The Cleveland Guardians have seven days left to sort out the trade deadline, and the front office’s to-do list is pretty clear. They’re sitting in the final Wild Card spot in the American League, but if they want to stay there, they need help in a few key places.
The biggest issue is the lineup. Cleveland’s offense has been stuck in neutral for most of the season, and the numbers back that up: a .230 batting average, a .309 on-base percentage, and a .371 slugging percentage.
Those marks leave the Guardians 30th, 24th, and 30th in those categories, respectively. Their .680 OPS is the worst in baseball, and their 93 wRC+ ranks 24th in MLB.
That lack of punch showed up again against the Tampa Bay Rays, the top team in the American League, when Cleveland managed only three runs across the three-game series. If the Guardians are going to make a real push, they need another bat - ideally a right-handed hitter who can help balance the lineup and preferably cover the outfield. Lane Thomas or Taylor Ward would fit that description well, though Cleveland may not be in a position to get too picky about defense.
If the offense doesn’t improve, the rest of the deadline work may not matter once October arrives.
The bullpen is still one of the better groups in the league, but it could use another arm. Cleveland’s relievers own a 3.75 ERA, which ranks seventh in baseball, and that success has been driven by Cade Smith, who leads MLB with 29 saves, Colin Holderman, who has been a "blessing" for this group, and Hunter Gaddis, who has continued to put together a solid season after beginning the year on the injured list.
Even so, the cracks are starting to show. The Guardians have played a lot of one- and two-run games, and the depth behind that top trio has become a concern.
Erik Sabrowski hasn’t looked the same since returning from injury, Shawn Armstrong just went on the IL, and Tim Herring has been inconsistent at times. Another high-leverage reliever would give Cleveland more protection and make the bullpen even more of a weapon if the team gets into a playoff series.
Starting pitching rounds out the list. The Guardians have used the same five starters all season, and while that group has held up well, the concern is what happens if the rotation takes a hit. Cleveland’s starters have posted a 3.75 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP, both top-10 marks in MLB, so the issue isn’t quality as much as depth.
That’s the part that should have Stephen Vogt and Chris Antonetti thinking ahead. If even one starter goes down, the season could shift fast. Adding a veteran who’s been pitching well at the Minor League level would at least give the Guardians another option for the stretch run.
In Other News...
Guardians Suddenly Hold More Deadline Leverage Than Anyone Expected
The catching market around the deadline may have shifted in Clevelands favor, and not because of anything the Guardians did on the field. With one of the more obvious names at the position suddenly unavailable, clubs looking for help behind the plate may have to turn to the next tier of options, which puts a spotlight on Clevelands own pair of catchers. That is the kind of twist front offices notice quickly, especially when a team has multiple players who could fit different kinds of trade talks.
Bo Naylor and Cooper Ingle now sit in a more interesting spot than they did a few days ago. Naylor, who was sent to Triple-A in May, has put together a solid run there and still comes with years of control, while Ingle brings prospect appeal even as his long-term defensive home remains unsettled. For Cleveland, the question is no longer just whether either catcher has value, but whether a market thinned by one injury could push that value higher before the deadline arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Fans Just Got Another Reason To Worry About The Future
The Guardians are heading into the trade deadline with more than one roster question hanging over them, and the front office appears set to wait until the final stretch before making its biggest moves. Cleveland is reportedly looking to add a hitter, a familiar kind of deadline need for a club trying to keep its offense from stalling down the stretch, while the organization also has to keep one eye on the draft after a second-round pick announced he would not sign.
There was at least one brighter note around the franchise on the Hall of Fame side of things, where Paul Hoynes was honored with the Baseball Writers Career Excellence Award. Even so, the larger conversation around Cleveland is still about what comes next, and whether the team can turn a tense few days into help for a lineup that clearly needs it. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Deadline Plans Just Took A Brutal Turn At The Plate
Spencer Steers injury in Cincinnati has already rippled beyond the Reds, because it changes the market for a right-handed bat the Guardians had been watching. With Steer headed to the injured list and expected to miss significant time, Clevelands deadline planning suddenly has to account for a thinner pool of available hitters, which is never where a contender wants to be this late in July.
So the Guardians are left sorting through the fallback options, and the names that keep coming up each carry a different kind of risk. Casey Schmitt offers versatility, Isaac Paredes brings a more defined offensive profile, and Jo Adell has the kind of power that can tempt a front office even when the rest of the package is less tidy. For Cleveland, the challenge now is finding a bat that fits both the lineup and the ballpark, and the Steer injury makes that search a lot messier than it was a day ago. [Read more 🡒]