Three Trades the Guardians Can Make If They Want To Go All-In.
Just two seasons ago, the Cleveland Guardians sat one game back of the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central as the Aug. 1 trade deadline rolled around.
With a 53-49 record, Cleveland made just one minor move before going on a 39-30 run to close the season, winning the division in the process.
However, in the postseason, the Guardians’ offense barely scored in a two-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild Card round (they outscored the Rays 3-1 in the series), and they went on to finish one game short of a trip to the ALCS. They held a 2-1 series lead over the New York Yankees in the ALDS and couldn’t close the deal.
It’s by no means a stretch of the imagination to say that a more active deadline might have made the difference between Cleveland’s ALDS exit and an expanded playoff run.
So, with a better team this season, the Guardians can’t afford to make the same mistake.
Where the Guardians Stand
The AL Central leaders enter play on Monday with a 59-39 record (third-best in MLB) and a plus-84 run differential (fifth-best).
Even with their successful first half, the Guardians have holes on their roster that will need to be filled if they want to compete with the likes of the Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros.
While the Cleveland bullpen has been by far the best unit in baseball, the starting rotation has struggled throughout the season. Guardians starters rank 24th in MLB in ERA (4.48), 26th in FIP (4.62), 26th in innings pitched (498.2), 18th in K-BB% (13.5%), and 25th in WHIP (1.35).
Sure, Gavin Williams is slowly rounding into form after returning from injury, but with Logan Allen and Triston McKenzie currently in the minors due to their poor performance for the big league club this year, the Guardians undoubtedly need to add a starter at the deadline.
Gavin Williams, Painted 79mph Curveball. ️ pic.twitter.com/WcKhTChSJi
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 20, 2024
Not only do the Guardians need to find someone they trust with the ball in the postseason, but they could use another arm to take some of the load off the bullpen before October even arrives.
On the offensive side of things, the Guardians have been much improved this year, finding a bit of slug in their traditionally contact-oriented lineup. They rank 12th in MLB in wRC+ (103), 14th in home runs (109), fifth in strikeout rate (19.9%), and 10th in runs scored (462).
That’s certainly an improvement from where they’ve sat in recent years. Still, Cleveland feels like a team that could maybe use another bat. While not a must-have with the way All-Stars Steven Kwan, José Ramírez, Josh Naylor, and David Fry have been swinging it this year, perhaps a lower-in-the-order hitter could offer the lineup a bit of extra length come the playoffs.
Daniel Schneemann and Angel Martinez have been revelations during their short time in the majors, but it may be difficult to trust such a young duo without some insurance behind — or alongside — them.
With all that in mind, we’re going to look at three different trades the Guardians could make to bolster their roster for a World Series push.
Trade 1: Acquire Either Jack Flaherty or Yusei Kikuchi
There are a number of starting pitching options supposedly available at this year’s deadline, but given (a) the Guardians’ financial reputation and (b) the number of options already on their roster who they likely believe can be contributors at the major league level in 2025, it would make sense for Cleveland to target a rental starter.
Jack Flaherty and Yusei Kikuchi are the two preeminent rentals likely to change teams ahead of this deadline, and both have looked solid enough to trust in the postseason.
