The Guardians’ outfield search has put them in the same conversation as one of the more intriguing names who could be on the move this month: Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee.
San Francisco sits fourth in the NL West at 42-59, and with the Giants sliding toward seller territory, ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel pointed to Lee as a possible trade candidate. They also included Cleveland among the clubs that could make sense as a landing spot.
That fit starts with the obvious: the Guardians need help in the outfield. Steven Kwan has been surging, but his season hasn’t been smooth overall. Angel Martinez is still injured, and Chase DeLauter, for all his talent, has also had injury issues.
McDaniel and Passan said this about Lee: “While the Giants’ desire to dump their high-profile players with high-priced contracts will run into plenty of resistance, they should be able to cobble together a market if they really are interested in moving Lee. The 27-year-old ranks sixth in MLB in batting average and strikeout rate, and while his slugging numbers have gone down recently, Lee would fetch a strong return if the Giants indeed moved him,” Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan wrote.
Cleveland was one of several teams listed as a possible fit, along with the Philadelphia Phillies, the Atlanta Braves, the San Diego Padres, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Texas Rangers, and the Tampa Bay Rays.
Even so, Lee doesn’t line up perfectly with what the Guardians would ideally want. He is owed $18.83 million per year for three more seasons after 2026, with an opt-out after the 2027 season.
He also hits left-handed, while Cleveland would prefer a right-handed bat. And the power isn’t really there right now; Lee has just five homers so far, and the Guardians are looking for more thump.
Still, there’s a reason he’s in the discussion. Lee has been a productive hitter, carrying a 111 wRC+ this season, and he has been extremely difficult to strike out. That makes him a useful major league piece, even if he isn’t the cleanest match for what Cleveland is trying to add.
In Other News...
This Guardians Trade Idea Feels Like Exactly What Cleveland Needs
With the trade deadline approaching, Clevelands front office is still looking for ways to sharpen a roster that has already shown it can compete but could use a little more balance. The Guardians have made it clear they want to improve, and a possible deal with San Francisco fits the kind of practical, position-flexible move that often makes sense for a club trying to stay in the race without overcommitting.
What makes this idea appealing is the blend of offense and defensive coverage a utility player can bring, especially for a team that values lineup flexibility as much as Cleveland does. The Guardians and Giants have already done business once this season, so there is at least a recent connection there, and the question now is whether that familiarity can turn into a more meaningful upgrade before the deadline passes. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Finally Have One Last Chance To Cash In On Bo Naylor
Bo Naylors path in Cleveland has grown murkier by the week, and the Guardians have done little to hide the shift. His role has been reduced, Patrick Bailey has been brought in, and the organizations direction at catcher looks a lot clearer now than it did earlier in the season. Naylor has been back at Triple-A since the demotion, where he has shown some steady offensive work, but the bigger takeaway is that Cleveland no longer seems as invested in him as it once was.
That has opened the door for other clubs to keep tabs on him ahead of the trade deadline, with interest around the league giving the Guardians at least some chance to recoup value before the window closes. Cooper Ingle is drawing attention too, which adds another layer to the situation if Cleveland decides to package pieces together rather than move them separately. For a team that has spent years trying to sort out its catching depth, the next move could say a lot about how far along the reset really is. [Read more 🡒]
Antonetti May Have The Guardians Deadline Answer Fans Have Wanted
With the trade deadline approaching, the Guardians are once again in the familiar spot of weighing whether a measured move can keep them in the American League race without sacrificing the flexibility that has long shaped their roster-building. The latest look around the market points to controllable infield help from other clubs, with names like Casey Schmitt, Spencer Steer and Matt Shaw surfacing as the sort of players Cleveland tends to value: versatile, affordable and not just rental fixes.
Shaw stands out as the kind of target that fits the Guardians' usual lane, since his path in Chicago is complicated by Alex Bregman at third base and his long team control would give Cleveland a longer runway than a pure deadline patch. The Cubs angle also opens the door to a cleaner one-for-one framework, with Slade Cecconi mentioned as the type of piece that could make sense if the Guardians decide to act. For now, though, the bigger question is whether Chris Antonetti is lining up the kind of creative move fans have been waiting for. [Read more 🡒]