Could Guardians Recent Free Agent Signing Lead To Another Trade?

The Cleveland Guardians still have avenues to improve their roster before Opening Day.

Nov 10, 2023; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, middle, and president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti, left, and general manager Mike Chernoff, right, talk to the media during an introductory press conference at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians made a slightly shocking free-agent signing on Wednesday afternoon when the team announced they had agreed to a one-year deal with veteran reliever Paul Sewald.

Cleveland already had the best bullpen in baseball last season, and while Sewald is past the prime of his career, he is still more than capable of throwing in high-leverage situations.

Where do the Guardians go from here? Will this be their last major move of the offseason? Could the Sewald signing actually put Cleveland in a better position to make an impactful trade?

Cleveland already had an elite reliever core, and it only got better with adding Sewald. However, it's also hard not to notice the depth of this Guardians' bullpen after this signing.

A ball cap sports the new Cleveland Guardians logo in the third inning of the MLB Inter-league game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Guardians at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Tuesday, April 12, 2022. The Guardians won 10-5 in the Reds home-opening game. Cleveland Guardians At Cincinnati Reds Home Opener | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Opening Day roster could have any combination of Emanuel Clase, Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin, Erik Sabrowski, Andrew Walters, Slade Cecconi, and Sewald.

That's not even including Trevor Stephan, who could return to the mound later in the spring following Tommy John surgery last offseason, and prospects Franco Aleman and Nic Enright, who could make their big league debuts at some point in 2025.

Depth is great, but the Guardians could also make a smart move by taking advantage of this depth and using one of their many relievers as a piece in a possible trade for an outfield piece or starting pitcher.

It's clear that the Guardians have a surplus of relievers, with many of them under team control in the foreseeable future. This should make the front office feel more than comfortable with parting ways with one if the return makes the entire roster better.

The Guardians still have avenues to improve their overall roster before Opening Day, and they're in perfect position to make an impactful trade following the Sewald signing.