Pedro Avila News: Returning stateside

Avila agreed to a one-year split contract with the Guardians on Sunday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Avila pitched in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball in 2025, logging a 4.04 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 61:30 K:BB in 82.1 innings while primarily working as a starter. The split contract means he will earn a higher salary for whatever portion of the season he spends in the majors. Given his poor 17.8 percent strikeout rate and middling 43.9 percent groundball rate in Japan, Avila will likely be used as a low-leverage reliever if he makes the big club out of spring training.