The Cleveland Guardians have signed left-handed pitcher Antoine Kelly, who finished the 2026 season pitching in the Chicago Cubs organization.
The 26-year-old wasn’t given much of a chance after the Cubs acquired him in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers back in June, but the lefty does have some tools that leave you dreaming about his untapped potential. Kelly appeared in one game with the Cubs, but was stashed away at Triple-A for basically his entire tenure with the team.
The big frame, high velocity, and strikeouts are all appealing for a pitching staff that has been short on pure stuff, but unfortunately, the walks were too much for the Cubs to want a reunion. Kelly elected free agency after the 2026 season, and he’s now signed a new minor league contract with the Guardians.
While the Guardians may not have the same reputation as the Milwaukee Brewers or Tampa Bay Rays, the AL Central squad does a great job of developing pitching, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kelly take a step forward with them after years in the minor leagues.
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Looking ahead to the 2027 Cubs bullpen, they’re actually in a decent position despite not having a true closer.
Current Cubs Bullpen Depth
Daniel Palencia
Ryan Zeferjahn
Jacob Webb
Shelby Miller
Ryan Rolison
Phil Maton
Javier Assad
In addition to those names, the Cubs also have Riley Martin and Braxton Garrett as two other potential relief options, along with a handful of reclamation projects they will sign throughout the offseason.
Kelly would be in that reclamation section, but maybe the Cubs didn’t think he was a fit after his uneven year at Triple-A.
(Previous Update)
The Chicago Cubs will face a wave of free agents after the 2026 season, and they’ll also consider a handful of minor leaguers who elected free agency at season’s end. One of those is hard-throwing left-handed pitcher Antoine Kelly, whom the Cubs traded for earlier in 2026.
It was an under-the-radar deal: the Cubs sent the Los Angeles Dodgers cash in early June for Kelly, but despite desperately needing any healthy arm to give the team bullpen innings, Kelly didn’t get much of a shot. The lefty was called up at the end of July and made one appearance against the New York Yankees. He struck out a batter, walked one, and gave up no hits or runs.
Kelly was optioned back down a week later and never returned, finishing the 2026 season at Triple-A with the Iowa Cubs. Kelly’s time with the Cubs wasn’t all pretty: the left-hander walked 22 in 29.2 innings after the trade. His wildness also led to two hit batters and six wild pitches. However, for a team lacking serious bullpen firepower, Kelly can throw in the high 90s, and he posted a 25.7% strikeout rate with a 4.25 ERA at Iowa.
We’ll see if the Cubs and Kelly reunite on a minor-league deal this offseason, or if the team decides he’s not the right fit. His high velocity is very intriguing, though, so you’d like to see him get another look in spring training.
