The Cleveland Guardians are currently in possession of one of the American League’s Wild Card spots with a 54-49 record. They are also one game behind the Chicago White Sox for the AL Central top spot.
The team has been highly competitive, and even survived more than a month without Jose Ramirez, who is by far their best player. However, it’s important to understand that, to take the next step and compete with the very best, Cleveland needs to be active at the deadline.
A right-handed hitter to play in the outfield, rotation depth, and relief pitching help are the three areas that the Guardians would like to improve. According to general manager Chris Antonetti, they will seek opportunities to bring in upgrades.
He even mentioned the word ‘aggressiveness’, which is music for fans’ ears.
“We’ll look at all opportunities to try to improve the team. Obviously, we made one significant trade in our mind already, and we’ve seen the dividends of that with the impact that [catcher Patrick Bailey] had. We’ll be aggressive in trying to find ways to improve,” Antonetti said. “Now, whether that means we’ll ultimately be able to get to the finish line on a deal or multiple deals, I have no idea. It’s impossible to predict, but we’ll certainly try.”
Antonetti knows how these things go. He doesn’t want to get everyone’s hopes up only to disappoint them at the end of the trade period, which is probably why he warns that he can’t guarantee the completion of one or more deals. He did say that the organization will try to bring in some help, though.
Scoring Bailey earlier this year has been a major success for Cleveland, as the two-time Gold Glover has been excellent behind the plate and decent as a hitter, with an 85 wRC+ that is much better than what he was doing in San Francisco. The Guardians badly need some power in their lineup, though, and first base and the outfield appear to be the clearest spots to upgrade.
Additionally, Slade Cecconi has been scuffling a bit recently, which means that acquiring a starter wouldn’t be a bad idea, and the bullpen could always use another top arm.
Time will tell how aggressive Antonetti will be at the deadline. He has a clear set of needs around the roster, and a strong farm system at his disposal.
NEXT: Guardians Catcher Is Quietly Putting Together A Solid Stretch
