The Cleveland Guardians are on the verge of being a playoff contender in the American League. They are a game behind the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central division, and 1.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL wild card standings. Those are deficits that this team can overcome during the remaining two months of the season.
Despite that, the Guardians reportedly have a bit of an interesting strategy heading into the 2022 MLB trade deadline. They could very well pick up some help and make a playoff push, but reports have come out that they are willing to deal some of their top pitchers, such as Shane Bieber or Zach Plesac, if they ended up getting a deal they couldn't resist.
Chances are that won't happen, though, and the Guardians will focus on adding to their current core. If they end up being buyers at the deadline, here are three sneaky trade targets Cleveland could end up pursuing.
3 sneaky trade targets for the Cleveland Guardians
3. David Bednar
The Guardians are heading into the deadline knowing that they are a bit short on bullpen depth. It wouldn't be surprising to see them emerge as a suitor for some of the bigger names on the relief pitcher market, and maybe the biggest name out there is David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Bednar emerged from out of nowhere to become the Pirates closer this season, and he did such a good job that he earned himself an All-Star selection as a result. Bednar has a 2.70 ERA with 17 saves for a Pirates squad that hasn't done a lot of winning. As a result, he could be on the move at the deadline.
The Guardians already have a dominant closer in Emmanuel Clase, but they could use more help at the back of their bullpen, which is where having Bednar would come in handy. Bednar is only 27 years old, and is under team control through 2026, making him a very desirable asset. It may cost a bit, but Bednar could be a fantastic addition to Cleveland's bullpen for the 2022 season and beyond.
2. Ian Happ
All the attention that big names such as Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani have gotten has resulted in some of the hitters who are guaranteed to be available getting looked over. One of those hitters would be Ian Happ of the Chicago Cubs.
Happ is a versatile switch-hitter who is putting together a very solid season for the Cubs. He's hitting .284 with nine home runs and 48 RBIs, which helped him earn the first All-Star selection of his career. He can play all over the field too, with the only positions he hasn't really spent time at being shortstop and catcher.
As a result of his improved play, Happ's value has probably never been higher, and the Cubs are going to cash in on Happ while they can. There are a few players in the Guardians everyday lineup, such as Myles Straw and Franmil Reyes, that shouldn't be playing on an everyday basis given how poorly they have hit this season. Adding Happ would help strengthen Cleveland's lineup and give manager Terry Francona some flexibility when it comes to filling out his lineup on a nightly basis.
Easily Cleveland's biggest need heading into the trade deadline is catcher. The Guardians have gotten virtually no production from the catcher position this season, and that's going to have to change if they want to make the playoffs this season. For that reason, it would make sense for them to go out and acquire one of the best catches in the game in Willson Contreras.
Contreras is also set to be part of the Cubs firesale, and is another trade target that would make a lot of sense for the Guardians. Cleveland has used four different catchers this season, and none of them have a batting average above .200, which is awful.
On the other hand, Contreras has been the gold standard when it comes to catchers over the past few seasons. He's been about as consistent as they come at the catcher spot, and has earned three All-Star selections over the past five seasons. He would be the perfect addition to Cleveland's lineup as a result.
The Guardians may have to create a bigger package to land Contreras, but he could be the guy that pushes them over the top this season. The Guardians still have a ton of talent on their roster, but they have basically been fielding an eight man lineup every night given the lack of production they have gotten from the catcher position. Acquiring Contreras could change that in a heartbeat, and make the Guardians one of the more dangerous dark-horse teams in the American League.
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