Guardians Must Target This Right-Handed Outfielder At the 2026 Trade Deadline

With the 19th pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, the San Francisco Giants selected outfielder Heliot Ramos.

And nearly 10 years since the now 26-year-old began playing professional baseball, he's looking like one of the more consistently reliable bats in the league.

Across five years of action in MLB, Ramos owns a 3.3 bWAR with a .257/.315/.423 slash line, all while sporting a .739 OPS. Since being selected to his first All-Star Game back in 2024, Ramos has been a right-handed bat that the Giants could count on.

Heliot Ramos is the first right-handed hitter in MLB history to hit a home run into McCovey Cove!

(h/t @BNightengale) pic.twitter.com/vTeuYMhGYf
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) September 15, 2024

However, with where the organization is at right now, owning an abysmal 43-60 overall record and sitting at the bottom of the National League West, it's obvious they need to make some changes at the deadline.

Enter the Cleveland Guardians

The Guardians have been searching for another impact bat for much of the 2026 campaign, working through countless youngsters to see if any of them can be the answer.

While rookies Chase DeLauter, Travis Bazzana and even Kahlil Watson have had some pretty exciting moments, smacking home runs and coming up in the clutch, none of them are right-handed bats. That's an area of Cleveland's lineup that has been incredibly weak.

LEADOFF LITTLE LEAGUE HOME RUN FOR HELIOT RAMOS!

A throwing error from Andrés Giménez allows him to score 😳pic.twitter.com/Zy8qV28p3a
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) July 7, 2026

Adding a proven right-handed outfielder like Ramos would deepen the lineup for a postseason push and also round out a group that heavily features lefties.

The native of Humacao, Puerto Rico, complements Cleveland's "GuardsBall" persona, while also bringing a bit more power to it. He has a combination of power, contact and durability, being able to slot nicely into the middle of the Guardians' batting order.

This season, he owns a .263/.298/.446 slashing line, with 66 hits, 13 doubles, nine triples and nine home runs. His total of nine triples would be the most on the Guardians this year. That type of power and ability to extend extra-base hits is exactly what Cleveland needs.

Just as important, Ramos fits the type of lomg-term plan that the front office is trying to build as José Ramírez approaches the final few seasons of his career.

Cleveland Guardians, Heliot Ramo — Jul 21, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; San Francisco Giants left fielder Heliot Ramos (17) hits a one run single against the Kansas City Royals during the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At 26 years old, he isn't going to be a rental, but a righty that could be a key contributor for the next few campaigns.

To land a player like Ramos, who is still in the heart of his career and remains an important piece to any team in the league right now, the Guardians' front office would have to be willing to part with a few key prospects.

Fortunately, they have a lot to give.

Sitting well out of contention, the Giants would likely be searching for youngsters who could become legitimate big league contributors in the coming seasons. One of either Kahlil Watson, Cooper Ingle or Petey Halpin would likely draw some interest from the Giants, given the belief that they could be ready to take that next step in the big leagues with legitimate time on the diamond.

Along with someone ready to immediately contribute, the Guardians could offer the Giants a project infield piece, with guys like Milan Tolentino, Angel Genao, Dean Curley or Juan Brito coming to mind.

Cleveland #Guardians 22yr old INF prospect Dean Curley gives Akron the lead in the 5th inning on an RBI base hit vs Altoona. #GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/vcpxUuk3Dl
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 25, 2026

While the Guardians don't want to overpay for Ramos, playing at a consistent level and being in the heart of his career present a unique opportunity to take a chance on securing a long-term outfielder to slot alongside DeLauter and Steven Kwan.

As the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline approaches, Ramos should be near the top of Cleveland's wish list.

And if the opportunity presents itself, the front office should consider making a trade to increase the team's ceiling as the year approaches it's conclusion.

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