Guardians Urged to Make All-Star Move to Repair Glaring Problem

The Cleveland Guardians may not be top dogs in the AL Central this season, but they are still smack dab in the middle of the playoff hunt.

The Guardians are a solid ballclub, but it's painfully obvious that they have some major issues that need to be rectified between now and the MLB trade deadline.

While their starting rotation has long been an area of weakness, Cleveland also must fix its lineup, which particularly has a massive dead spot in right field.

The platoon of Nolan Jones and Jhonkensy Noel has not exactly worked out for the Guardians, with Jones slashing .218/.297/.313 and Noel — who was just optioned to Triple-A Columbus — owning a .392 OPS.

Brandon Glick of Away Back Gone has identified a potential solution to solve the problem, singling out Boston Red Sox star Jarren Duran as a possible trade target.

"That kind of player may be available in the form of Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran," Glick wrote. "He isn't quite replicating his 8.7 WAR season from last year, but the 28-year-old is hitting .274/.323/423 with passable corner outfield defense and plenty of speed. Plus, it seems like he'll be made available at the trade deadline if the Red Sox continute their June swoon."

This isn't the first time Cleveland has been linked to Durran, and it almost certainly won't be the last. Of course, the question is whether or not the Guardians — a historically conservative franchise — will want to surrender the capital it would take to acquire Durran, who is under team control through 2028.

The Red Sox don't necessarily have to move Durran. In fact, the only reason Boston would trade him would be in the event that it lands a significant haul. While Cleveland has the prospects to do it, the Guardians may be shy about actually pulling the trigger.

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