On Wednesday, Guardians fans got a little trip down memory lane when the Athletics designated Aaron Civale for assignment. With the trade deadline approaching fast, he may not be the only former Cleveland player whose name pops up in the rumor mill.
There are a handful of ex-Guardians who could wind up changing teams before the Aug. 3 deadline, and a few of them are in situations that make a move feel very possible.
Josh Bell is one of the more interesting names to watch. The 33-year-old first baseman is hitting .248/.307/.429 with 13 homers and 60 RBI in 94 games for the Twins, and he’s in the middle of what looks like his best season since he won a Silver Slugger in 2022.
Minnesota is sitting at 48-49 and tied with the Mariners for the American League’s final Wild Card spot, which leaves the club in that awkward middle ground between buying and selling. Even if the Twins don’t go into a full sell-off, Bell still makes sense as a trade chip.
He’s on a one-year, $7 million deal with a mutual option for 2027, and those options are rarely picked up, so he’s basically lined up to hit free agency after the season anyway.
Tyler Freeman is another former Guardian who could be on the move. The 2B/OF is batting .265/.343/.342 with 3 homers and 23 RBI in 66 games for the Rockies, and his profile is pretty much what you’d expect: he gets on base, doesn’t bring much power, and has bounced around the diamond.
That kind of player may not jump off the page, but it can still carry value for a contender looking to deepen its bench. He’s the sort of discount add a team could target without paying a premium, though Colorado still has two years of team control left and wouldn’t be giving him away for nothing.
Sam Hentges has quietly become one of the more intriguing bullpen names on the board. The left-hander is 1-2 with a 2.04 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings for the Giants, and he’s done it after not making his season debut until May because of arm injuries.
In 23 outings, he’s held opponents scoreless in 19 of them and has thrown five straight scoreless innings. What’s especially notable is the way he’s doing it: right-handed hitters are batting just .091 against him, while lefties are hitting .323.
Hentges signed a one-year, $1.4 million deal with San Francisco in the offseason and remains under team control next year through arbitration, but with the Giants sliding, his value could be at its peak. That gives Buster Posey a decision to make if he wants to sell high.
Lane Thomas rounds out the group, and his situation looks increasingly likely to lead to a deal. The Royals outfielder is hitting .234/.335/.390 with 7 homers and 31 RBI in 82 games, and he’s just 10 games away from matching the number of regular season games he played for Kansas City this year to the total he logged across his two seasons with the Guardians.
Kansas City’s 38-59 record makes it hard to picture him sticking around much longer. Thomas appears fully healthy after dealing with plantar fasciitis, and the numbers back up the idea that he’s back to being the player Cleveland expected.
He’s in the 92nd percentile in sprint speed, the 95th percentile in chase rate and the 85th percentile in chase rate. He’s also in the 97th percentile in arm strength, though his range limitations are still the same.
His production this season looks strikingly similar to 2024, when the Guardians acquired him from the Nationals for three prospects, but with Thomas headed for free agency, no one is paying that kind of price now. Still, he looks like a strong bet to be dealt as the Royals keep sliding out of contention.
In Other News...
Guardians Get One Huge Injury Boost As Another Setback Stings
The Guardians got a welcome dose of good news on the injury front with Jos Ramrez and Angel Martnez both moving in the right direction. Ramrez, coming back from hamate fracture surgery, is trending toward a return that could come without a minor league rehab stop, while Martnez has started his own rehab assignment as he works back from a left foot fracture. For a club trying to keep its lineup and depth chart intact, any progress involving a core bat and a useful role player matters.
Still, the day was not all encouraging. First baseman CJ Kayfus had to undergo ankle surgery after suffering a fibular fracture and ligament injury in a minor league game, a setback that hits both the player and the organizations depth planning. The Guardians are now left balancing the optimism around two recoveries with the more sobering reality of another long road back, and the next question is how quickly the roster can absorb both kinds of news at once. [Read more 🡒]
Cade Smith Opens Up About His Proudest Guardians All-Star Moment
Cade Smiths first All-Star experience gave the Guardians right-hander a little bit of everything, from the rush of the weekend to the chance to pitch on one of baseballs biggest stages. He handled his inning well in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, working a scoreless frame with two strikeouts, but what stood out most for him was the chance to be around the game in a different way than he usually is during the season.
Smith said the best part was getting to talk with players from other teams in a normal, non-competitive setting, a rare break from the usual grind. He also appreciated sharing the moment with teammates and taking pride in representing both Cleveland and the American League, a reminder that even in an event built around stars, the experience can mean as much off the field as it does on it. [Read more 🡒]