There is likely to be a lot of trade activity around baseball this weekend with the deadline looming on Monday. The Cleveland Guardians got a head start on the activities when they dealt catcher Bo Naylor to the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
How much more the Guardians are willing to do could depend on how they fare in the rest of their current series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. After losing the opener of the three-game set on Friday, the results of the next two games could play a key role in Cleveland’s decision-making.
If the Guardians do still plan to be buyers, Bleacher Report analyst Joel Reuter is proposing an intriguing deadline move for them, which is adding outfielder Jake McCarthy from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for two prospects.
To CLE: OF Jake McCarthy
To COL: OF Aaron Walton (No. 9 CLE), RP Andrew Walters
“The Rockies bought low on Jake McCarthy during the offseason following a 2025 campaign in which he logged a 63 OPS+ and negative-0.6 WAR, and it has proven to be one of the best pickups of the offseason. The 29-year-old is hitting .293/.334/.491 for a 113 OPS+ with 21 doubles, 10 home runs, 17 steals and 1.2 WAR in 94 games,” Reuter wrote.
The Rockies are far out of playoff contention in the National League with one of the worst records in the majors this season. With McCarthy playing on a one-year deal, Colorado may have him on the market to get something in return with the team going nowhere.
His $1.5 million contract, and the fact that he is under team control through 2028 as an arbitration-eligible player, could make him attractive to the Guardians. It is also likely to increase competition for his services as the deadline nears.
That is why Cleveland would have to include one of their top-10 prospects like Walton, an outfielder who may find it hard to earn playing time in the majors based on the Guardians’ current roster and pipeline. A 2025 MLB Draft pick, the 22-year-old has a slash line of .261/.392/.465 with 16 home runs in 108 minor league games.
Walters is ranked as Cleveland’s No. 24 overall prospect by MLB.com. The right-handed reliever has 11 games of big league experience over the previous two seasons, with a 1.80 ERA in 10.0 innings. He sat out most of last season after suffering a lat injury, and he has a 7.30 ERA at Triple-A this year.
Even though McCarthy hits left-handed, the Guardians could use a potent bat like his to bolster their lineup, but as with any possible deal, they have to weigh the costs against the potential benefits.
NEXT: Guardians Trade Longtime Catcher To Milwaukee
