The Cleveland Guardians could trade Emmanuel Clase or Cade Smith for a much-needed upgrade on the roster.
While the Cleveland Guardians aren't likely to move on from Emmanuel Clase or Cade Smith at the MLB trade deadline, there is a scenario in which either could be moved.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic proposed that the Guardians could move Clase or Smith to bolster their struggling offense, which has been the third-worst in baseball this season.
"The Guardians need to rebuild their offense around future Hall of Famer Jose Ramirez," Bowden writes, "and they could use the back of their bullpen - either Emmanuel Clase or Cade Smith - to make it happen."
Moving on from either reliever would take a lot for the Guardians to make such a decision. If Cleveland receives a strong offer, including a massive offensive piece, then the Guardians may consider moving on from one of their relievers.
While not a perfect fit, since the Boston Red Sox don't need a reliever as much as they do a starter, a player like Jarren Duran could be enough for Cleveland to move one of their top relievers.
MORE: Guardians trade negotiations 'frustrating' MLB teams ahead of deadline
Adding offense is a massive priority, since their team's OPS is just .665, better than only the Chicago White Sox and the Pittsburgh Pirates. For a team which was supposed to compete for a postseason spot, it's been a major letdown.
Instead of holding onto their two relievers, who are drawing significant interest around baseball, they could move them to land massive offensive upgrades.
They could also just move one, and the other could stay as the team's closer. That way, the Guardians would still have at least one dominant closer on the roster, while also tapping into their highly valued bullpen to begin addressing their issues offensively.
But, no matter what the Guardians do, whether Clase or Smith are traded or stay, the team desperately needs to add more firepower to the offense. Steven Kwan, Jose Ramirez, and Kyle Manzardo are the only Guardians players with an OPS above .700.
Bowden mentioned that the Guardians could move either Clase or Smith for offensive upgrades. It would be a bold move, but with plenty of interest, there would surely be a solid offensive player the team could add if they pulled off such a trade.
MORE MLB NEWS:
- Padres' A.J. Preller predicted to 'aim high' at MLB trade deadline
- Padres linked to MLB insiders' 'least valuable player' at trade deadline
- Tigers 'likely' to add a high-leverage reliever at trade deadline
- Trio of Cardinals relievers most likely to be moved at MLB trade deadline
- Astros writer reveals 'ideal outcome' at MLB trade deadline
- Tigers 'strongly interested' in pair of Twins righty relievers
Category: Baseball
