Sporting a 47-49 record in the AL Central, the Cleveland Guardians are shaping up to be sellers at the deadline. Their lack of offense was truly prevalent the past couple of seasons and appears to have scuttled them this year. Still, with a fairly solid roster, the Guardians will avoid declaring a full-on, ‘everything must go’ type of sale. According to MLB insider Buster Olney, Cleveland will be keeping their top players.
“The Cleveland Guardians are ready to listen to offers for all but four players -- third baseman Jose Ramirez, outfielder Steven Kwan and relievers Emmanuel Clase and Cade Smith. Everyone else is available, with the Guardians hoping to get maximum value and find more offense.”
Teams will need to wait for a shot at Emmanuel Clase
With their meager offense weighing on their record, it would have been safe to assume José Ramírez and Steven Kwan were going to stay put. There's no need to lose what offense they do have. The assumption was that the Guardians would deal from their pitching depth to improve their batting order.
One name in particular, Emmanuel Clase, had been floated in numerous rumors in recent months. Having thrown to a stellar 0.61 ERA just last season, Clase was established as a prime trade target on a scorching relief market just as soon as the Guardians started slipping. Postseason bound teams such as the Yankees, Phillies and Dodgers among others either have the need or have been actively scouring the market for a relief arm.
Had Clase been on the market, he would be on the top tier of trade candidates. His 1.82 career ERA is the lowest of any active reliever in the game. But with three years of club control remaining, the Guardians, as Olney reported, are opting to keep him.
Despite the years of control, shopping Clase would make a lot of sense. He is one of the few pieces the Guardians could sell that would bring back a major haul, saving them from dealing a solid bat or starter. Nonetheless, the Guardians determined Clase’s arm is just too valuable to part with. The three-time All-Star closer is tossing to a 2.86 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 44 innings on the season.