Guardians Connected to Risky Blockbuster Trade for All-Star Infielder

The Cleveland Guardians definitely need some help with their middle infield this season, as the Gabriel Arias experiment seems to be failing, and the Guardians clearly became fed up with Brayan Rocchio's lack of production at the plate.

Fortunately, Cleveland has plenty of time between now and the July 31 MLB trade deadline to address the issue, and Henry Palattella of Away Back Gone has identified a major target for the club: Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette.

Bichette is having a bounceback year after a dreadful 2025 campaign, and with free agency looming for the two-time All-Star, Palattella feels the Blue Jays could move him.

"That said, it’s not hard to imagine the Guardians targeting one of Bichette, [Luis] Urías or [Isiah] Kiner-Falefa — all of whom are impending free agents," Palattella wrote. "There have been plenty of trade rumors surrounding BIchette over the past couple years due to his lack of extension talks with the Blue Jays, but it remains to be seen if Toronto will actually pull the trigger on trading him."

Toronto is still in playoff contention, so the Jays may not be so eager to move Bichette just yet. However, if they fall out of the race, there is no question that the 27-year-old could become available.

Bichette is slashing .277/.325/.430 with seven home runs and 32 RBI over 268 plate appearances this season and boasts a lifetime .794 OPS, so in terms of his offense, he is exactly what the Guardians need. However, Bichette does not have much of a glove, which could very well limit how much Cleveland is willing to surrender for him in a trade.

It's important to keep in mind that the Guardians have historically been a conservative franchise as it is, so whether or not they would be willing to cough up substantial prospects to pull off a deal for a potential rental remains to be seen.

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