The Cleveland Guardians will be buyers before the MLB trade deadline. Flirting with the top record in the American League, the Guardians are not a perfect team but they have plenty of talent and there's reason to believe they can remain a World Series contender into October. Acquiring a few upgrades via the trade market would help solidify that.
Maybe Cleveland didn’t expect to be in this position before the season began. The Guardians won 76 games in 2023, which they should eclipse sometime in August given their current 59-40 record. They've held the outright lead in the AL Central since April 14. Regardless of whether they anticipated a season like this, the Guardians front office owes it to the fans to push for a title this season.
There is a need in the starting rotation and the addition of a bat wouldn’t hurt Cleveland's chances of winning. Whether the Guardians go after the top names available or save on prospect capital and go for mid-level players, they'll have to be willing to lose a few of their top 30 prospects.
With four top 100 prospects according to MLB Pipeline, the Guardians have a decent surplus of minor league talent at their disposal. Recent No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana isn’t even in the fold yet, showing how well Cleveland has managed its farm system.
The Guardians are trying to balance a potential championship season with keeping the future bright. They're unlikely to depart with their top prospect and 28th-ranked overall prospect in baseball Chase DeLauter unless they can secure a Garrett Crochet or Tarik Skubal for him. Otherwise, Cleveland could be open to moving any minor league player before the MLB trade deadline on July 30.
Guardians set to lose No. 6 prospect?
Signed by the Colorado Rockies out of the Dominican Republic in 2018, Juan Brito quickly found success in the lower levels of the minor leagues. The Guardians saw enough from him to make a swap deal with the Rockies following the 2022 season, shipping Nolan Jones to Colorado in exchange for Brito.
The switch-hitting infielder posted an .811 OPS across three levels in 2023, finishing the year in Triple-A. He had 31 doubles with 14 home runs and kept his strikeout numbers down after he walked more than he struck out in 2022.
Although it took him time to adjust to Triple-A pitching, Brito has seen the ball well over the last few months and his numbers continue to improve. He's hitting over .300 in July and flirted with a .900 OPS in May and June. His power numbers are up as well and he could produce his first 20-homer season.
Brito's switch-hitting splits are fascinating to look at this season. He's hitting .324 with a .972 OPS in 102 at-bats from the right side while recording a .225 batting average as a left-handed hitter in 244. Nine of his 13 home runs are from the left side, a trend that continues as 36 of his 44 homers in pro ball are against righties.
He doesn’t offer much speed-wise and is limited as a defender but he's played five positions and could turn into a super-utility man at some point. If he sticks to one position in the big leagues it's likely second base.
Brito won’t be the centerpiece of a trade package where the Guardians land an ace pitcher, but he could be the kicker or the top name in a move for a mid-tier trade target. Cleveland's middle infield could consist of Andres Gimenez and Travis Bazzana as soon as 2026, leaving little room for Brito to get consistent playing time. It makes sense to include him in a deal.
Long-time Cleveland minor-leaguer could be available
Avid MLB The Show players will recognize this name. The American-born George Valera signed with the Guardians for over $1 million as an international free agent in 2017 after moving to the Dominican Republic. Now 23, Valera is knocking on the door of the major leagues but hasn’t been able to turn a corner this season after battling several injuries over the years.
He missed all of April and hasn’t shown enough consistent production to earn a call-up to the Guardians. He has a .722 OPS in 52 games, collecting 16 extra-base hits with 25 RBIs and 26 runs scored. Valera has five hits in his last three games, perhaps a sign he might find his groove toward the tail end of the season.
A down year in 2023 dropped his stock, but if Valera can finish 2024 strong he could find himself with a chance to crack an Opening Day roster next season. He is a fringe fourth outfielder at the moment though which doesn’t make him untouchable.
Valera can play all three positions in the outfield and has predominantly been playing in the corners this season. He has a decent arm and speed that might limit him in centerfield, but he did not commit an error in over 360 innings there last year. He also recorded seven outfield assists in 2023 and has three more this season.
Valera should be expendable in Cleveland's view, although the Guardians tend to value outfield prospects a little more than others. If another team sees his top-10 organizational prospect ranking as intriguing and his tools as workable, they might consider him over other prospects the Guardians have higher expectations of.
Southpaw starter increasing value as deadline looms
This hard-throwing islander is pushing for a promotion before the end of the season. If he keeps pitching like he has in July, Joey Cantillo might put on a major league uniform before the regular season wraps. The Guardians will undoubtedly use another starting pitcher or two before it's all said and done and there's no reason Cantillo can’t be one of them.
The 6-foot-4 lefty gradually lifted the velocity of his fastball as he got older and now sits around 94-95 mph while occasionally touching the upper 90s. Cantillo has a 2.79 ERA across 29 innings with Triple-A Columbus this season. While limited upon his return from injury, Cantillo recorded consecutive five-inning outings in his last two appearances.
Command issues continue to be a problem for the 24-year-old. He's walked multiple batters in all but two of his nine appearances this season, his last two starts. Cantillo had a stretch of 40 consecutive appearances with a walk before he did not issue a free pass in his July 12 start.
Two appearances is a small sample size, but Cantillo has been able to work through his control problems at every level and might be hitting his stride now. Southpaw starters are usually valued a little more on the trade market and although the Guardians aren’t shopping Cantillo, his name has or probably will come up often in trade discussions.
Cantillo is Cleveland's third-ranked pitching prospect, a label that could make him slightly more valuable. His recent performances and attributes make him a likable player and there's a possibility he could make his MLB debut this year, whether it be with the Guardians or another team.
Teams don’t necessarily have to view him as a starter either. He's made 18 relief appearances in his professional career and has the tools to be a successful multi-inning middle reliever. Regardless, he is a name to watch in Guardians trade rumors.
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