Most people in the MLB world did not expect much from the Cleveland Guardians in 2022. After being a consistent contender for five straight seasons, Cleveland fell out of contention in 2021. And they made no substantial additions during the offseason. But despite all of that, the Guardians have remained competitive in the AL Central. They sit in second place behind the Minnesota Twins as of this story's publication. 

And barring a horrid next few weeks, Cleveland will be in position to buy at the 2022 MLB trade deadline. So what does ball club need?

The Guardians feature a lineup full of pesky hitters who don't strikeout much. With that being said, Cleveland doesn't produce much in the way of power. Sure, Jose Ramirez is a perennial MVP candidate. Josh Naylor and Franmil Reyes possesses plenty of pop. But the lineup as a whole would benefit from a boost in power.

Cleveland's starting rotation hasn't been fantastic, but they have pitched well enough to help the team win. Shane Bieber is enjoying a nice season atop the rotation. But the Guardians would also benefit from adding an arm or two in the bullpen. Cleveland's relief core has produced decent results but overall depth is lacking.

With all of this being said, let's take a look at 3 trade targets for the Guardians.

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3 top targets for Guardians ahead of 2022 MLB trade deadline

David Robertson and Brandon Hughes

The Guardians have a top-heavy bullpen. This means that the backend is solid but it lacks depth as aforementioned.

Emmanuel Clase has been one of the top closers in baseball. Eli Morgan and Trevor Stephen have emerged as reliable 7th and 8th innings guys. But adding David Robertson and Brandon Hughes from the Cubs would pay major dividends in the long run.

Robertson has excelled this season. The veteran right-hander owns a 1.95 ERA in 32.1 innings of work.

Hughes is a 26-year old left-hander who owns a 3.98 ERA this season.

Robertson is obviously the centerpiece in this proposed deal. But Cleveland lacks much in the way of left-handed pitching so Hughes would be a nice addition to the trade.

Andrew Benintendi

Teams don't always prefer to trade within the division. But the Royals may be enticed by Cleveland's loaded farm system, which is ranked number 3 in MLB according to Bleacher Report.

And Kansas City needs prospects. They are rebuilding and trying to win in the future.

As for Benintendi, he would fit perfectly with Cleveland. The Guardians desperately need outfield help and his on base/contact ability would mesh well in the lineup.

Andrew Benintendi is currently slashing .314/.380/.400. He doesn't offer much power, but Benintendi would make for a steady presence atop the Guardians batting order.

Josh Bell 

Josh Bell is a switch-hitting power threat. And the Guardians lack in the power department. Bell his slashing an extremely impressive .318/.399/.514 this year. His 12 home runs and .913 OPS would undoubtedly catch Cleveland's attention.

The Guardians currently have Josh Naylor as their primary first baseman and Franmil Reyes at DH. But Naylor and Reyes both have experience in the outfield.

Bell would also add extra protection for Jose Ramirez in the lineup. Teams often hesitate to pitch to Ramirez. Naylor and Reyes offer decent protection, but having Bell in the lineup would almost force pitchers to attack J-Ram.