The Cleveland Guardians have their sight set on 2024 after a disappointing season that resulted in the team missing out on the playoffs. In order to get back to where the Guardians want to be, they need to add some sort of pop to the lineup that may not come from inside the organization.
Cleveland could look to put together a trade package for any available slugger if there's one on the market they're interested in. The Guardians do have the pieces to pull off a blockbuster trade if they do decide to take this route.
Prospects
Where to start with the prospect. The Guardians sure do have a lot of promising ones that opposing teams could value.
Brayan Rocchio (Cleveland's top prospect, per MLB Pipeline) could be used to acquire a big name if the Guardians head in a different direction at shortstop. Daniel Espino still has a ton of promise as a Big League pitcher, despite his injury history, and Cleveland's rotation is already looking good without him.
Jose Tena showed some promise in the limited playing time he got last season which could excite another organization seeking a shortstop. Gabriel Arias has looked promising at times, but can they expect to overcome his weaknesses for 2024 and beyond?
The list goes on of prospects who could be moved but those are just a handful of ones opposing teams could have the most interest in. Cleveland's farm system is still respected which could come in handy when talking about trades
Big League Talent
There's a chance that the team Cleveland is negotiating with asks for already proven Big League talent in any sort of trade for a star. Cleveland could fill that ask too
Shane Bieber is one name that has already been thrown around in trade rumors and could easily be a candidate to be moved. He has just one year of team control left and World Series hopefuls are always looking for more pitching. Bieber is a Cy Young and All-Star MVP winner with a career ERA of 3.27.
Perhaps the team Cleveland is talking with wants a younger player who has Major League experience. Tyler Freeman, David Fry, or Oscar Gonzalez all fit that bill and could be part of a package.
None of these players are actively being discussed in trade rumors, but at some point, the Guardians are going to need to make some decisions purely based on the number of spots available on a roster. Why not package a few players together to address a dire need?
Will the Guardians actually make a trade for someone like Juan Soto or is all of this wishful thinking? It's unlike Cleveland to unload prospects for a big name, typically it's the other way around.
However, the Guardians have pieces to make a splash in the trade market if they choose to go in this direction.
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