Guardians Talk Trades, Roster Decisions Ahead of Deadline

San Francisco, CA — As the MLB trade deadline approaches, the Cleveland Guardians are considering potential roster moves, including trades involving key players like Shane Bieber. During a recent episode of the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, experts discussed various trade scenarios and the team’s performance this season.

Paul Hoynes, a long-time baseball journalist, noted that the Guardians have struggled to find a reliable right fielder. ‘It’s been a disaster this year,’ he said. ‘Nolan Jones is starting to come around a little bit in right field, but we saw Jhonkensy Noel fail and get demoted.’

Joe Noga, another podcast host, pointed out that Shin-Soo Choo was the last regular right fielder to play at least 120 games, signaling the team’s ongoing difficulty in this position. Hoynes added, ‘They’ve got two guys at Triple-A, Chase DeLauter and C.J. Kayfus. But will they get a real shot at the majors?’ The team’s history shows a tendency to rotate players rather than develop a consistent starter.

Another focal point was Shane Bieber’s potential trade value. ‘Bieber’s got to get back on the mound and prove he’s healthy,’ Hoynes explained. He emphasized that with Bieber’s mutual option for next season, teams might hesitate to trade valuable prospects for a player who could be a free agent at the end of the year.

Health issues have further complicated Bieber’s situation. Noga mentioned that a recent elbow setback eliminated any chance for Bieber to return before the July 31 trade deadline. ‘He’s not going to make it back to the majors before the trade deadline,’ Noga said. ‘So, he might be stuck with Cleveland for now.’

Listeners also inquired about un-tradeable players. Hoynes named Tanner Bibee and Slade Cecconi as key prospects the Guardians are unlikely to move. He expressed confidence in the team’s young pitching staff, saying, ‘I really like what Gavin Williams has done.’

Noga added that while some players like Juan Brito might be valuable, they are also important to Cleveland’s future. ‘Brito is probably more valuable to Cleveland than he is to anybody else,’ he said, highlighting the team’s careful approach to trades.

As the deadline nears, the Guardians face decisions on whom to keep and whom to trade, impacting the team’s future direction.