What Guardians Got Right (and Wrong) at MLB Trade Deadline

Here is what the Guardians got right and wrong at this year's Major League Baseball trade deadline.

Apr 20, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Guardians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti tosses a baseball on the field before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Major League Baseball Trade deadline came and went on Monday, and the Cleveland Guardians were active.

Cleveland acquired relief pitcher Craig Yoho and outfielder Blake Perkins from the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. The Guardians then made three notable trades on Monday, acquiring outfielder Jo Adell from the Los Angeles Angels, pitcher Foster Griffin from the Washington Nationals and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe from the Cincinnati Reds.

All four of the moves were solid for Cleveland to compete in the American League, and here is what the Guardians got right and wrong at the deadline.

What the Guardians got right

Adding a right-handed power hitter like Adell

Cleveland certainly needed to come away from the trade deadline with a right-handed power hitter, and it successfully secured one of the top options available. Adell is currently batting .239 with a .682 OPS, along with 16 home runs and 62 RBI across 111 games this season. The Guardians now have a reliable player to face left-handed pitching, as Adell should be in the lineup every time they go up against a lefty. His performance against left-handed pitchers has been impressive, boasting a .303 batting average, a .910 OPS, and 10 home runs this season alone.

Lowe is the left-handed first baseman Cleveland needed

The Guardians have been switching between left-handed hitter Kyle Manzardo and right-handed hitter Rhys Hoskins throughout the season. However, they realized the need to strengthen one of their first-base options and ultimately chose the left-handed bat.

Lowe is batting .266 with an .820 OPS, along with 12 home runs and 37 RBI through 83 games this season. On Monday, Cleveland optioned Manzardo down to Triple-A, allowing Lowe to step into his role. The Guardians now have two veterans at first base in Lowe and Hoskins, who could be significant in their pursuit of a potential postseason run.

What the Guardians got wrong

Not trading for a high-end relief pitcher

The Guardians didn't do much wrong at this year's trade deadline, and if there was one area to pick at, it's that they couldn't bring in a high-end reliever to set up closer Cade Smith. Cleveland did bring in Yoho, who should have a nice role in the bullpen, but it would've been nice to see the Guardians bring in a legit reliever with playoff experience.

It isn’t the end of the world that the Guardians didn’t acquire a high-end relief pitcher, as it would have cost a lot. However, considering the moves Cleveland made at the deadline, if it had secured a lights-out arm for the seventh and eighth innings, the Guardians would have been hard to beat this October.