The Cleveland Guardians have made some minor moves to add to the bullpen so far this offseason, but none as big a signing as veteran free agent Shawn Armstrong.

Reports surfaced on Thursday that the Guardians had signed the relief pitcher to a one-year, $5.5 million deal with Cleveland. 

Looking at the pitcher Armstrong is, and the specifics of the deal, here’s a grade for Cleveland’s most recent free agent signing. 

Shawn Armstrong’s Free Agent Deal With Guardians: B+

Overall, this is a fantastic move for the Guardians. Armstrong was one of the top bullpen arms on the market, and is fresh off a season in which he registered a 2.31 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP in 71 appearances (74 innings pitched).

Not only that, but the right-hander has some favorable punchout numbers, too. In 2025, Armstrong struck out 26.1 percent of the batters he faced, even though his whiff rate was fairly average compared to the rest of the league.

Armstrong’s 74 strikeouts from the 2025 season would have been the second-most in Cleveland’s bullpen, only behind Cade Smith (104 strikeouts) and right in front of Hunter Gaddis (73 strikeouts).

Clearly, there was a need for a pitcher of Armstrong’s skillset in the bullpen, and the Guardians went out and got their guy.

Plus, there’s no such thing as a bad one-year deal. In a perfect world, Armstrong repeats his age-35 season and remains a key high-leverage option for the Guardians for the entire season. Obviously, that’s what the Guardians are hoping for.

If all goes as planned, there’s reportedly a mutual option on Armstrong’s contract for the 2027 season. There is a world in which this move could be a multi-year investment for the Guardians. 

That said, there is a chance the veteran regresses and is unable to replicate the efficiency he’s shown in the past. 

Honestly, Armstrong’s age is the biggest reason this signing doesn’t reach the A-tier. For as good and consistent a pitcher as he’s been over his career, Father Time remains undefeated, and that’s always a chance of injury and regression with a pitcher in his mid-30s. Cleveland just experienced that with Paul Sewald during the 2025 season.

That’s nitpicking, though. Overall, this is a deal that won’t get much attention outside Cleveland, but it is still a great deal for the Guardians.