Trade season is officially upon us.
Those who love the beautiful game of baseball were surprised to see former Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor traded from Arizona to Seattle on Thursday night.
After that, a few moves have taken place on Friday, notably the New York Mets getting reliever Gregory Soto and the New York Yankees acquiring Ryan McMahon to play third base.
The Guardians are there, lurking, waiting for the perfect time to strike.
Whether they buy or sell, it’s safe to assume that Cleveland will try to trade veteran first baseman Carlos Santana.
When writers of The Athletic were asked to name one player they thought would be wearing another uniform come August, Guardians insider Zack Meisel didn’t hesitate: he named Santana.
“There was always risk to Cleveland signing Santana, who turned 39 in April, to a one-year, $12 million deal to replace Josh Naylor at first base. He remains an elite defender, but his bat has slipped, and the Guardians have first base prospect C.J. Kayfus waiting at Triple-A Columbus,” he wrote.
Santana has been excellent with a glove on his hand, but the offense has been subpar outside of a torrid May.
He is now sporting, before taking the field on Friday night to play against the Kansas City Royals, a 91 wRC+ in 385 trips to the plate.
Teams looking for an upgrade won’t give up their farms for a 39-year-old first baseman with below-average offensive numbers, but if the Guardians can find any takers, they won’t ask for much.
At this point, it’s safe to assume Santana will be traded, even if it is just a salary dump.
If they manage to flip him to another squad, expect to see the promising Kayfus on the roster soon after.
NEXT: Guardians Activate Infielder From 10-Day Injured List
