The Cleveland Guardians are in the midst of one of their worst stretches of the season, and it has come at a most inopportune time. With the MLB trade deadline approaching, the Guardians have to make sure they are still heading in the right direction before making any decisions that could impact the future of the franchise.
The Guardians did not fare well in a possible AL playoff preview, getting swept in a three-game series by the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend. It extended their losing streak to five games, and they are now 2.5 games behind the first-place Chicago White Sox and only one game ahead of the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central standings.
That is why the Guardians made a discouraging move in MLB.com’s latest power rankings, falling from No. 11 to No. 13.
“Forget keeping pace with the White Sox: The current losing streak has the Guardians in danger of falling into third place in the AL Central. This, of course, hasn’t knocked them out of the AL Wild Card race: They, improbably, remain in the third spot. They have a week-and-a-half of Interleague Play before what will be an intense series on the south side of Chicago,” Will Leitch wrote.
Despite the return of Jose Ramirez from the injured list, the Guardians’ offense continues to struggle. They were shut out by the Rays in the final two meetings, and they also scored just one run in a 12-inning loss to the Twins during the streak.
In four games since rejoining the lineup, Ramirez is 3-for-16 with no extra-base hits. Angel Martinez also returned from injury, going 0-for-11, and this latest cold stretch has only heightened Cleveland’s need for an established hitter. The Guardians were already rumored to be in the market for one, but it may now be more of a necessity than just an upgrade.
Fortunately, the tight AL playoff race remains wide open. With a 54-53 record, the Guardians are one of six teams that are above .500, but they are just 3.5 games ahead of the Detroit Tigers, who are eighth in the wild-card standings.
Cleveland could benefit from an easier upcoming portion of the schedule, with three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets. That could allow them to build momentum heading into the three-game series with the White Sox that begins Aug. 7.
With the trade deadline Aug. 3, the two teams and the entire American League could look very different by then.
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