MLB Execs Reveal Surprising Trade Outlook for Guardians' Emmanuel Clase

MLB executives have disclosed a rather surprising take on Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase before the MLB trade deadline.

Jun 11, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase (48) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians are falling further and further into obscurity this season, as a miserable stretch over the last month-plus has dropped them out of an American League Wild Card spot.

Now, the Guardians must decide whether or not they are going to buy or sell before the MLB trade deadline, and based on the history of the franchise, the latter is a distinct possibility.

If Cleveland does decide to move some pieces between now and July 31, closer Emmanuel Clase could be someone the Guardians shop, and Jim Bowden of The Athletic has revealed executives around baseball think the three-time All-Star could get dealt in the coming weeks.

"Clase’s name kept coming up in the survey, which surprised me as he’s considered one of the top closers in the game," Bowden wrote. "He’s also under team control through the 2028 season. Clase, 27, has a 3.28 ERA over 37 appearances and 18 saves this year."

Clase was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball last season, pitching to the tune of a 0.61 ERA and 0.659 WHIP. However, he had a rough playoff showing which ultimately carried over into the first month of 2025.

The 27-year-old has since settled down, although he still is clearly not quite as menacing as he was during the 2024 campaign.

Still, if the Guardians do decide to trade Clase, they could snare a pretty juicy haul for the right-hander, especially given how team-friendly his contract is.

Cleveland is still very much in postseason contention, so the Guardians will surely use the next couple of weeks as a barometer to determine what they will do with Clase and the rest of the roster. They are certainly running out of time, though.

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