Cleveland Guardians Linked to Blockbuster Trade With Atlanta Braves

The Cleveland Guardians have been connected to a big trade with the Atlanta Braves before the MLB trade deadline.

May 31, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of hat and glove of Atlanta Braves center fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (not pictured) against the Detroit Tigers in the fourth inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians' losing streak is over, but that does not mean they are suddenly going to become buyers before the MLB trade deadline.

The Guardians have gone just 13-26 over their last 39 games, falling further and further out of Wild Card contention in the American League. With the July 31 deadline approaching, it seems rather likely that Cleveland will sell, and closer Emmanuel Clase could be on the move.

The Athletic listed Clase fourth on their trade big board this week and connected him to a rather intriguing team in a potential trade: the Atlanta Braves.

The Braves have dropped out of legitimate playoff contention themselves, so they definitely represent a rather strange landing spot for Clase, who has re-emerged as a solid relief pitcher after a brutal start to the regular season.

Clase hasn't been quite as dominant as he was last year, but he still boasts a 3.12 ERA while allowing 42 hits over 40.2 innings of work. He has also tallied 40 strikeouts.

What makes the 27-year-old an incredibly attractive trade piece is the fact that he is under team control through 2028 with $10 million club options for each of those last two seasons. He is also earning just $4.9 million this year and is slated to make $6.4 million in 2026.

Atlanta could certainly use some help in its bullpen, so perhaps the Braves would want to swing a trade for Clase in order to nab him for future seasons.

We'll see what the Guardians decide to do in the coming weeks.

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