3 Guardians call-ups who can serve as second-half trade additions of their own

The Cleveland Guardians are one of the bigger surprises of the entire 2024 MLB season. It's not often that a team is leading their division, heading into a playoff race and selecting first overall in the MLB Draft in the same season, but that's the exact spot that Cleveland is in.

They turned their franchise all the way around thanks to a loaded bullpen. They were rather calm at the trade deadline, opting to acquire Lane Thomas from the Nationals, but besides that, they were lying dormant. That's because they have built up a sturdy farm system of talent that can support them. There are a few key names they could call up in the coming weeks, and here they are.

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3. Juan Brito, INF, Triple-A

The Guardians played it rather safe at the trade deadline, and that's completely OK. Still, they have room to improve their big-league roster ahead of the postseason, and one place they can do that is their depth. Introducing versatile infielder, Juan Brito, who currently sits in Triple-A and could find himself on the hotseat in the near future.

After the Guardians selected second baseman Travis Bazzana first overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, many speculated that Bazzana could fly past Brito in the Guardians organization. Bazzana has made his professional debut, but he's not close to the big leagues yet, obviously. His imminent promotion up the ladder could speed things up for Brito, though, whether Cleveland likes it or not.

Brito could very well come up this month. It's not the most likely option, considering he's not a game-breaking talent, but he is slashing a solid .254/.375/.447 with 15 home runs and almost as many walks as strikeouts. At this point, he could at least provide the Guardians with a solid depth piece across their semi-depleted infield.

2. Kyle Manzardo, 1B, Triple-A

The Guardians have already tried to bring the first baseman Kyle Manzardo up to the big leagues, and it was met with mixed results. In his first stint, the Guardians No. 2 ranked prospect slashed .207/.241/.329 with 10 doubles and 23 strikeouts in 30 games. The talent and the power are both very clearly there, despite not homering in his first stint.

Much like other top prospects, he was sent back to Triple-A and proceeded to utterly dominate. He's slashed .277/.405/.568 with 14 home runs, 16 doubles and more walks than strikeouts in his 59 Triple-A games. There's nothing left for him at the Triple-A level, and he's very clearly a huge piece of the Guardians' future.

Finding a fit for him in the lineup could be a bit complicated with Josh Naylor playing first and David Fry in the DH, both being some of the better hitters on the team. But given his production in Triple-A and his overall sky-high potential, the Guardians are going to need to find a spot for him.

He's too talented to not make the postseason roster. I would venture to assume that Cleveland will find a way to slide him in the lineup in the next month.

1. Johnathan Rodriguez, OF, Triple-A

The Guardians biggest hole is likely to still be in the outfield, even after adding Lane Thomas at the deadline. The most obvious solution to this hole is in their own system, down at Triple-A, where he's dominating. All Guardians fans should be familiar with the name Johnathan Rodriguez, considering he spent 13 games with the big-league squad earlier in the year.

At the Triple-A level, he's been utterly dominant. The right-handed hitter is slashing .297/.390/.507 with 30 extra base hits this year. He has a true ability to get on base while slugging at the same time, resulting in the staggering OPS that's approaching .900. He has a huge arm and some incredible power, leaving him to be a legit 30-homer threat when he finds his footing in the big leagues.

Given the fact that the Guardians understand they have a problem in the outfield, I wouldn't be surprised to see Rodriguez back up in the near future. He's a dynamic talent with the potential to be a star if he can consistently put bat on the ball at the highest level. With Cleveland chasing a postseason berth and eventual pennant and World Series title, they need to have all the talent on their roster that they can get.