The Cleveland Guardians ended last season with an obvious need for a power bat. They opened this offseason with that same need, but did nothing to address it via trade or free agency.
The Guardians entered the 2026 season hoping for internal improvement from several players, but instead, some of them took a significant step backward. Then, more recently, injuries removed three of Cleveland’s best hitters from the lineup.
All of these developments have only increased the desire for that elusive power hitter who would solidify the middle of the batting order. That is why, with the MLB trade deadline now less than a month away, there are increasing calls for the Guardians to finally do something about it.
MLB.com insider Tim Stebbins recently revealed the Guardians’ “biggest need” ahead of the deadline, unsurprisingly identifying a right-handed hitter who would better balance their lineup.
“Guardians: Right-handed bat,” Stebbins wrote. “Jose Ramirez (left hamate fracture) and Angel Martinez (non-displaced left foot fracture) will provide a boost when they return from the injured list in the coming weeks, but acquiring a hitter could augment things further — including if they bat right-handed. Gabriel Arias, David Fry, Austin Hedges and Rhys Hoskins are the only players on the Guardians’ active roster who exclusively bat from that side. Ramirez, Martinez, Patrick Bailey and Brayan Rocchio are switch-hitters.”
The Guardians were recently mentioned as a possible landing spot for Christian Walker, should the Houston Astros put the first baseman on the market. The right-handed hitter has 20 home runs this season, but Houston may decide to hold on to him after it played its way back into playoff contention in the AL West.
Cleveland is fortunate that rookies Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana have lived up to their billing as top prospects. DeLauter has been red hot since returning from the injured list, and Bazzana has been named to the AL All-Star team.
In addition, Martinez and Rocchio have each had a breakout season at the plate, helping the Guardians overcome poor performances from Bo Naylor and Kyle Manzardo, two of the players who were expected to take a step forward. Jose Ramirez was performing a bit below his usual standard before his injury, and Steven Kwan is having the worst season of his MLB career at the plate.
More than 90 games into the season, the Guardians have the same glaring need they started with, and they are running out of time to finally fix it.
NEXT: Analyst Names 2 Potential Trade Deadline Targets For Guardians
