Guardians' Kolby Allard Granted His Release

"The Guardians granted left-hander Kolby Allard his release yesterday, per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. Allard had an opt-out clause in his contract, and Cleveland apparently didn't have a spot for him on the big league roster. He'll be free to explore opportunities with other teams, though Stebbins adds that the Guardians would prefer to re-sign Allard on a new minor league pact if possible."

"Allard, 28, has been hit hard in a small sample of 8 2/3 innings with Cleveland this season. He's served up 10 runs on 16 hits and three walks in that time, fanning nine of his 45 opponents (20%). He's also allowed more runs than innings pitched in an even smaller sample of 5 1/3 Triple-A frames."

"Though his 2026 season hasn't gone as planned, Allard was terrific with Cleveland as recently as last season. In 2025, he ate up 65 innings in a swingman role and notched a tidy 2.63 earned run average. Allard's 15.3% strikeout rate was about seven percentage points shy of league average, but his 5.3% walk rate was excellent (more than three points lower than average)."

"Any team in need of some length in the bullpen or perhaps a handful of spot starts in the near future could plausibly consider Allard as an option. He'd have a stronger case for a big league spot with better 2026 performance, but Allard was great last year, solid this spring (4.05 ERA in 13 1/3 innings) and isn't going to cost a new club much more than the league minimum for any time"

Kolby Allard received his release after an opt-out clause in his contract and Cleveland lacked a big-league roster spot. He can pursue opportunities with other teams, though Cleveland would prefer to re-sign him on a new minor-league pact. In 2026 with Cleveland, he allowed 10 runs on 16 hits and three walks over 8 2/3 innings, striking out nine of 45 batters. In Triple-A, he allowed more runs than innings over 5 1/3 frames. In 2025, he performed well in a swingman role, posting a 2.63 ERA over 65 innings with a strong 5.3% walk rate. His career has been affected by back injuries, and he has typically worked as a journeyman. His velocity has declined slightly in 2026, but he could still fit teams needing bullpen length or spot starts, especially given his low cost.

Read at MLB Trade Rumors