The 2025 MLB trade deadline will be a very interesting time for the Cleveland Guardians. With the team fresh off a ten-game losing streak and sitting 5.5 games back in the AL Wild Card race, the Guardians could be sellers or buyers at the deadline.
A strong July could have Cleveland buying, but a bad month could also lead the team to sell. According to Zack Meisel of The Athletic, teams around baseball are hoping for the Guardians to lose a lot in July.
“Teams are circling the Guardians like bloodthirsty sharks.” Meisel writes. “I know of at least a handful of clubs that are itching to learn just how aggressively the Guardians plan to sell this month.”
Miesel is reporting that teams around baseball are waiting for the Guardians to lose, as they want some of the potential trade candidates on the Guardians roster. With teams so eager to pounce on the Guardians, the trade chips they have must be good.
There are four potential trade chips the Guardians have been receiving offers for, or have been in trade rumors lately. Carlos Santana, the fan-favorite legend, is the most likely player to be traded.
He’s an older veteran who is in the twilight of his MLB career. But, he is still a productive bat, and will likely have plenty of interested teams. Cleveland will likely trade Santana, even if they make up some ground in the AL Wild Card race.
Lane Thomas is another player potentially on the move. He’s not the most desired player, but he’d be a solid depth piece for a team looking to provide insurance to their outfield. The Guardians would be open to moving him, but the problem is whether any team wants him in the middle of a rough (.518 OPS) season.
MORE: MLB writer reveals Guardians’ biggest trade deadline need
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Emmanuel Clase, the team’s closer, would be a highly coveted trade chip. Teams are always looking to add reliever help, and Clase, with his 0.61 ERA 2024 season behind him, could fetch a strong return.
Even though he hasn’t played as well this year, with a 3.12 ERA through 40.1 innings, teams would still line up to make offers for him. He’s under team control through 2028, and at a fairly reasonable $26.4 million total.
While he’s the prime trade piece, there’s another potential Guardians player who could be on the move if the right offer presented itself. That player is outfielder Steven Kwan. He’s been in trade rumors, and the Guardians are listening to trade inquiries.
But the odds of a Kwan trade are incredibly slim. He’s not expected to be traded, not this season, and potentially into the future as well. But if the Guardians have a terrible July, and a team makes a very strong offer, it might be too hard to pass up.
However, for the time being, only Santana, Thomas, and Clase are viewed as realistic trade deadline pieces for the Guardians. They’d all draw interest, with Clase the top prize.
But, with Meisel’s report, it’s likely the Guardians will have teams eagerly awaiting the team’s downfall to pounce on any potential players Cleveland sells at this year’s trade deadline.
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