Cleveland Guardians' Trade Deadline Strategy Just Took a Wild Turn

The Cleveland Guardians are in quite the unenviable position heading into the MLB trade deadline. They haven't been good enough to be sure-fire buyers, but they also remain smack dab in the middle of playoff contention, which makes it difficult to sell.

Well, their decision may have become easier after news dropped on Monday that Emmanuel Clase is being placed on non-disciplinary leave as a result of a gambling investigation, making him the second Guardians pitcher to suffer the same fate this month (Luis Ortiz being the other).

Clase was widely viewed as a potential trade candidate heading into the deadline, but now, with Clase out until at least Aug. 31, Cleveland obviously can't move the three-time All-Star. The news also makes it far less likely that the Guardians will attempt to add pieces before the end of the month.

Cleveland rode its bullpen to an AL Central division title and an ALCS appearance last season. It was hoping to do the same this year, but with Clase now gone for the foreseeable future, that obviously becomes a much more trying exercise, even if Cade Smith is really, really good.

Losing Clase clearly hurts the Guardians' bullpen depth rather drastically, and it's important to note that Cleveland's pen as a whole has not been quite as dominant as 2024.

The Guardians' offense has also been a major problem this season, which has had many wondering if they will try to acquire a bat prior to July 31. But now, is there really a justification for Cleveland to part with prospects for a possible rental now that its playoff chances have taken such a major hit?

To be perfectly honest, the Guardians were probably never going to be aggressive buyers anyway. That isn't their modus operandi. Especially not when they are below .500.

At this point, Cleveland may end up selling some pieces. Or maybe the Guardians will just stand pat, particularly if they can't find any feasible returns for players like Carlos Santana.

But in terms of buying? It seemed hard to believe Cleveland would do that before. With Clase now out for at least a month, that becomes that much more unlikely.

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