The Cleveland Guardians are 4.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot in the American League. As a result, they need to ask themselves whether they want to be buyers or sellers at the MLB trade deadline.
If the Guardians feel as though they don’t have the squad to overcome that deficiit and push for a postseason spot, several contenders will be eyeing players to bolster their squad for October.
One player that could be had for the right price is reliever Emmanuel Clase, who has recorded 40-plus saves in the last three seasons. Furthermore, this season, the 27-year-old is posting a 2.91 ERA and has recorded 20 saves in the first half of the 2025 campaign.
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With the trade deadline approaching, MLB insider Ken Ronsenthal was on FOX Sports and shared an update on the relievers that could be on the move, focusing on Clase and the Minnesota Twins’ Griffin Jax and Jhoan Durán.
“Relievers will be on the move,” Rosenthal said. “There is going to be a considerable focus on the AL Central—the Guardians with Emmanuel Clase and the Twins with Jhoan Durán and Griffin Jax. Now, there are some caveats here leading to the deadline, so these teams are still in it.
“Like a lot of teams, they do not want to concede. At the same time, they may look at this as a buy-sell type situation. The other problem, though, is that all of those guys I just mentioned—Clase, Jax and Durán—they’re under club control beyond this season.
“Clase is cheap through 2028 if they exercise options, and Jax and Durán are both under control through 2027. So what that means is, if they’re traded, they’re going to command an extremely high price, and we’ll see how desperate teams will get.”
What will the Yankees’ plans be before the trade deadline? Also, what key relievers will be on the move? @Ken_Rosenthal has the latest: pic.twitter.com/Momud359ue
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 14, 2025
Cleveland have a favorable schedule coming out of the All-Star break as they’ll face the Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, and Colorado Rockies. If they take advantage of these matchups heading into the deadline, then expect the Guardians to keep Clase, but should Cleveland stumble, that could open the door for potential departures.
