The Cleveland Guardians are a difficult team to figure out. In 2022, they won the AL Central despite having MLB's youngest team. The Guardians took a step in the wrong direction in 2023 though, ultimately missing the playoffs.

Are the Guardians now on the verge of a rebuild?

Cleveland is reportedly open to the idea of trading star closer Emmanuel Clase and ace Shane Bieber, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports.

Bieber, Clase trades?

Guardians' Emmanuel Clase, Guardians' Shane Bieber both pitching baseballs at Progressive Field

Bieber rumors have been swirling ever since last offseason. In fact, some people around the MLB world are expecting the Guardians to trade Bieber. 2024 will be his final year of team control before entering free agency, so Cleveland would rather trade him away than risk losing him for almost nothing after the season.

With that being said, a contract extension is not completely out of the question. There were plenty of Jose Ramirez trade rumors before the Guardians signed him to an extension in 2022.

Speaking of extensions, Cleveland and Clase previously agreed to a deal. The flame-throwing right-hander is under team control through 2026 and has club options in both 2027 and 2028. The Guardians would receive an impressive return given the amount of years remaining on Clase's deal, especially since he's only 25-years old.

Clase's contract also makes it seem fairly unlikely that the Guardians would trade him. If they do envision a potential rebuild though, a trade will emerge as a realistic possibility.

Guardians future

The Guardians have found success over the past few years. They have only missed the postseason three times since 2016. Cleveland hasn't endured a terrible year in any of those seasons either.

Cleveland is constantly re-tooling (not to be confused with a complete rebuild). They play in a small market which makes relying on young players crucial. The Guardians rarely find themselves in the conversation for the top free agents, yet they still find ways to win.

In the end, nothing is guaranteed. Barring an extension, the Guardians are probably more likely to trade Bieber than Clase this offseason though.