Biggest Guardians Winners & Losers After the Trade Deadline

The Cleveland Guardians made a flurry of moves prior to the trade deadline on August 3, 2026. First they traded catcher Bo Naylor to the Milwaukee Brewers for outfielder Blake Perkins and reliever Craig Yogo. Then they added some pop in their lineup by acquiring outfielder Jo Adell from the Los Angeles Angels for catcher Jacob Cozart. T

hey rounded out the deadline by trading for all-star pitcher Foster Griffin from the Washington Nationals for four prospects and nabbing first baseman Nathaniel Lowe from the Cincinnati Reds for pitcher Alejandro Rivera.

Here are the winners and losers within the Guardians organization from the plethora of moves at the deadline:

Winner: The Locker Room. The Guardians front office expressed their belief in the team’s ability to compete in the American League by improving positions of need and areas of strength for the team. In 2023, the Guardians held a one game lead in the division, but the front office traded then top-of-rotation starter Aaron Civale to the Tampa Bay Rays for Kyle Manzardo. There was concern in the locker room that the front office did not believe in that team and they ended up missing the playoffs. This season, they stand three games back of the division lead and the front office brought in reinforcements. 

Loser: Manzardo and David Fry. Manzardo was second in the team last year in home runs with 27 and was leading the club this year with 13. David Fry had a pivotal role with the 2024 American League Championship Series team. Both were optioned to Triple-A Columbus to make room for the new members of the squad.

Manzardo started off slow and then got hot, but has now reverted back to his start-of-the-season slump. The Guardians should not give up on his raw power, but his contributions for the remainder of the 2026 season may be limited. Fry was a former all star, but since then has not produced on a consistent basis that was needed to keep his bat in the lineup.