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The Cleveland Guardians are one of the most difficult teams to figure out in the hours leading up to the 2023 MLB trade deadline. The Guardians traded Aaron Civale to the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday. Despite giving up their most consistent member of the rotation, the Guardians aren't true trade deadline sellers.
Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti suggested to reporters that the team could replace Civale by acquiring a starter ahead of the 2023 trade deadline. Cleveland is very much in contention for a playoff spot. The Guardians trail the Minnesota Twins by one game for first place in the AL Central. It's MLB's worst division, and the Guardians are a game under .500.
Because Cleveland doesn't resemble a legitimate championship contender, the organization felt it couldn't pass up the chance to swap Civale for a highly touted hitting prospect. With Shane Bieber, Triston McKenzie and Carl Quantrill all set to potentially return from injuries in the regular season, the Guardians believe they could already have the makings of a playoff rotation.
Relying on three injured arms—particularly those who struggled before going on the IL—to make meaningful starts down the stretch is a dangerous strategy. If the Guardians are not punting the 2023 season, they should at least add a low-cost option at the trade deadline who can take the ball every fifth day.
Let's take a look at a player who fits that description and makes for a realistic last-minute Guardinans' trade deadline target.
Guardians should trade for Mets SP Carlos Carrasco
Carlos Carrasco might not be of much help to the Guardians or any MLB team in 2023. The veteran has a 6.40 ERA in 70.1 innings for the Mets. Carrasco posted a 7.79 ERA in July after giving up 15 earned runs in 21.2 innings during June.
But we're talking about realistic trade options for a team that just dealt a pitcher with a 2.34 ERA. Cleveland obviously isn't going to trade for a high-priced veteran like Justin Verlander. The likes of James Paxton and Michael Lorenzen are probably out of their price range. Because the roster is so flawed, the Guardians are only going to trade for a backend starter who will cost them very little in the way of prospects. In that case, Carrasco makes the most sense.
After trading Max Scherzer and trying to move Verlander, you can be assured that the Mets are ready to trade Carrasco. The 36-year-old is in the final year of his contract. He's as good as gone after the 2023 season. New York would likely accept just about anything in exchange for Carrasco. It's worth a shot for the Guardians now that they have a Civale-sized hole in the rotation amidst their playoff push.
Carrasco once found plenty of success in Cleveland. From 2009-2020, Carrasco pitched to a 3.77 ERA with the Guardians. Carrasco was a more than adequate starter last year, going 15-7 with a 3.97 ERA. Maybe upon his return to Cleveland, Carrasco could regain some of his old form.
This obviously wouldn't be a trade that puts the Guardians over the top. There is no such trade available to Cleveland at the deadline. The Guardians have their eyes on the future while still hoping to compete for a division title that is well within their grasp. There's little downside to a Carrasco trade.
If he wins Cleveland a couple of games in September and gets the Guardians to the playoffs, giving up a low-level prospect would make the trade well worth it.
