The Guardians still re-signed the left-hander even though he'll miss the 2025 season while recovering from shoulder surgery.

As a team, the Cleveland Guardians were one of the biggest surprises in baseball during the 2024 MLB season. However, some other incredible underdog stories within the organization helped them reach that level.

Cleveland Guardians starter Triston McKenzie remains a key piece in the 2025 puzzle for the team. He holds the key to increasing the organization’s ceiling: the Guards showed this year that they can go far without McKenzie.

The Guardians and right-hander Triston McKenzie have agreed to a deal to avoid arbitration, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The Octagon client will make a salary of $1.95M in 2025. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected McKenzie for a salary of $2.