According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Cleveland Guardians and left-hander Matthew Boyd have agreed to a major league deal. The Guardians will need to open spots on the 40-man roster when the deal becomes official after a physical. Boyd, now 33, has long intrigued teams thanks to his ability to post high strikeout rates as a left-handed pitcher. He remained unsigned just under one year after he underwent Tommy John surgery last season, ending his season with the Detroit Tigers.
Matthew Boyd, Guardians, In Agreement on Major League Deal
Boyd struck out 30.2 percent of batters faced for Detroit in 2019 but dealt with injury issues, including flexor tendon surgery and Tommy John. The injuries to Boyd limited him to 163 innings in the majors since 2021, but the results were decent at best. Boyd posted a 4.36 ERA across 40 appearances (30 starts) but struck out 22.1 percent of batters faced while walking them at an 8.1 percent clip.
On June 8, Heyman reported that Boyd threw for 17 of MLB’s 30 clubs. He also noted that the left-hander was throwing in the 92-93 mph range during his showcases. However, it’s understandable why clubs viewed Boyd as a caution, given his lengthy injury history and dismal 2023 season. Before his surgery, Boyd posted a 5.45 ERA in 15 starts with Detroit.
It’s unclear how much more rehab work Boyd needs to do, but the Guardians are comfortable enough with his progress to offer him a major league deal. The addition of Boyd should help the Guardian’s rotation, which has been facing challenges by its current rotation. Shane Bieber is recovering from Tommy John surgery. Gavin Williams is currently on a rehab assignment, even though he has not thrown a major league pitch this season.
Right-hander Triston McKenzie is coming off a year of elbow and shoulder injuries. Left-hander Logan Allen‘s reliability is questionable, as he has shown signs of inconsistency start after start. Ben Lively has had great success. He hasn’t struck out more than five batters in any of his last five outings, but he’s good at limiting damage, as he’s given up two or fewer runs in nine of his 12 starts.
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