The Cleveland Guardians have another issue to deal with in the AL Central that they may not have been expecting. It could have an effect on their approach to the upcoming MLB trade deadline.
The division has become a three-team race with the Minnesota Twins climbing within two games of the Guardians and Chicago White Sox, who enter play Friday tied for first place. Cleveland has been looking for an impact hitter since before the season began, and there could be a heightened sense of urgency to acquire one for the stretch run.
With that in mind, ESPN insider Jeff Passan has named two top trade deadline targets for the Guardians: outfielders Mickey Moniak of the Colorado Rockies and Garrett Mitchell of the Milwaukee Brewers.
“Having so many bat-to-ball maestros gives the Guardians the leeway to stomach a hitter for whom plate discipline is not a calling card. And that would be Moniak, the former No. 1 pick who is one of two players in MLB this year with at least 200 plate appearances and a slugging percentage of .600 or better. Similarly, the Brewers aren’t shopping Mitchell. With Luis Lara’s promotion, though, they’ve now got a center fielder under long-term contract, and with Milwaukee’s depth in the outfield, Cleveland has a good enough farm system to tempt the Brewers into moving Mitchell,” Passan wrote.
In the AL Wild Card race, there are six teams within three games of each other fighting for the final two spots. So Cleveland is likely going to face stiff competition for players before the Aug. 3 deadline.
Not only are the Rockies well out of contention with the worst record in the National League, but Moniak can become a free agent after this season, which makes him the perfect deadline target. That is good news for the Guardians, who can expect him to be available, but also bad news, because he is likely to generate great interest on the market.
Moniak is entering play Friday with a .594 slugging percentage and a .924 OPS, including 54 strikeouts and 13 walks. He has 15 home runs in 197 at-bats, with 12 of them coming at hitter-friendly Coors Field, where his slash line is .314/.359/.720, compared to .228/.287/.405 on the road.
As for Mitchell and the Brewers, holding the second-best record in baseball behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and looking to make the World Series for the first time since 1982, they may not want to part with one of their best hitters. With an OPS of .823 in 83 games played, Mitchell is under team control through the 2028 campaign, so he would be a very attractive player if he’s made available.
Expect the Guardians to be linked to any top hitter in the rumors leading up to a very important trade deadline for their playoff hopes.
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