Cleveland Guardians' Star Linked to NL Central Powerhouse at Trade Deadline

As we near the 2025 MLB trade deadline, the rumors surrounding Cleveland Guardians' star closer Emmanuel Clase continue to swirl heading into the second half of the season.

When discussing potential trade deadline moves on the Talkin' Baseball Podcast, longtime MLB analyst and Ohio native Chris Rose suggested that the Chicago Cubs would be a great fit for Clase.

"Now, their bullpen has actually been pretty good, and [closer] Daniel Palencia has been one of the really good stories this year," Rose said. "The question is, if you're able to outlast the Brewers, the Cardinals, and to some degree, the Reds to win the Central, how good do you feel giving him the ball in the ninth inning of a playoff game?"

Rose would then follow it up with his reasoning why it would make sense for Cleveland, stating that the two teams are a "perfect matchup" for this type of trade.

"It's a perfect matchup, trade partner-wise," said Rose. "The Cubs have a couple of outfielders down in the minor leagues who've been knocking on the door for years...but there's limited space out there."

Currently, Chicago has three outfielders within their top ten minor league prospects, including No. 1 Owen Caissie, No. 4 Kevin Alcantara and No. 6 James Triantos, according to MLB.com. With the rumors of the Guardians potentially trading away star outfielder Steven Kwan, the depth at the position could lack even more talent heading into the 2026 season.

However, Guardians' insider Paul Hoynes claimed that both Clase and reliever Cade Smith are "not for sale" earlier this week on an episode of The Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast. While a move for a young, talented outfielder would boost Cleveland's 2026 lineup, the status of Clase still remains in question heading into second half of the 2025 season.

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