The Guardians dismissed veteran right-hander Scott Barlow and outrighted lefty Anthony Gose to Triple-A Columbus, according to the transaction log at MLB.com. Cleveland recently designated both relievers for assignment.
Barlow pitched in 63 games for the Guardians this season. Cleveland acquired the right-handed pitcher in an offseason trade that sent Enyel De Los Santos to the Padres. It was a unique transaction in which the Guardians accepted a hefty salary — he eventually agreed to a $6.7MM contract for his final year of arbitration — in order to add the more established player. Barlow had been the Royals’ closer in recent seasons and worked in high-pressure situations with San Diego in the second half of last year.
That track record helped him earn significant innings with Cleveland. Barlow had pitched well in the early months of the season. A difficult second half has dropped him down the leverage ladder for captain Stephen Vogt. Since the All-Star break, Barlow has allowed over six earned runs per nine innings while striking out 18.9% fewer batters. During the first half of the season, he fanned more than 32% of batters faced while maintaining a 3.52 ERA in 38 1/3 innings.
Barlow’s overall numbers are acceptable. He has a 4.25 ERA, an above-average 28.2% strikeout rate, and a grounder rate that exceeds 47%. His walk rate is 12.9%, which is somewhat higher than previous season’s 11.4%. The late-season drop in performance was troubling, especially given Barlow’s velocity. During his most productive seasons with Kansas City, he averaged 95 MPH on his fastball and 84-85 on his slider. Last year’s marks were 93 and 83, and they are even lower this season. Barlow’s slider has averaged roughly 81 MPH this year. His fastball had dropped to 90-91 mph in the last several months.
The Guardians are still responsible for Barlow’s final few weeks’ wages. He reached six years of major league service this season and would have been a free agent during the upcoming summer regardless. Barlow might try to sign with another contender in the final several weeks of the regular season, but he would be ineligible for postseason participation. He may decide to look ahead to the next offseason. Barlow could still find a big league deal in 2025, but he’s unlikely to land the multi-year contract that appeared to be on the table a few months ago.
For Gose, an outright was expected after Cleveland designated him for assignment for the fourth time in the last month. The southpaw has the option of entering free agency, but he appears to be content in the organization, as he either accepted an outright offer or re-signed on a minor league contract quickly after his last three DFAs. Gose has made three MLB appearances this season, allowing five runs in four and a third innings. He has a 3.27 ERA with a high strikeout (32.8%) and walk (14.7%) rate in 41 1/3 innings with Columbus.
