Out of all the trade rumors that have popped up during the offseason, those centered around Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase may have been the most surprising to fans.
Some of the teams that Clase has been linked to include the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. At one point, reports indicated that Cleveland could package the All-Star closer and Shane Bieber together to maximize the return.
However, pitchers and catchers are set to report to Goodyear, Arizona in just over two weeks. Time is running out for the organization to make a move and Clase beginning 2024 in a Guardians uniform is being viewed as the most likely scenario according to one MLB insider.
Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported that Clase has indeed been drawing plenty of trade interest from opposing teams. However, a trade actually happening "appears unlikely in the near term."
Clase was certainly shaky in 2023, but he still finished the season with a 3.22 ERA, 1.156 WHIP, and led the American League in games finished and saves. But his true value may be in the ultra-team-friendly contract that Clase signed just before the 2022 season. The deal keeps him under team control through the 2028 season.
There's always going to be a market for the back of the bullpen arms and teams could always get desperate as a season goes on. Just look at Josh Hader who signed a $95 million, five-year deal with the Houston Astros this offseason.
Perhaps there will be a time when a Clase trade makes sense for everyone involved. But as Morosi said, "There is no motivation for the Guardians to move him now."
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