One Key Change the Guardians Must Make Immediately After the Break

Here's the biggest change the Cleveland Guardians must make immediately following the MLB All-Star break.

Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, left, watches his team during the sixth inning of an MLB game at Progressive Field, Tuesday, June 18, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Cleveland Guardians will be back from a much-needed All-Star break on Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

All things considered, this Guardians season has exceeded expectations thus far. The Guardians are tied for first place in the American League Central Division with the Chicago White Sox.

But the Guardians suffered the loss of their three best hitters (Chase DeLauter, Jose Ramirez and Angel Martinez) all in the same game on June 13. Since then, DeLauter has returned and Cleveland’s young roster has done enough to keep the boat afloat.

But one change the team needs to make after the All-Star break?

Adding one more bat.

It’s easier said than done. With just over 40% of the regular season remaining, there’s so much parity in the American League that it’s hard to tell who will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline.

But the Guardians need to capitalize on how wide open this entire American League is.

The AL Central is better than normal, but the Guardians are still on top of it despite struggling offensively all season. The Guardians currently rank 29th in batting average, 28th in runs scored and 27th in home runs. They rank dead last in slugging. 

This is an offense that needs some serious help.

Some of that help will be internal. DeLauter returned to form before the All-Star break, and the Guardians will get Martinez back as soon as this weekend against the Pirates. Ramirez’s return might take a bit longer, but he should be back to manning third base by the time the MLB trade deadline comes around on August 3.

It takes two to tango, and there’s no guarantee that a big offensive bat will be available for the Guardians, especially with the uncertainty surrounding next year’s collective bargaining agreement.

But if the MLB could experience a lockout next year, the Guardians should try everything in their power to add a little bit of pop to this lineup. They have a solid pitching rotation and a good enough bullpen to go on a run. But the offense needs to be more supportive.

Left fielder Steven Kwan has finally turned around some of his early-season struggles and works nicely towards the bottom of the lineup with Brayan Rocchio. Ramirez, Martinez and DeLauter all being healthy at the same time should be great news for Travis Bazzana, who has done his job as a rookie keeping this offense moving.

Adding a big, preferably right-handed bat into this organization has been needed for quite some time. But ahead of this deadline could be the perfect time to actually make that move.