The Cleveland Guardians are set to finalize a two-year minor league deal with right-handed pitcher Ben Lively, according to Zack Meisel of The Athletic. Lively, who underwent Tommy John surgery last June, is already present at the team’s spring training complex in Arizona, indicating that the agreement is close to completion. His representation comes from Meister Sports Management.
Ben Lively’s Career from Draft to KBO and Return to North America
Selected in the fourth round by the Cincinnati Reds in 2013, Ben Lively had limited success during brief major league stints with the Philadelphia Phillies and Kansas City Royals from 2017 to 2019. Following those struggles, Lively transitioned to the Korea Baseball Organization, where he spent two and a half productive years with the Samsung Lions. Returning to North America with the Reds prior to the 2023 season, he struggled over 88â…” innings pitched, posting a 5.38 ERA before being released. Despite these challenges, Cleveland saw potential in his pitching arsenal and underlying performance indicators enough to offer him a major league contract in the 2023-24 offseason, which turned out to be a cost-effective move for the team.
Performance and Challenges During 2024 and 2025 Seasons
In the 2024 campaign, Lively contributed 151 innings with a 3.81 ERA, striking out 18.7% of batters while walking 7.8%, across 29 starts. Entering 2025, he secured a rotation spot under manager Stephen Vogt and posted a promising 3.22 ERA through nine starts. However, advanced metrics painted a different picture: his strikeout rate dropped to 16.3%, walks increased to 8.4%, and key indicators such as chase rate, swinging-strike rate, and opponents’ contact rate all weakened. Sophisticated metrics like SIERA (5.30) and FIP (4.59) suggested his underlying performance was less effective than his ERA indicated.
Injury Setback and Surgical Intervention
Lively’s 2025 season was cut short after nine starts due to injury. Initially diagnosed with a strained flexor tendon, further examination uncovered a significant tear in his right elbow’s ulnar collateral ligament. In late May, the Guardians confirmed that Lively would undergo Tommy John surgery alongside repair of the flexor tendon. The club estimates his recovery period to last between 12 and 16 months.
Implications of the Contract and Future Outlook
The two-year term of the new deal aligns with the expected recovery timeline, making it feasible that Lively could rejoin the team midway through the 2026 season. However, his rehabilitation might extend into September, potentially sidelining him for the entire 2026 campaign. In this scenario, Cleveland would retain him as a non-roster player through the 2026-27 offseason, allowing him to compete for a rotation spot ahead of the 2027 season.
Guardians’ Current Rotation Without Lively
Heading into the upcoming season, Ben Lively will not be part of Cleveland’s active rotation. Instead, the Guardians plan to rely on pitchers Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, Parker Messick, Slade Cecconi, and Logan Allen, with left-hander Joey Cantillo possibly contributing as well.
“Lively was already at the team’s spring complex in Arizona, suggesting the deal should be wrapped up soon.” ?Zack Meisel, The Athletic
“The procedure came with a recovery period of 12 to 16 months, per the club.” ?Guardian team announcement
“In that case, Cleveland would still retain the right-hander as a non-roster player over the course of the 2026-27 offseason, and he could compete for a spot in the rotation ahead of the ’27 campaign.” ?Source analysis
The Guardians are finalizing a two-year minor-league deal with Ben Lively. He underwent Tommy John surgery last June. He’s at camp, with a locker and everything.
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) February 12, 2026
