Following an eventful weekend for the Cleveland Guardians, the ball club claimed OF Ramon Laureano off waivers from the Oakland Athletics on Monday, per Jon Heyman. Laureano endured his ups and downs with Oakland but will add necessary depth to Cleveland's outfield. The Guardians have displayed a desire to add outfield help, recently acquiring OF Kole Calhoun in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers as well.

Cleveland currently sits in second place in the American League Central. Their playoff hopes are still alive, however, they are starting to fade. The Guardians haven't played well since the MLB trade deadline and now trail the Minnesota Twins by 4.5 games in the AL Central.

Still, Cleveland has a chance to make a run. They need to find consistency, however. Offense has been difficult to come by for the team in 2023, so perhaps the additions of Laureano and Calhoun will help matters moving forward.

Guardians claim Ramon Laureano 

The Athletics' decision to DFA Laureano was fairly surprising. He hasn't played well in 2023 but is still a veteran with experience.

Laureano slashed .213/.280/.364 with a .645 OPS across 64 games with the Athletics this season. But this is a player who hit .288 with an .860 OPS and 24 home runs back in 2019. He still has the potential to be a decent big league hitter. The Guardians are surely hoping he can turn back the clock and provide valuable offensive output for a lineup that desperately needs it.

Cleveland will try to get back on track Monday as they open a home series versus the Toronto Blue Jays.