Analyst Predicts How Guardians Will Operate At MLB Trade Deadline

The Cleveland Guardians are an interesting spot as the MLB trade deadline discussions begin.

Their record has them firmly centered in the Wild Card race, but some of the underlying statistics and metrics aren't as kind to the Guardians.

Jake Mintz of Yahoo Sports! believes that reality could soon sink in for the Guardians and labeled them as current sellers, with the deadline about two months away.

"Is outperforming one's run differential to this extent impressive or unsustainable? For a team like Cleveland, that does so many of the little things well and uncovers value beneath every stone, we lean towards the former," wrote Mintz.

If the Guardians do look to offload some of their players on expiring contracts, Lane Thomas and Jakob Junis could be valuable veterans that playoff contenders could have an interest in.

Even if Cleveland is out of the playoff picture at the end of July, it's hard to see them opting to trade Carlos Santana because of how much he means to the clubhouse and organization.

Still, the Guardians are an organization that operates unlike any other at the deadline. They could still trade away some of their veterans while making a trade to add to the big league roster.

If they do that, Mintz identifies one player in particular who could be an interesting

"They'll probably treat the impending return of former Cy Young Shane Bieber like a deadline boost. They don't have a real center field defender on the roster, which could make this an interesting landing spot for say, Harrison Bader, if the Twins tumble."

Some analysts believe the Guardians will be buyers at the deadline, while Mintz identifies them as a possible seller, making Cleveland one of the most intriguing teams to watch leading up to July 31.

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