Former Bright Spot bullpen guards have been granted free agency

James Karinchak may have thrown his last pitch at Cleveland Rangers uniform.

Organization announced a series of lineup moves on Monday afternoon. Those included activating Karinchak from the 60-day game and getting him straight, making the relief pitcher a free agent.

At one point, Karinchak was a bright spot in the back end of Cleveland’s bullpen.

He had a 2.51 ERA and 1.40 FIp in 32 games in 2019-20. Karinchak even finished sixth in AL Rookie of the Year voting after the 2020 season. He went on to post a 3.24 ERA and struggled with command at times in 2021-23.

Karinchak missed the entire 2024 season with a shoulder injury that clearly affected him on the mound.

He appeared in seven games at the Triple-A level at the end of the 2024 season as part of his rehabilitation. Karinchak threw 6.2 innings and gave up three hits and two runs scored.

The righty rose to fame with his fastball and elite 1990s curveball combination. However, Karinchak only hit 92 mph in the minors and was never able to regain that fastball control.

The Guardians had the best team in baseball last season and should maintain almost the same group in 2025. There will never be a spot for him on a major league roster, and now Karinchak can test free agency and have a chance to return to the big league level with another organization.