The Cleveland Guardians need to figure out their approach to the trade deadline.
There’s a strong case for being sellers, but there’s even a stronger one for being buyers.
With that in mind, they need to figure out who’s going to be untouchable, regardless of what they decide to do.
Considering that, Joe Noga of Cleveland.com warned them not to move on from Kyle Manzardo.
The Guardians went to great lengths to acquire Mazardo, and because they will most likely lose Carlos Santana either in a trade or in the offseason, they can’t afford to part with one of their best candidates to take over at first base.
“The only other guy I would add to the untradeable list at this moment would be Kyle Manzardo. You can’t trade Kyle Manzardo after what you did to bring him along and give him opportunities this year. Beyond this season you’re probably not going to have Carlos Santana. You’re going to need somebody who can play first base competently in the major leagues and Kyle Manzardo is showing that he can do that,” Noga said.
Manzardo has been up and down this season, but it seems to be mostly due to a lack of playing time.
He’s been stuck in a platoon at DH, but he’s been a solid contributor when given consistent at-bats.
Manager Stephen Vogt doesn’t seem to trust him against lefties, even though his numbers are virtually identical to his numbers against righties.
He’s been solid in the clutch and is a young player with a high upside, so it might not be the wisest time to move on from him.
All things considered, the Guardians have bigger issues to think about.
Unless they’re going to get a haul in a trade and finally solve their problems in right field, Manzardo should be one of the few players who is off-limits.
NEXT: Insider Reveals A Big Concern About 1 Guardians Position Group
