CLEVELAND \u2014 The Guardians\u2019 front office is notoriously tight-lipped, so sometimes it\u2019s better to cut to the chase when asking about their trade deadline plans.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho are you trying to acquire?\u201d I asked Chris Antonetti on Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me give you the list,\u201d he joked, before keeping talks customarily vague during a session with a small group of reporters.<\/p>\n
The deadline is in 10 days. The Guardians, while saying little publicly, are trying to add. Here\u2019s where things stand, based on conversations with members of the organization and other league sources.<\/p>\n
Antonetti did say the front office has engaged in dialogue with just about every team, including some in the AL Central. (Think the Kansas City Royals, who could move familiar face Lane Thomas.)<\/p>\n
Cleveland\u2019s top aim is to bolster the lineup. And, yes, the club just welcomed Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez back from the injured list, and Angel Mart\u00ednez is expected to return this weekend against the Tampa Bay Rays. You know the old refrain: Getting them back is just like making a couple of trades. (Go ahead, roll your eyes.)<\/p>\n
\u201cThat should help us,\u201d Antonetti said, \u201cbut that won\u2019t limit our pursuit of external options.\u201d<\/p>\n
Consider Cleveland\u2019s offensive rankings the last two seasons:<\/p>\n
2025: 29th in AVG, 29th in OBP, 29th in SLG
2026: 26th in AVG, 21st in OBP, 29th in SLG<\/p>\n
As much as the rookie breakouts from Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana have helped, they still need offense. And while they\u2019d prefer a right-handed hitter \u2014 as a team, they\u2019re slashing a miserable .225\/.312\/.347 against lefties, thanks in part to the struggles of Rhys Hoskins and David Fry \u2014 they know they can\u2019t be too picky, especially since they aren\u2019t alone in needing right-handed-hitting.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn an ideal world,\u201d Antonetti said, \u201cit\u2019d probably be good to have more balance to the lineup. But there are a lot of teams that are probably looking to try to accomplish the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Antonetti insisted that taking on salary would not be prohibitive. The Guardians\u2019 payroll ranks near the bottom of the league.<\/p>\n
A few right-handed hitters to monitor:<\/p>\n
Spencer Steer, Reds: He checks a ton of boxes. He has destroyed lefties, is versatile defensively, and has two-plus years of team control. His hitting metrics are all career bests, and he\u2019s headed for his fourth consecutive season of 20-plus homers. For what it\u2019s worth, Cleveland drafted Steer in the 29th round of the 2016 draft out of high school, but he instead attended the University of Oregon.<\/p>\n
Lane Thomas, Royals: The Guardians offered him a contract similar to the one he ultimately signed with the Royals, but he chose Kansas City for a chance at more playing time. He spoke highly of his year and a half in Cleveland, even after joining the Royals. After a slow start to the season, Thomas has caught fire in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
Isaac Paredes, Astros: Houston is a bit of an enigma, given its GM and manager are on expiring contracts and owner Jim Crane is typically resistant to rebuilding, but the team has dangled Paredes since the offseason, and with an ability to play corner infield, hit for some power and a reasonable team option for 2027, he\u2019d fit in Cleveland.<\/p>\n
Taylor Ward, Orioles: For years, the Guardians and other teams asked the Angels about certain veterans, but owner Arte Moreno refused to sell. They finally dealt Ward last winter, ahead of his contract year. He\u2019s had a strange year with the Orioles; his power is down considerably (he hit 36 homers last season), but his on-base percentage has soared. He\u2019s a rental, but he bats righty and would be a worthwhile corner outfield option.<\/p>\n
The prevailing view is that the trade activity will ultimately materialize close to the Aug. 3 deadline. Why? Check the American League standings.<\/p>\n
The expanded playoff field has already altered how teams operate this time of year. Almost everyone thinks they\u2019re in the race, or at least wants to hold out hope as long as possible. In the span of three weeks, the Red Sox went from an almost certainty to trade Aroldis Chapman, Sonny Gray and maybe Willson Contreras to now looking like clear buyers.<\/p>\n
The Angels, Royals and Athletics are on the outside looking in. The Tigers hold the league\u2019s most coveted trade chip, Tarik Skubal, yet at 48-54 entering play Thursday, no one knows if they\u2019re planning to buy or sell or both or neither.<\/p>\n
Because of these dynamics, the Guardians have held conversations with other contenders about a surplus-for-surplus type of trade. That seems like a tough structure to execute, but it might be a path teams have to consider, since there are so few obvious sellers.<\/p>\n
In short, it\u2019s a convoluted mess. And it\u2019s why, despite plenty of dialogue, no one really knows what will happen in the next 10 days. It\u2019s also why you\u2019ll hear Cleveland executives relay that they\u2019ve already gotten a head start on this by trading for catcher Patrick Bailey in early May.<\/p>\n
Scouts packed Progressive Field this week \u2014 the Phillies, Yankees, Padres and Rays were among those represented \u2014 but many were prioritizing seeing the Twins, who could command plenty of attention if they choose to make Joe Ryan, Ryan Jeffers and Trevor Larnach available.<\/p>\n
The Guardians\u2019 plans, meanwhile, are more straightforward. They want a bat. They could always make a play for help in the bullpen, since relievers are always on the move this time of year. (Padres lefty Adrian Morejon, a free agent at the end of the year, would be a dream fit for Cleveland, but there would be a bidding war if San Diego makes him available.)<\/p>\n
In terms of players to deal away, Cleveland has two catchers who don\u2019t fit the roster. For any team aiming lower than Hunter Goodman, Shea Langeliers, Adley Rutschman or Jeffers, Bo Naylor could work as a contingency plan. The Guardians all but removed Naylor from their plans when they demoted him to make space for Bailey. There were tough conversations between Naylor and Cleveland\u2019s coaches and front office. He\u2019s been biding his time in the minors ever since, and it wouldn\u2019t be surprising to see some team with a need at backup catcher toss the Guardians a lottery ticket for him. Teams have been checking in on him for a couple months now.<\/p>\n
Cooper Ingle, meanwhile, has played mostly left field at Triple-A Columbus since the Guardians optioned him after a rough two-week big-league cameo. He\u2019s been a Top 100 prospect, and his bat should be major league-ready, but where he eventually plays at the top level remains to be seen. If another team likes what he can offer behind the plate, he might be the most sensible trade candidate the Guardians employ.<\/p>\n