Guardians RP opens up about bullpen chemistry with Emmanuel Clase, Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin

The Cleveland Guardians have one of the better bullpens around the league. The likes of Emmanuel Clase, Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin and rookie Cade Smith played a key role in helping the Guardians reach the ALCS before losing to the New York Yankees in the pennant series.

During an interview with MLB Network Radio on Sunday, Smith shed light on the Guardians' bullpen chemistry. With Clase serving as the team’s dominant closer, the relievers’ primary responsibility has been handing him the ball with a lead intact.

Smith acknowledged this role clearly while highlighting that despite being a rookie, he was received well by the veterans.

"I made our job pretty clear—we're trying to get them all to him with the lead still intact," Smith said.

"But, you know, I think the older guys did a good job of setting the culture in the bullpen from the start. They communicated well, welcomed me into that group with open arms, and I learned a lot from them."

Despite different pitchers being used in a variety of situations, there's no ego involved within the group. When the phone rings, they are prepared to answer the call.

"We had a lot of different guys pitching in different scenarios," Smith added.

"So really, it never became a situation where pride got in the way. It was all about, when the phone rings, is everybody ready for whatever could be asked, regardless of whose name it is."

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Emmanuel Clase's historic season with Guardians earns him credit from manager

If the Guardians were leading the game heading into the ninth inning, they were almost sure that Emmanuel Clase would come and they would leave the ballpark with a win. There were 82 such instances when Cleveland had a lead in the ninth, and they won them all, thanks in large part to Clase.

Such was Clase's dominance in the 2024 season, which saw him post a 0.61 ERA in 74 regular-season appearances and 74.1 innings pitched. He was the leader in the AL with a career-high 47 saves.

“We were fortunate to watch it every night,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said.

“What Emmanuel did this entire season was just incredible. So for him to be recognized as one of the top three pitchers in the American League, he should have been.”

Emmanuel Clase was recognized as a finalist for the Cy Young Award in 2024, a huge achievement for a reliever. The last time someone coming from the bullpen won the coveted award was in 2003 when Eric Gagne took home the hardware.