4 Cleveland Guardians trade targets from the Oakland Athletics

Sean Murphy

Similar to Laureano, Sean Murphy has several years of team control remaining until he becomes a free agent. The 27-year-old catcher became one of the better catchers in baseball in 2021 as well. His .710 OPS and 98 OPS+ does not necessarily reflect that, but his elite defense and overall solid bat are what make him a great catcher. The offense at the catcher position is not particularly high around the league. Despite that, in 182 career games, Murphy has hit 28 home runs, batted in 81 runs, and put together a .752 OPS and 109 OPS+. There is some offensive potential in his bat the Guardians could definitely utilize. Statistically, Murphy put up a .309 wOBA but an xWOBA of .335, which is much better and reflects the notion that there could be more in store with the bat for Murphy.

As it currently stands, Austin Hedges is the starting catcher. Hedges played 88 games in 2021 with an abysmal .527 OPS. Defensively, Murphy posted 10 DRS in 2021 and a framing rate of 9.7. He would simply be added to the list of outstanding defensive catchers Cleveland has had in recent years. It’s just that he would add so much more offensively than what the team has been receiving or would receive from Hedges in 2021. He is one of the top trade targets at catcher and the Guardians have the prospect capital to get the deal done.

Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea

Along with Oakland already trading Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, and Chris Bassitt, pitchers Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea look to be on the move as well. The Guardians have traded several really good and well-established pitchers in recent memory and I think it is time they add to their rotation instead of subtracting.

Cleveland typically grades out really well with their pitching, so while this may not be a huge need, Manaea and Montas are both really good above-average pitchers who would provide a boost to any rotation. In 2021, Montas finished sixth in AL Cy Young voting as he went 13-9 with a 3.37 ERA with 207 strikeouts in 187 innings. Manaea posted an 11-10 record with a 3.91 ERA and 194 strikeouts across 179 1/3 innings. Manaea has one year left of team control while Montas has two. Because of this, they might not fetch as much in terms of prospects as Laureano or Murphy. However, if Oakland decides to package both pitchers, they might get an absolute haul. This would be something Cleveland might want to think about considering the AL Central figures to be very tough with the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins, and Detroit Tigers all making significant additions this offseason.

Final Thoughts

All in all, the Cleveland Guardians should look to the Oakland Athletics for some trade targets that would help them improve their roster in several ways. Between Laureano, Murphy, Montas, and Manaea, there is no doubt these players would immediately upgrade the Guardians despite probably costing a lot by way of prospects. Considering the team’s need for outfielders, though, Laureano might make the most sense of all.