The GM Meetings are the unofficial opening bell for hot stove season, and for the Guardians, that means the phone lines could start buzzing fast. A lot of the real action may not happen this week, but the conversations that begin now can shape what comes next over the next couple of weeks.
If Cleveland does get aggressive, there are a few names that make sense as trade chips. Three in particular stand out: Cooper Ingle, Hunter Gaddis and Daniel Schneemann.
Cooper Ingle is the most intriguing of the group. He finally got his long-awaited big league debut last season, but it was a rough first look: 2-for-21 in seven games before the Guardians sent him back to Triple-A. That brief stint didn’t do much to change any outside opinions, though he answered back in a big way once he returned to Columbus, putting up a .938 OPS in 53 games at Triple-A.
The bat is real enough to make him a tempting internal option, but there’s also a reason he could draw interest in a deal. Ingle spent almost all of his minor league career as a catcher, yet every one of his major league appearances came as an outfielder or designated hitter.
Cleveland can use offense, sure, but the club’s uncertainty about him behind the plate makes his fit harder to pin down. That kind of profile can turn into trade value if the Guardians decide to package him for a more established big league return.
Hunter Gaddis is a different kind of asset. Since moving to the bullpen in 2022, he’s been largely dominant, and Cleveland has shown it can turn young arms into shutdown relievers as well as just about anyone in the league. The Guardians don’t have to move him, but he’s exactly the sort of pitcher a team might dangle when trying to deal from a strength to shore up the offense.
Gaddis may not have the same save totals as Cade Smith, but his work in the eighth inning could easily look like ninth-inning material to another club. He also comes with three years of team control left through arbitration, which only adds to the appeal. Keeping him around next season would hardly be a problem, but this offseason could be the time to cash in.
Daniel Schneemann doesn’t have the same profile as the other two, but he still belongs in the conversation. His offense has been light - a 75 wRC+ over the past two seasons, tied for the 11th worst mark in MLB over that span - yet his defensive versatility gives him real utility. He has played every position in the big leagues except catcher and first base, and he’s piled up 15 Outs Above Average over the past two seasons.
The problem is that the bat made it tougher to keep him on the field as the year went on. The Guardians sent him to Triple-A at the trade deadline, and after he came back up on Sept. 1, he logged just 10 at-bats in the final month of the season. Cleveland likes having him on the bench, but if the team decides to move on, trading him now would at least bring back something instead of risking a DFA and getting nothing in return.
And while these three names make sense as possible trade pieces, it’s impossible to talk about Cleveland’s market without mentioning Steven Kwan. He’s an impending free agent with a rising price tag and will be a fixture in trade rumors for much of the next 12 months. Even so, it would take a lot for the Guardians to move him before the looming lockout.
In Other News...
Guardians Take Another Pitching Flier With One Intriguing Bullpen Upside
The Guardians added another arm to their pitching mix this week, signing left-hander Antoine Kelly to a minor league contract for the 2027 season and bringing him into major league spring training as well. It is the kind of low-risk move Cleveland has long been willing to make, especially with pitchers who have bounced around the league and still offer a chance to be shaped into something useful.
Kelly has already reached the majors with the Cubs, and his path has taken him through the Brewers, Rangers, Rockies and Dodgers organizations. For Cleveland, the appeal is straightforward: more depth, more competition, and another bullpen option to evaluate without using a major league roster spot. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Deadline Moves Just Got The Recognition Cleveland Fans Wanted
The Guardians deadline shopping spree is getting the kind of after-the-fact validation Cleveland fans usually have to wait for. The Athletic ranked several of the teams moves among the top 30 deadline deals, with starting pitcher Foster Griffin, first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and outfielder Jo Adell all drawing notice for the ways they helped shape the 2026 season.
Griffins postseason work stood out on the mound, Lowe brought timely hitting and steady defense, and Adell gave the lineup a needed jolt with key offensive moments in October, including a pair of triples in the playoffs. For a front office that took real swings at the deadline, the recognition serves as a reminder that these were not just headline-grabbing additions, but moves that actually mattered when the games got bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Clevelands Two Breakout Pitchers Are Suddenly In National Award Spotlight
Cade Smith and Parker Messick gave Cleveland plenty to celebrate beyond the standings this season, and now both pitchers are drawing national attention for it. Smith was honored with the Bob Feller Man of the Year Award and has also emerged as a finalist for the inaugural BBWAA Reliever of the Year award, while Messick picked up the Frank Gibbons-Steve Olin Good Guy Award after earning a reputation not just for his work on the mound, but for the way he handled the media and the day-to-day demands that come with a breakout year.
For a club that has long valued pitching depth and professionalism, the recognition fits the profile of both players. Smiths rise has turned him into one of the more notable relief arms in the league, and Messicks strong season has put him in the conversation for AL Rookie of the Year. The awards underscore how quickly both have moved from promising pieces to names with real league-wide weight, even if the bigger question now is how far each can carry that momentum from here. [Read more 🡒]