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Position Preview: Newly-Acquired Reliever Chase Shugart Headlines Indians 2025 Projected Bullpen

Boston’s 2024 Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year joins the Indians after being traded to the Pirates in Jan.
By Travis Leonardi
March 20, 2025

INDIANAPOLIS – As temperatures and relievers warm up in anticipation for Indianapolis Indians Opening Day at Victory Field on April 1, many familiar faces and a new arrival to the organization round out this season’s projected bullpen. Two Young Bucs seek to make their major league debuts while being surrounded

INDIANAPOLIS – As temperatures and relievers warm up in anticipation for Indianapolis Indians Opening Day at Victory Field on April 1, many familiar faces and a new arrival to the organization round out this season’s projected bullpen. Two Young Bucs seek to make their major league debuts while being surrounded by plenty of veterans with major league service time.

RHP Chase Shugart: Shugart, 28, primarily spent the 2024 season with Triple-A Worcester where he was named Boston’s Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year, posting a 4.46 ERA (35er/70.2ip) with 80 strikeouts across 36 games (five starts). He tossed his most innings since a career-high 105.1 in 2021 and matched a career best with six wins. The Bridge City, Texas native made his major league debut with Boston on Aug. 15, 2024, at Baltimore and made six appearances for the club. He played his college ball at the University of Texas (Austin) and was selected by Boston in the 12th round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft. Shugart was traded to the Pirates on Jan. 17 in exchange for RHP Matt McShane.

RHP Ryder Ryan: Ryan, 29, re-signed with the Pirates as a minor league free agent on Feb. 4. He appeared in 32 games for the Indians last season pitching to a 4.61 ERA (21er/41.0ip) with 34 strikeouts. The right-hander made his major league debut in 2023 with Seattle and played in 15 games for the Pirates last season. He earned his first MLB win in his Pirates debut on Mar. 29, 2024, posting 1.2 scoreless innings with two strikeouts at Miami. He was selected by Cleveland in the 30th round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and is the older brother of Los Angeles (NL) pitcher River Ryan.

RHP Eddy Yean: Yean, 23, recorded a career-high tying 69 strikeouts while setting new career highs with 75.0 innings and 48 appearances in 2024. He led Double-A Altoona with seven wins and 46 appearances, pitching to a 3.45 ERA (28er/73.0ip). Yean signed with Washington in 2017 as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic and was traded to Pittsburgh on Dec. 24, 2020 with RHP Wil Crowe in exchange for INF Josh Bell. He made his Triple-A debut with Indianapolis on Sept. 18, 2024, at St. Paul and tossed two shutout appearances with four strikeouts at the level.

RHP Isaac Mattson: Mattson, 29, primarily spent the 2024 season with the Indians, posting a 5-1 record and 3.15 ERA (21er/60.0ip) in 29 games to be named the club’s Pitcher of the Year. He began the season with Double-A Altoona and climbed to the Pirates on Sept. 20, where he struck out six batters in 5.1 innings across three appearances. Last season marked his first action in the majors since his debut with Baltimore in 2021. The Erie, Pa. native attended the University of Pittsburgh (Penn.) and was selected by Los Angeles (AL) in the 19th round of the 2017 First Year Player Draft.

LHP Ryan Borucki: Borucki, 30, re-signed with the Pirates as a minor league free agent on Jan. 15. He appeared in 12 games for the Indians last season and struck out 21 batters in 11.1 innings. The southpaw made 14 appearances for the Pirates in 2024 after being sidelined for most of the season with left triceps inflammation. He made his MLB debut with Toronto in 2018, split time between Toronto and Seattle in 2022 and entered the Pirates organization in 2023. He was selected by Toronto out of Mundelein High School (Ill.) in the 15th round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.

RHP Sean Sullivan: Sullivan, 24, spent all of 2024 with Double-A Altoona where he posted a career-best 3.84 ERA (31er/72.2ip) with 57 strikeouts across 15 games (13 starts). Sullivan hails from Woodland Hills, Calif. and was selected by the Pirates in the eighth round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of California, Berkeley.