The Spencer Steer injury takes one obvious name off the board, but it doesn’t change the Guardians’ basic assignment at the deadline: find a right-handed bat who can help the lineup and, ideally, do a little more than stand in one spot.
Steer would have been close to the perfect fit. He hits right-handed, he can move around the diamond, and he was the kind of player Cleveland could have pictured in multiple roles. Instead, the Reds slugger is headed to the injured list today after suffering a hand/wrist injury yesterday, and he’s expected to miss significant time.
That leaves the Guardians still hunting for answers, and there are still plenty of controllable hitters who make sense. Three stand out.
Casey Schmitt might be the cleanest alternative if Cleveland wants versatility with some pop. The Giants utility man has already logged time everywhere except catcher, center field and right field in his career, and this season he’s picked up double-digit appearances at third base, left field and first base. At the plate, he’s hitting .269/.299/.482 with 21 home runs and 55 RBI.
The on-base percentage is light, no question. But Schmitt’s underlying numbers suggest there’s more there, with expected slugging and expected batting average both sitting in the 94th percentile.
Cleveland wouldn’t be chasing him for walks anyway. The appeal is simple: a right-handed bat who can rotate around the field and give the Guardians more thump, especially if he’s platooning and moving around the diamond instead of David Fry.
Isaac Paredes is another name that fits the broader profile, even if the fit isn’t perfect in every detail. The Astros are three games under .500, though they’re still only two games out of a postseason spot, which keeps the deadline picture a little messy.
But if Houston decides to subtract, Paredes makes sense as a candidate. He’s under team control through 2027 and could become the odd man out as the Astros sort through their future in the middle infield.
For Cleveland, he’d be more of a flexible piece than an everyday first baseman. The Guardians could use him in a first-base platoon, mix him in at designated hitter, and even give him the occasional start at third when José Ramírez needs a day off his feet.
The concern is obvious: Paredes is one of the most pull-happy hitters in baseball, and while that has played well in Houston with Daikin Park’s short left field, Progressive Field’s 19 foot wall in left would likely trim some of that edge. He did, though, have a two-homer game in Cleveland in April.
Even with that caveat, his power and on-base ability would make him a useful addition.
Then there’s Jo Adell, a name that keeps coming up for good reason. The Angels outfielder has been a familiar target in this conversation, and the case for him hasn’t really changed. He strikes out a lot and doesn’t walk much, but the power is real: 91 homers since the start of 2020, and he’s on pace for a third straight season with 20-plus home runs.
Adell would ask Cleveland to live with some things it usually prefers not to. His on-base production is limited, and his defense has been worth -4 Outs Above Average.
But he’d also give the Guardians a much-needed dose of right-handed power in the outfield, and he wouldn’t require a massive prospect haul. He’s under control through 2027 and is represented by Scott Boras, so there’s no chance he’d still be around after that.
For now, though, he’s a solid fit for an offense that needs exactly what he brings.
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 🡒]