Cleveland Guardians Offensive Offense Needs Help

Should the Guardians double-down on pitching at the deadline? The 29th ranked offense in batting average wants a word.

Jul 4, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) bats in the sixth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cleveland Guardians are approaching the August 3, 2026, trade deadline treading above .500 and a couple games back of the Chicago White Sox for the American League Central division lead. The Guardians are 1.5 games in the lead for the last Wild Card playoff spot.

Help is needed to finish the season strong and contend for an American League pennant. Although the Guardians chose not to make any deals last year at the deadline, their miracle comeback in the division was an exception, not the rule. 

While the Guardians have showed restraint in trading away prospects in the past, this is the perfect season to go all in. There is a looming lockout for the Major League Baseball next season and the American League is open for the taking. There are rumblings that the Guardians should double down on pitching. They are currently eighth in the league in pitching, in terms of earned runs per game, and fourth in the league in strikeouts. 

In a playoff series, a team’s most likely start three starters at most. For the Guardians you can pen in Gavin  Williams and Parker Messick, but the third starter would remain up in the air.

Which names could the Guardians target?

A pitcher like Robbie Ray from the San Francisco Giants could be a low cost acquisition as he is a free agent at the end of the year.

The Guardians may look for short-term rental help to inflate the 2027 payroll that may or may not play a full season. Toronto Blue Jays pitcher, Kevin Guasman, is having a down year by his standards, but will also be a free agent at the end of the year. The Blue Jays may be willing to eat some of his large salary for an extra prospect. The Blue Jays and Guardians’ front office’s are very familiar with one another to work out a deal that could make sense for both teams. The Guardians could use one more starting pitcher to fill out a playoff series rotation, but at the moment, starting pitching is not the biggest hole on the team. 

The bullpen has been solid as always this season for the Guardians. They are lacking a true set-up man like they have had in years past. Hunter Gaddis has the repertoire to close down the 7th and 8th innings, but he is not always consistent. There are few impactful arms on the trade market this season with a lot of competition. The Guardians are better off getting Erik Sabrowski healthy and finding arms from within to fill the set-up man role. In the playoffs, the fourth and fifth starters can be used from the bullpen to lengthen the availability of high leverage relievers. 

Everyone knows the offense is the black hole on the team. The Guardians are 29th in batting average. Jorge Soler of the Angels should become available. Soler has demonstrated power in his career and in the post season. Although he only has 12 years this season so far, it would still lead the Guardians.

Baltimore’s outfielder Taylor Ward would be an interesting candidate as he is a right-handed bat that has hit for both power and average in the past. Luis Arraez of the Los Angeles Angels is hitting .326. The Guardians went 0/17 in a game over the weekend with men in scoring position. They need someone in the lineup that will put the ball in play with ducks on the pond. A .326 average suggests Arraez will be your guy. He has very little power, but the bat on ball skills may be what the lineup needs to win games via “Guards Ball”. The Guardians finally have intriguing prospects that can be traded and they should go get help for the offensive side of the ball. 

Jul 26, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arraez (1) celebrates his two-run double against the Los Angeles Angels during the ninth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Guardians have had tremendous pitching in the postseason before, and every season the team fizzles out due the mounting pressure of not being able to give up a run without it making feel like ten runs. The Guardians should search for hitting, specifically in the outfield, to relieve the pitchers they do have of constant high leverage situations.

With better offense will come better pitching late in games. The names at the deadline will not catapult the Guardians to American League favorites, but one or two additions could be the difference between competing for a pennant or scratching into a wild card round and fizzling out.