Insider Exposes 3 Players Guardians Might Send Packing by Trade Deadline

An insider has revealed three players the Cleveland Guardians are most likely to move by the MLB trade deadline.

Jun 27, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view a Cleveland Guardians hat and glove on the dugout railing before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians could potentially sell off some pieces before the MLB trade deadline, even though they have been playing terrific baseball of late.

While the Guardians have won 11 of their last 14 games following a 10-game losing streak, they are still just a .500 ballclub, which puts them in a rather difficult position as far as legitimate contention is concerned.

As a result, Cleveland may look to dump a few of its players prior to July 31, and ESPN's Jeff Passan has identified three very clear trade candidates for the Guardians: first baseman Carlos Santana and pitchers Paul Sewald and Jakob Junis.

Why? Because all three players are slated to hit free agency at the end of the year, and by now, everyone knows Cleveland's modus operandi: it doesn't like to spend too much money.

The Guardians signed Santana to a one-year deal to replace Josh Naylor over the winter, bringing him back for his third stint in Cleveland. While the former All-Star has had his moments, he has overall been rather pedestrian offensively, owning a .667 OPS.

Meanwhile, Sewald has struggled with injuries and owns a 4.70 ERA in 18 relief appearances, and Junis is very expendable.

The chances of the Guardians actually completing a blockbuster trade centered around Steven Kwan or Emmanuel Clase seem relatively slim at this point, but it stands to reason that Cleveland could move some of its less important pieces like the players mentioned above.

Of course, this is the Guardians we are talking about, so anything can happen.

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