The Cleveland Guardians are heading into the trade deadline with plenty still unsettled, but one thing is clear: they need help at the plate.
With Monday’s deadline approaching, the Guardians have gone 5-9 since the All-Star Break and sit 3.0 games behind the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central. That backdrop has fueled plenty of questions about what Cleveland might do next, and the most likely answer is a move for offense.
Cleveland’s bats have been quiet over the last 15 games, producing a .239/.311/.377 slash line. A five-run eighth inning has been the big outlier in that stretch, while the pitching staff has been doing the heavy lifting.
If the Guardians are going to keep themselves in the race, they need another hitter, and ideally a right-handed one. Chris Antonetti has already said the goal is to add more offense overall.
Any meaningful addition will likely cost something real, and one name that could come up in talks is Cooper Ingle, the organization’s No. 3 prospect. Ingle’s first big-league look was rough: he hit .095 (2-for-21) in seven games, struck out 12 times, and committed a major throwing error after recording the second out. Some of that may have been tied to him playing out of position.
Even so, Ingle still carries plenty of appeal. The 24-year-old has been productive in the Minors this season, putting up a 1.042 OPS with 17 home runs. A catcher with that kind of offensive upside is the sort of piece that can get attention from teams looking to upgrade behind the plate.
Steven Kwan is another name that could surface as the deadline chatter picks up. The former two-time All-Star has been getting his season back on track, but his name was already a popular one in 2025 trade speculation.
Still, with Cleveland’s offense struggling as a unit, moving Kwan would send mixed signals. The more likely outcome is that he stays put in Cleveland.
In Other News...
Guardians Trade Regret Just Got Even Harder To Ignore
The latest reminder of how the Alex Cobb deal has played out for Cleveland came from San Francisco, where the Giants promoted a young player who had quietly become part of the return in that trade. The move filled a need behind the plate after Jess Rodrguez landed on the injured list, but it also brought fresh attention to a swap that has not offered the Guardians much immediate benefit.
Cobb arrived in Cleveland with the expectation that he could help stabilize the rotation, yet injuries limited his availability and kept his impact modest. Meanwhile, the player the Giants just elevated has continued to build a strong minor league track record, which only sharpens the contrast between what San Francisco is getting from the deal and what Cleveland has been able to count on so far. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Paid A Real Price To Strengthen Their Rotation
The Guardians kept their most prized young talent intact, but they still had to pay up to shore up a rotation that already looks formidable. Their latest move brought in a left-handed pitcher with an All-Star nod and a 2.77 ERA before the deal, adding another experienced arm to a staff that has become one of the clubs real strengths.
To get it done, Cleveland sent four prospects to Washington, including pitchers Will Dion, Josh Hartle and Kendeglys Virguez, plus outfielder Nick Mitchell. It was the kind of prospect package that says the Guardians were serious about upgrading now, even if it stopped short of touching the top of the organizations farm system. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Finally Found The Right-Handed Bat This Lineup Needed
The Guardians spent the winter looking for a better fit on the right side of the plate, and they found one in Jo Adell. Cleveland brought in the right-handed hitting outfielder from the Angels in a move aimed squarely at adding some much-needed thump to a lineup that has wanted more home run power, especially against left-handed pitching.
For the Guardians, it also comes at a time when the roster has been built with an eye toward keeping options open beyond this season. Adell brings the kind of pop that can change the shape of a game, and the price tag speaks to Clevelands belief that this is the sort of swing worth making. Now the interesting part is how quickly the bat can translate into everyday value in a lineup that has been searching for exactly this kind of offense. [Read more 🡒]