The new league year is officially here after the 2026 World Series wrapped up earlier this week. With that came transactions across baseball.

The Cleveland Guardians made their first set of roster moves on Friday afternoon

Cleveland knew it had an upcoming decision on Shawn Armstrong, since the contract he signed last offseason included an $8 million mutual option for 2027. The Guardians announced Friday that they declined the option, making Armstrong a free agent.

Armstrong may have been a key piece of Cleveland’s pitching staff in the playoffs, but his regular season left a lot to be desired. The veteran logged a 4.58 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP in 41 games. The 36-year-old also had his season limited because of two trips to the injured list.

Given where Armstrong is in his career, the Guardians' decision to decline the mutual option wasn't surprising.

Trevor Stephan signed a contract extension with Cleveland ahead of the 2023 season. It was initially a four-year contract with team options for 2027 and 2028. The Guardians declined that club option for next season.

Stephan’s extension never worked out for Cleveland, primarily because the pitcher underwent Tommy John surgery and never regained his form. He pitched in 22 games at Triple-A in 2026 with a 11.12 ERA.

Along with some players seemingly ending their time with the Guardians on Friday, Cleveland added a new player to the 40-man roster. Prospect Milan Tolentino is getting promoted and is now one step closer to making his big-league debut.

Adding Tolentino to the 40-man roster makes a lot of sense for several reasons.

First, the 24-year-old was set to become a Minor League free agent this winter if the Guardians didn’t add him to the roster. Now Cleveland avoids that issue altogether.

Second, Tolentino has quietly been one of the Guardians' best Minor League players over the last few seasons. In 2026, he logged a .782 OPS, including 21 home runs at Triple-A. The 2020 draft pick has a .241/.333/.400 slash line over his five-year career at the affiliate level.

Tolentino is a middle infielder by trade, but started to work some outfield into his repertoire last season. With the Guardians adding Tolentino to the roster earlier in the offseason, they clearly see a path for him to contribute in some capacity in 2027.