The Cleveland Guardians are leading their division, but they haven’t built a huge lead yet and are a flawed, inconsistent baseball team. No, they aren’t bad: in fact, they are quite good. They’re just streaky and prone to bad stretches, like the vast majority of MLB clubs.
They need to keep looking at ways to improve, and that involves being active on the trade market. Contenders are expected to use their farm system to bring in improvements, and the Guardians have a strong one. However, players on the active roster could also be moved.
Which are the most likely Guardians to be dealt come August? Here are a couple of names to follow.
Steven Kwan
Had the Guardians traded Steven Kwan last year, the haul they could have gotten in return could have been significant. This time, however, we can’t say the same unless there’s a big bounce-back from the player in the upcoming weeks.
Kwan is hitting .207 with a 76 wRC+, a homer, and two stolen bases. He has been a shell of himself so far this year, but he has the talent to return to form.
Even if that happens, he might not be quite as valuable as last season, with another year closer to free agency. Still, the Guardians will get offers, and one of them might pique their interest.
Cleveland now has Chase DeLauter, Angel Martinez, and Daniel Schneemann available as MLB outfield options, and plenty of talent on the way. The current version of Kwan is expendable, but when he’s at his best, he is a 3-fWAR player with contact, plate discipline, speed, and elite defense.
The team should be very careful with how they handle his future, but we would be foolish to ignore the possibility of a trade.
Rhys Hoskins
If the Guardians manage to find someone who gives them a prospect or two for Rhys Hoskins, they should pounce on that chance. The veteran slugger hasn’t been particularly bad in Cleveland, but there’s a good chance he can be replaced internally.
Hoskins is hitting .192/.339/.385 as of Monday, with a 108 wRC+. That’s slightly above-average production, so no, he is not a liability. However, there’s a chance the Guardians bring in someone who can actually produce against lefties, which is why Hoskins was brought in the first place.
The 33-year-old has an 117 wRC+ vs. righties, and a 93 mark vs. lefties. The Guardians have several first basemen waiting in the wings in the high minors, such as CJ Kayfus and Ralphy Velazquez, so they might opt to give them a look even if they are lefties, and Hoskins might try to find a team in which he can play more.
The smart money is on Cleveland looking for someone who can platoon with Kyle Manzardo and play against southpaws instead of Hoskins, unless he catches fire before the deadline.
NEXT: Guardians Have A Star In The Making In Triple-A
