The Cleveland Guardians found out over the weekend that the AL Central race is likely to go down to the final days of the season again this year. The Chicago White Sox proved they aren’t going anywhere, winning the final two games to salvage a split of their showdown four-game series.
So, the Guardians enter play Monday in second place, one game behind the White Sox. It highlighted the fact that Cleveland needs to improve to give itself the best chance to win the division for a third straight season.
With that in mind, FOX Sports analyst Deesha Thosar has named two potential trade deadline targets for the Guardians: first baseman Christian Walker of the Houston Astros and outfielder Mickey Moniak of the Colorado Rockies.
“It’d be nice to see Cleveland going after someone like Walker, who’s closing in on 200 career homers and could help solve the team’s slugging problem. But the Guards are more likely to trade for Moniak, who’s making just $4 million this season with one year of team control remaining. His slugging would be a boon for the lineup,” Thosar wrote.
The Guardians have been able to tread water while third baseman Jose Ramirez and outfielders Chase DeLauter and Angel Martinez have been on the injured list. Cleveland has struggled to score runs all season, so losing three of its best hitters for an extended period could have turned out to be much worse than their 8-11 record since June 13.
DeLauter has been hitting well since returning from his rib injury late last month, but Ramirez (hand) and Martinez (foot) will be sidelined for at least a few more weeks. The Guardians could choose to act even before the Aug. 3 trade deadline if they feel things are starting to slip away.
Walker may not be available right now, as the Astros have played their way back into contention in the AL West after a bad start to the season. They are just 2.5 games out of first place in a tight four-team race. Houston likely can’t afford to part with Walker, who has 20 home runs and 57 RBIs this season.
Meanwhile, the Rockies have no real postseason hopes with one of the worst records in the majors. Colorado could look to get something in return for Moniak, who has a .931 OPS in 56 games this season, with 15 homers and 37 RBIs. He recently returned from an ankle injury and opened July with eight hits in 14 at-bats.
The Guardians have more than enough prospects to make deals like these, so it will be interesting to watch how they approach the market in the coming weeks.
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