Cleveland Guardians Analyst Doesn't Expect Big Trade Deadline Acquisitions

The Guardians haven't been known for making big moves at the trade deadline in years past, and that could be the case once again.

Jul 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; A general stock view of the Cleveland Guardians logo is seen during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cleveland Guardians are notorious for letting the trade deadline come and go each season without making any noteworthy signings, if any. 

For an organization that tends to find success even in seasons with lower overall projections, they still bank on their in-house talent to get them to the playoffs. That seems to be one of the main reasons they hesitate to make any big time moves when the trade deadline rolls around.

According to the league sources, there are a handful of teams around the league looking to trade some of their players, whether that be pitching help or useful hitters. Even though the Guardians could surely use help in both areas, it doesn’t seem like they will make any big-time trades.

Former Guardians pitcher and current analyst Jensen Lewis didn’t shoot down the possibility of Cleveland pursuing some help, but it most likely won’t be any premier talent. His analogy of what they could be “shopping” for is fitting.

“They’re going to be shopping at WalMart when they should be going to Best Buy.” #GuardsBall@JLEWFifty isn’t holding his breath for the Guards to acquire premium talent. pic.twitter.com/1Th5KMOVkk

— BIGPLAY Cleveland (@BIGPLAYcle) July 27, 2026

Here’s what Lewis had to say regarding the Guardians as the trade deadline nears.

The Guardians could be doing some discount shopping at the deadline

When discussing the Guardians and what it could take to get Cleveland into the playoffs and compete for a pennant this season, Lewis had some interesting comments that fall in line with the team's typical deadline habits.

Lewis said, “they’re about two bats away… it sounds like, at least via the rumors, that they’re going to be kind of shopping at Walmart when you should be going to BestBuy or some of the premium end stores knowing that this American League is pretty wide open.”

The comparison of the Guardians shopping at Walmart versus some of the other premier stores known to the common fan is a good analogy. Mainly because Cleveland always shops for discount players hoping to turn them into quality starters within their lineup.

While it's not a bad recipe, it very rarely works in their favor. Their most recent discount batter acquisition of Patrick Bailey has had his share of ups and downs, but has a .310 batting average through July, his best since joining the team in May.

There’s no question the Guardians can still compete in their division to win the Central for a second season in a row, but they need to rattle off some big series wins over the next two months to take the lead away from the White Sox.

Their lineup can get the job done, but as Lewis mentioned, they are a batter or two away from making some serious noise. They are also in a bit of a funk when it comes to some of their current hitters going through some trouble at the plate.

Between superstar Jose Ramirez, Steven Kwan, and a few of their young rising stars all having lackluster performances since returning from the All-Star break, they need those players to find their groove once again to put up more wins and close the gap between them and Chicago.