The Cleveland Guardians opened their offseason roster work on Friday by declining their portion of Shawn Armstrong’s mutual option for 2027 and declining Trevor Stephan’s club option, sending both right-handers into free agency, via MLB.com.
Armstrong’s option carried an $8 million salary against a $1.5 million buyout, while Stephan’s was valued at $7.25 million with a $1.25 million buyout.
In the same set of moves, the club selected the contract of infielder Milan Tolentino from Triple-A Columbus, leaving the 40-man roster at 36 players.
Armstrong, 36, returned to the organization that originally drafted him in the 18th round in 2011 after signing a one-year deal last December that included the mutual option.
Cleveland viewed him as a high-leverage bullpen piece for manager Stephen Vogt. His regular-season results were uneven. He posted a 4.58 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 4.43 FIP across 35 1/3 innings in 41 appearances.
A left calf strain suffered on July 24 placed him on the 60-day injured list and raised the possibility of a season-ending absence, yet he returned in time for three appearances in the final week of the schedule.
Once the postseason arrived, Armstrong found a more consistent rhythm.
He recorded a 1.04 ERA with six strikeouts and no walks in 8 2/3 innings over seven appearances, including two outings as an opener in Games 4 and 6 of the American League Championship Series.
After Game 6, he spoke about the appeal of remaining with the club, noting that a single season with the group had felt far longer and that he would welcome another year in Cleveland if the front office agreed.
Despite the option decision, his postseason work leaves open the possibility of a reunion on different terms.
Stephan’s situation followed a different path.
After a strong 2022 campaign in which he posted a 2.69 ERA over 66 appearances, he signed a four-year extension in 2023 that included club options for 2027 and 2028.
He has not appeared in a major-league game in the three seasons since. Tommy John surgery in the spring of 2024 kept him out for the entire year, and he began pitching again in the minors in 2025 before the Guardians outrighted him off the 40-man roster that August as he worked to restore velocity.
He spent most of 2026 with Columbus, where the 30-year-old posted an 11.12 ERA in 22 2/3 innings across 22 appearances.
Tolentino, who turns 25 on November 17, spent the full season at Columbus after arriving as a non-roster invitee. He hit .225/.328/.453 with 25 doubles, 21 home runs, 74 RBIs, 65 walks and 157 strikeouts while appearing at shortstop, third base, second base and the outfield corners.
Vogt had singled him out during spring training for one of the stronger performances in camp. His selection adds a versatile depth option to the major-league roster as Cleveland begins reshaping its group for 2027.
