Guardians Sign Former Pitcher for the Phillies
A former pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies has agreed to a one-year contract with the Cleveland Guardians
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In the first few days of the MLB offseason, the Cleveland Guardians have not said much. Though nothing has been done as of yet, there have been rumors that they could move pieces.
Cleveland needs pitching support if they want to qualify for the postseason in 2024.
According to Zack Meisel of The Athletic, the team announced on Tuesday that they had signed former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ben Lively to a Major League contract worth $750,000 for a single season.
In his big-league career, Lively has pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals. He spent the 2017 and part of the 2018 seasons with the Phillies. MLB teams value the right-hander’s versatility as a starter and reliev
After posting an ERA of 5.38 and a WHIP of 1.36 last year, Lively’s struggles weren’t as severe as they appeared to be. In four innings during a start against the Chicago Cubs, he allowed 13 earned runs to be scored. He had a 3.76 ERA going into the game and a 5.20 ERA going out.
That was in August, so for the most part of the season, he was above average.
Lively has occasionally shown promise, as evidenced by his 88 2/3 innings pitched last season when he struck out 79 batters and walked 25.
His record was 4-7 with an ERA of 4.26 while he was in Philadelphia. The 2018 season saw Lively pitch in five games and record a 6.85 ERA.
