Guardians Make Interesting Move at MLB Trade Deadline

The Cleveland Guardians only made two trades before the clock struck 6:00 PM EST, officially marking the MLB trade deadline.

The organization made a few moves on Thursday, including trading Shane Bieber to the Toronto Blue Jays and Paul Sewald to the Detroit Tigers.

However, the Guardians did make one under-the-radar move in the closing moments of the trade deadline, claiming Carlos Hernadez off waivers from the Tigers, who ironically debuted against Cleveland during the 2020 season when he was with the Kansas City Royals.

This pickup likely won’t affect the Guardians’ playoff hopes or overall season outlook, but it is an intriguing move for the Guardians, who still need more pitching depth, especially in the bullpen.

Carlos Hernandez throws a pitch — Jul 22, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Carlos Hernandez (49) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the sixth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Hernandez's stats haven’t been great so far this season. He’s pitched in 25 games with the Philadelphia Phillies and 11 games with the Tigers this season, recording a 6.69 ERA and 1.79 WHIP.

Even though the numbers aren’t great this season, some underlying metrics point to him having some solid. potential. Hernande’z average fastball velocity is 97.8 mph, which sits in the 94th percentile.

As Chris Antonetti said shortly after the move was announced, “He’s got a power arm with really good stuff.”

It will be interesting to see what Henranzes’ role with the Guardians will be.

If the Guardians can help him tap into some more chase and swing-and-miss, he could be a quality bullpen arm, or at very least an innings eater while Cleveland works out what the next steps are for the bullpen.

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