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Cleveland Guardians agree to terms with workhorse reliever Bryan Shaw

The 34-year-old has spent six of his 11 seasons in Cleveland and holds the club record for most relief appearances.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — *EDITOR'S NOTE: The above video is from a previous, unrelated story.

Bryan Shaw's making his way back to Cleveland's bullpen.

The rubber-armed reliever, who led the majors with 81 appearances last season, agreed Wednesday to terms on a one-year contract with the Guardians. The deal is pending a physical, but the 34-year-old Shaw is already in camp.

"He's not here for his personality," joked manager Terry Francona, who couldn't confirm the deal.

RELATED: More Guardians coverage from WKYC

Shaw went 6-7 with a 3.49 ERA in 2021 with Cleveland in the first year of his second stint with the club. Shaw was with the then-Indians from 2013-17 and appeared in at least 70 games each season.

Credit: Sam Hodde/AP
FILE - Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Bryan Shaw throws a pitch during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, in Arlington, Texas. The rubber-armed reliever, who led the majors with 81 appearances last season, agreed Wednesday, March 23, 2022, to terms on a one-year contract with the Guardians. The deal is pending a physical, but the 34-year-old Shaw is already in camp.

He left as a free agent with Colorado and spent three years there before re-signing with Cleveland before last season. His 459 appearances are the most by a reliever in club history.

Shaw provides stability and dependability for Francona, who has never hesitated to hand the ball to the right-hander and will do so again.

Shaw's younger teammates dubbed him "Uncle Bryan" last season. In addition to being an available option for Francona, Shaw's depth of knowledge and experience makes him invaluable to one of baseball's youngest teams.

NOTES: OF Josh Naylor, who missed most of last season after breaking his leg, has been cleared to play in a minor league game Thursday. He'll likely DH as Francona said the plan is to bring him back incrementally. ... RHP Cody Morris will be shut down for at least one month after experiencing shoulder tightness during a bullpen session. An MRI revealed a shoulder strain. Morris struck out 93 in 61 innings between Double-A and Triple-A last year.

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