent in 2018, but returned to Cleveland for the 2021 season and pitched 77.1 innings with a 123 ERA+. Late in the 2021 season, he also made his 457th career appearance with the Guards, becoming the team’s all-time relief appearances leader. The record was previously owned by Cody Allen with 456 appearances.