The Cleveland Guardians suffered injuries to three key players June 13 against the Detroit Tigers, with two of those players expected to miss significant amounts of time.
All-Star third base man Jose Ramirez underwent surgery on his left hamate bone June 16. Outfielder Angel Martinez broke his foot fouling a ball off it, while outfielder Chase DeLauter is day-to-day with a rib injury.
The first two are long-term issues with Ramirez expected to miss 5-7 weeks and Martinez could miss to 4-6 weeks.
Their recoveries could affect what the team could do as the MLB trade deadline looms Aug. 3. What will the Guardians do to fill those holes? For now, they’ve decided to muddle through with Gabriel Arias expected to get the lion’s share of work at third, but that could change and with the American League wide open this year. The Guardians could be buyers.
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Who could be on that shopping list? ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan have compiled a list of players, along with a likely trade percentage, who could fit on manager Stephen Vogt’s team.
Who could fit on the Guardians if they are trade deadline buyers? McDaniel and Passan have a few ideas.
Aroldis Chapman, LHP, Boston Red Sox (90% likely)
Assessment: “Here’s the greatest truism of the deadline: Everyone needs a good reliever. Teams will climb over each other for Chapman.” He’s also a ghost from the Guardians’ 2016 World Series appearances.
Freddy Peralta, RHP, New York Mets, (90% likely)
Assessment: “Even with his strikeout rate dipping below one per inning, Peralta is still plenty capable of throwing seven shutout innings in a postseason game,” they write.
Assessment: “Arraez has done more to improve himself in the eyes of teams than perhaps anyone on this list. His second-base defense this year is among the best in the league,” they write. “Teams also understand how valuable putting the ball in play can be in the postseason, and nobody is better at that than Arraez, who is going to lead MLB in strikeout rate for the fifth consecutive season.”
Gleyber Torres, 2B, Detroit Tigers (80% likely)
Assessment: “Torres has reinvented himself as an ideal leadoff type, prioritizing on-base percentage and consistent contact. He is a perfectly serviceable second baseman defensively, and for on-base-starved teams, he is a reasonable antidote,” they write.
Taylor Ward, LF, Baltimore Orioles (75% likely)
Assessment: “Plenty of teams could use an outfielder, and though Ward won’t win a Gold Glove anytime soon, his on-base percentage fits in almost every lineup,” they write.
Christian Walker, 1B, Houston Astros, (45% likely)
Assessment: “He has plenty of power. Though he isn’t the glovesmith he once was, he still plays a solid first base,” they write. “And because he has a costly year left on his contract, the acquisition price won’t be prohibitive.”
Sandy Alcantra, RHP, Marlins (40% likely)
Assessment: “Teams are far more bullish on Alcantara this deadline than they were last time around, when the gap between the Marlins’ ask and others’ willingness to give up significant talent was too large to bridge,” they write.
Jo Adell, RF, Los Angeles Angels (20% likely)
Assessment: “While Adell’s power numbers have dipped and his walk rate remains comically low, he is a talented 27-year-old who could flourish in the proper situation.”
Jarren Duran, OF, Boston Red Sox (25% likely)
Assessment: “Duran has gone backward offensively and might just need a fresh start. Whether Boston is willing to deal low is the real question.”
George M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal.
