2 Shortstops Linked As Possible Cleveland Guardians Trade Targets

With the MLB trade deadline just over a month and a half away, the Cleveland Guardians are going to be an interesting team to watch.

Right now, the Guardians are among the best teams in baseball. They hold a 43-22 record and are doing so while being the youngest team in baseball. Many believe that there is a good chance that Cleveland will buy ahead of the deadline.

One key position of need for Cleveland is at shortstop. They have not received good production from the position and that could be a priority in trade discussions.

If the Guardians do opt to pursue a shortstop trade before the deadline, there are a couple of different options that they could consider.

The Athletic recently suggested two potential trade targets for Cleveland at shortstop. Those two players are Toronto Blue Jays star Bo Bichette and San Diego Padres shorstop Ha-Seong Kim.

"Bo Bichette of the Blue Jays is the glitzy name being tossed out there, but who knows whether Toronto will wind up selling next month? If the Padres fall out of the race — which seems unlikely at the moment, given only four National League teams sported winning records as of Tuesday — Ha-Seong Kim could be an intriguing option."

While both of those players would be upgrades for the Guardians, there is no guarantee that they will come available. If they are available, Cleveland should be aggressive in talks.

Bichette would be the obvious choice out of the two if they were both up for trade. He recorded a .240/.287/.346 slash line this season, which could use some work. However, he has shown elite potential and has also hit four home runs to go along with 28 RBI.

At just 26 years of age, Bichette would be a long-term option for the Guardians and would fit their youthful timeline as well.

On the other hand, Kim would be a nice defensive addition. His season at the plate has gone well, with a .226/.341/.400 slash line to go along with nine home runs and 34 RBI. Obviously, his batting average is low, but the rest of the numbers have been solid.

There are options available if Cleveland wants to make a big move. It will take a willing trade partner, but things could get interesting closer to the deadline.

Clearly, these are two names to watch and there are others around baseball that could make sense as well. The Guardians need to shop around to see if they can find a shorstop upgrade, as that would increase their World Series odds greatly.