The Reds are fielding calls on Spencer Steer, and for the Guardians, that name checks a lot of boxes.
Cleveland has long been the kind of team that appreciates a player who can move all over the diamond, and Terry Francoa has shown that preference for years. From Mike Aviles to Michael Martinez and even Tyler Freeman, he’s always valued versatility. That same idea has carried into his latest run with Cincinnati, where Steer has already played every position except shortstop and catcher this season.
Steer hasn’t exactly put together a clean year at the plate. In fact, this is his second straight rough season. But even with the slump, he still brings traits that would make him useful in Cleveland, especially because he remains under team control for two more seasons after this one.
His trade value doesn’t appear to have taken much of a hit, either. At the start of the All-Star break, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that the Reds were drawing plenty of interest for Steer because impact bats are scarce at the deadline.
There’s also a very specific baseball reason he would make sense for the Guardians: left-handed pitching. The right-handed hitter owns a .333/.436/.603 slashline against southpaws, while hitting just .218 against right-handed pitchers.
Cleveland, meanwhile, has hit only .223 against left-handed hitters this year. In a lineup that leans left, that kind of split stands out.
Most of Steer’s work has come at first base and left field, which lines up neatly with Cleveland’s biggest needs. He’s making $4 million this season and would be owed a little more than $1 million for the rest of the year, though that number will climb in the next couple seasons.
For the Guardians, he’d be an obvious right-handed option at first base alongside Kyle Manzardo, and he could also fit in the corner outfield spots with Steven Kwan and Chase DeLauter. Kwan’s ability to handle center would make the whole alignment easier, with Kwan in center, Steer in left and DeLauter in right.
The catch, of course, is Cleveland’s front office and its habit of holding onto prospects. That approach usually serves the franchise well, especially for a team that has to keep building from within. But Steer’s market interest means the Guardians would likely have to get into a bidding war, and while they could outbid almost every team in baseball, whether they actually choose to do it is another matter.
Steer looks like a strong fit. That still doesn’t mean he’ll be at Progressive Field after the Aug. 3 deadline.
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